T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] bow thruster

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Re: [Electric Boats] bow thruster

Bruce, If you go on to the Minn Kota website you will find charts that show how much thrust is recommended based on several factors. Just off hand the 36s seems too small for what you want to do. I just installed an 80# thrust 24v on my 16 foot 1910 power dory and am awaiting the first run to report on performance. Back to your issue, installing one on each amma would create some interesting problems as in linking the steering, controlling fwd and rev and adjusting speed, with thesee two motors widely spaced apart. There are controllers that you can adapt but that would require removing the control heads from the motors and finding the appropriate electronics. Then there is still the steering. Probably you could tie that to your existing rudders some how. Very interested in your progress in using trolling motors. I see two joysticks majically linked to your two motors. I only wish I had the expertise to tell you how to do it. Best, Grant

From: "'Bruce Dickson' bdebiz@usa.net [electricboats]" <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Reply-To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2016 9:05 PM
To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Electric Boats] bow thruster

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and have a question for any one willing to help.

I have an old 70's plywood Piver trimaran, it is a 40' Victress that is 23'
wide, at some point in the near future I will be replacing the dead 30hp
Yanmar with an electric motor. I have no idea what the displacement is, I have
a copy of the original plans but it does not say, in the keel next to the hull
# is engraved " net 20" so I'm not sure if this means 20,000 lb displacement,
but that seems too much. At it's widest point the main hull is 67" wide at the
water line, and the bottom of the keel is 33" below the water line, and the
length at the water line is 34'9". the ammas are a deep V with maybe a 12-14"
draft and LWL of 24'. I don't know how to calculate displacement and I'm
assuming we need this to determine motor size. While I need to figure this out
it is not my main question.

I am thinking of adding a small motor to the rear of each amma to act like bow
thrusters or the twin motors of cats in order to make maneuvering at slow
speeds possible for docking and directional control while retrieving the
anchor. I am wondering if an electric trolling motor wired to a bigger battery
would be big enough to handle this task. Several trolling motors were labeled
36 lb's of thrust, what does this mean and how does it relate? would these two
trolling motors mounted to the transoms of the amma's get me out of the marina
until I can set the sails? I like the idea of the trolling motors as they are
kept cool by the water and I can pull them above the water line to eliminate
drag while sailing.

Any ideas would be appreciated,
Bruce, S/V Araluen.