Mounting a motor

[sbrogden]

I have a Vagabond 14. The only lake near me that accepts sailboats has only two docks which both NE - directly into the prevailing winds. It's hard to get out of the docks.

This boat does not have a motor mount on the transom as some do.

I would appreciate advice on whether or not to do this, electric or gas, and any guidance or warnings.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Electric with a small gel cell battery would be my recommendation. Do some research on how to measure the motor height. If it's too low, it'll drag in the water. If it's too high, your prop will be too close to the surface of the water and be ineffective. The height is more crucial for gas outboards. Many of the trolling motors have a pretty wide range of adjustability on the shaft

 

[sbrogden]

Electric with a small gel cell battery would be my recommendation. Do some research on how to measure the motor height. If it's too low, it'll drag in the water. If it's too high, your prop will be too close to the surface of the water and be ineffective. The height is more crucial for gas outboards. Many of the trolling motors have a pretty wide range of adjustability on the shaft

Thanks! Makes good sense. I have a gel battery on my motorcycle - thought didn't occur to me that it would make even better sense on the boat.

 

[Tater]

I have used a trolling motor on my Hunter 170. It was a 30# Minn Kota. It was a little light for the boat but did work. I now have a 40# that has not been tested on the Hunter. It works well for fishing so I expect it will be fine. I have a large battery for my multiple uses. I think a smaller battery will be fine so long as you don't need to go far. Battery distributors sell various sizes of deep cycle, sealed and non-sealed types.

FWIW, I have a small OB for the Hunter. I hate gasoline engines for boating. That is one of the reasons I sail.

Also, looking at your boat, mounting may be easy. For my canoe, I attached two boards to bent sheet metal. The boards hang over the gunnel near the stern. If you can do this at the stern, even better.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Here's a bit of insight...
I have a 36lbs 12v Minn Kota motor and a 10A gel cell. I originally bought it when I was trailer sailing a Starwind 19. The motor wasn't fast but it was better than expected. That motor is now used on my 8' dinghy to get to my mooring that's probably 500-1000' from the dock

I started out with a 7A gel cell which gave me two, maybe three, round trips. I eventually upgraded to a 10A which was a surprisingly big difference. I can get 4-5 round trips out of it. I tried a friend's more powerful trolling motor on the dinghy but there wasn't a big difference in speed. Barely noticeable in fact. There was one guy at our marina that used a trolling motor on his Chrysler 22 to get in and out of the harbor.

One thing that should be noted is that the trolling motor will not get you out of a storm or heavy winds

 

[dlochner]

If you go with an electric trolling motor, consider using a LiFePO4 battery. They are more expensive, however, they last longer and with a larger capacity they need charging less frequently.

This one from Epoch is currently on sale.

12V 50Ah Marine Battery - Lithium Trolling Motor Battery

Stay powered in any condition with our 12V 50Ah Lithium Trolling Motor Battery. Bluetooth-enabled and IP67 rated, this waterproof battery offers long-lasting performance and a built-in Smart Battery Management System. Backed by an 11-year warranty.

www.epochbatteries.com

 

[sbrogden]

Thank you everyone! I have much to look into and expect to have a much easier way to get away from the docks.