I totaly agree with that post. I have a 8 foot Bombard with a Minnkota
30 and a 32ah gel battery that I can pickup with one hand by the
handle. I put the motor on the transom and hang the battery from the 2
big butterfly screws. I also added a plug in the line that I can
connect to the boat to recharge. I siliconed a small digital voltmeter
to the battery so I can keep an eye on the voltage.
I am planning to add a small solar panel on a post at the back of the
dinghy so that I can get some charging when I leave it at the dinghy
dock for hours whilst visiting some place.
It doesn't go very fast but it gets there silently, smokelessly and
smelllessly (is that even a word?)

Jeannette Bristol 32 Con Te Partiro

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 12:01:35 GMT, (Rick Morel)
wrote:

Chuck, I'll add in my 2-cents.

Over the past 3 years I've used a Walker Bay 8 with a 40-lb (or is it
45-lb?) thrust Minnkota and type 24 battery. No complaints at all. I
added a trolling motor connector to the motor and battery, and to my
house bank so the trolling battery can be charged. Once it is, it's
plugged into a small 10-watt solar panel for "maintenance" charge.
This on a sailboat with solar and wind charging, and occasional engine
run or at a marina. I would think on a trawler charging would be no
problem.

The trolling motor is very light, the battery not so light. However,
the type 24 is not bad at all. Less trouble to transfer actually, than
a 3.3 HP outboard I had. It's large enough to give 2 hours at "wide
open", which I seldom use, and supposedly about 5 or 6 hours one notch
below. All I can say for sure is using the durn thing a lot during
4,000 miles of cruising, I've never run out of juice. Most of the time
the closest to shore I could get was about a quarter mile. Did a lot
of exploring, sometimes 4 or 5 or 6 miles according to the GPS.

During that time we bought an inflatable and the 3.3 HP outboard. The
Walker Bay turned out to be the best almost all the time. The only
thing the inflatable was best for was getting in and out while diving.
The outboard was used on the Walker Bay some, but as above, it really
was more trouble. It did give about twice the speed. Bottom line I
guess is I sold the inflatable and outboard and kept the Walker Bay
and trolling motor :-)

Hope this helps!

Rick


On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 18:57:45 GMT, Chuck Bollinger
wrote:

We have a trawler and an 8' Livingston which we use as a tender. Generally we
go back and forth to shore but occasionally will explore a small cove we may be
anchored in.

I've been using a 4HP Johnson (2 stroke) but it is failing, as am I. I leave it
at home but rowing a Livingston is no slice of Heaven. So I want power again,
but more reliable and hassle-free for the limited use.

Does anyone have experience using an electric trolling motor this way? What
kind of motor and/or battery rig did/do you use and how heavy are the parts?

I'll appreciate hearing from experienced users. Thanks




S/V Final Step
http://www.morelr.com/coronado/

Jeannette Bristol 32, San Francisco
http://www.eblw.com/contepartiro/contepartiro.html