NEVER BUY AQUAMOT
A sad and disappointing story on Aquamot Trend 1.8KW.
We are happy owners of an Amel 50, hull 83, which we bought new in July 2023. Our plan is to circumnavigate in three years and we we are currently half way, in Auckland NZ after having sailed 20.000 miles.
Our tender is an OC Tender 300 and for our offshore cruising, we wanted two outboards, an electric and a gasoline.
In 2023, we went to the Boot in Dusseldorf to chose the electric outboard, we wanted one around 3CV equivalent and with integrated battery. We visited Torquedo, E-Propulsion and Aquamot explaining our needs and plans.
We met Georg Schmidinger and we were convinced by his story of a family run business, high quality robust product, great service.
We ordered an Aquamot Trend 1.8KW short shaft, two 1280 batteries (the most powerful), two chargers and spare propeller and got a Boot discount, for a total price of 3.600 Euros.
It was a mistake!
After less than 2 years and probably 100 emails, I have wasted about 5500 Euros for an engine that worked less than 50 hours.
The quality is totally NOT ACCEPTABLE, the service very poor and the customer service an unknown thing.
We have now an E-propulsion. Never buy an Aquamot.
A sad and disappointing story on Aquamot Trend 1.8KW.
We are happy owners of an Amel 50, hull 83, which we bought new in July 2023. Our plan is to circumnavigate in three years and we we are currently half way, in Auckland NZ after having sailed 20.000 miles.
Our tender is an OC Tender 300 and for our offshore cruising, we wanted two outboards, an electric and a gasoline.
In 2023, we went to the Boot in Dusseldorf to chose the electric outboard, we wanted one around 3CV equivalent and with integrated battery. We visited Torquedo, E-Propulsion and Aquamot explaining our needs and plans.
We met Georg Schmidinger and we were convinced by his story of a family run business, high quality robust product, great service.
We ordered an Aquamot Trend 1.8KW short shaft, two 1280 batteries (the most powerful), two chargers and spare propeller and got a Boot discount, for a total price of 3.600 Euros.
It was a mistake!
- The engine arrived two months later and it was a standard shaft, not a short one. When I asked for a replacement they said I had to ship back on my expenses and it should take long to cut the shaft. I insisted on what was our agreement but to no avail and the time was running short for our departure, so I decided to go with what I had
- We used the motor very little in summer, less than 20h and when not using it, it was stored in the Lazarette. In October the display was invisible as humidity made its way under the film. I had to remove it and a new display was shipped as we were still in the med
- In April when we started our voyage, the mechanism to lift the engine was stuck, the stud is Inox and the body aluminum, nothing in between…. So corrosion was well visible. The anode was new.
I had to get the engine to a workshop to rectify the stud. - In July after 40h of operation in Total the motor started smelling electric burnt and the propeller was hard to rotate. I wrote to Aquamot and was told to gently hummer the propeller shaft. After a week the motor was out of order and I had to ship it (about 1000 Euros) from Grece to Aquamot in Austria.
They diagnosed a leak from the propeller shaft into the motor and they said it was due to a fishing line, which I did not see at all despite careful inspection. I was offered to pay “only” 600 Euros instead of 1.200 for a repair that should have been in warranty. I got it back in October in Gibraltar just before leaving as they were busy with other work. - In the Caribbean we used mainly the gasoline outboard and the Aquamot was resting in the lazarette. When we pulled it in March 2025, in San Blas island, the lever to free up the lifting mechanism broke. It was again different metals, no protection and corrosion. I made a temporary repair while using the gasoline motor
- We did not use the Aquamot in the Pacific until Tonga, I needed it as gasline was over. When I pulled it on the dinghy, the tiller was completely stuck, no way to operate the engine.
- I wrote to Aquamot, Georg and Gisela and asked for a new tiller to be shipped to Auckland NZ. I got a reply from Mr Tobias Grossuck who bluntly said that the repair was not worth as the tiller will cost me 600 Euros (as the serve Europe only normally) and they can’t support me in NZ in any form.
After less than 2 years and probably 100 emails, I have wasted about 5500 Euros for an engine that worked less than 50 hours.
The quality is totally NOT ACCEPTABLE, the service very poor and the customer service an unknown thing.
We have now an E-propulsion. Never buy an Aquamot.
