Hi John,
Yes, beam is the correct word to describe the width of all boats, including pontoon boats.
I have a Torqeedo T-1003 and two of their proprietary batteries. I use the little outboard in conjunction with a Gheenoe, which is like a canoe but a little more stable. It is 15 feet long. We also have an 18-ft Crest pontoon boat with a 50 hp Tohatsu gas outboard, but we take that vessel out into Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay, so dealing with tides and wind requires more power than a small lake requires. Is your lake small?
I love not dealing with gas and oil on the Gheenoe when I am fishing the rivers and bayous off Tampa Bay. However, I have discovered some drawbacks to the Torqeedo as compared to an ICE (internal combustion engine).
I can fix the little outboard in place via a mechanical lever so that if I hit or graze an underwater obstruction, it will not kick up. Or, I can not set that lever and the lower unit and prop will kick up if it encounters an underwater object.
I have tried it both ways. When the motor kicks up, the prop continues running on the surface and I lose control of the boat and motor until I turn off the motor. Then I manually reach back and lower the prop back in to the water and restart the outboard.
With the motor fixed in place, an underwater hit at top speed can cause the shear pin attached to the prop to shear off, and replacing the shear pin is a difficult process in a bobbing Gheenoe. It would be much easier to do in a stable boat such as a pontoon, but you have to carry tools that are specific to that operation, plus extra shear pins (that do not come with the outboard; you have to order them from Torqeedo). The good thing is that the prop doesn't fall off and sink to the bottom when the shear pin is severed. And fortunately, after removing the battery, the T-1003 is light enough to lift off the transom of the Gheenoe in order to facilitate a minor repair. I am a 60-year old wimp, so the light weight is a major plus for me.
Also, because of their light weight, I do not ever leave the T-1003 and its batteries on the boat at my dock. It would be too easy for a thief to steal. That would not be the case with the heavier Torqeedo model that would give you excellent speed for your pontoon, the Cruise 10. Theft might be an issue with the Cruise 4 unless you could permanently affix the Cruise 4 to your stern.
The other drawback to the T-1003 is that their batteries are proprietary and cannot be used in any other application other than with the T-1003. We have the occasional power outage where we live, and it is frustrating to have these two expensive batteries sitting here and I cannot hook up a fan and a light to them. I understand that the most recent incarnation of the Torqeedo batteries have a USB charging port option for cell phones and their ilk.
A T-1003 would push your pontoon, albeit slowly. I once towed our pontoon in from several miles out with my Gheenoe, from the bay to a canal, with the wind abeam. It was a side-by-side tow, and we briefly made about 4 mph at top speed with two people and 3 dogs on board the toon. If your lake is large, I would get either the Cruise 4 or even better, the Cruise 10. I also like the Ray Electrics, too, but have no experience with them.
And if you have dogs, they will love a pontoon boat.
Miz Pea
St. Petersburg, FL
Kayak
Gheenoe with Torqeedo T-1003
Crest 18-ft pontoon with 50 hp Tohatsu
soon - Great Harbour TT35
former boats:
Compac Daysailer
Stamus 22-ft with 225 Merc
and other stupid go-fast boats when I was young
Posted by: mizpea@tampabay.rr.com
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