Where do I start? As a Sagittarius, me birthday is close to Christmas so it’s sometimes hard to keep straight which “gift” is assignable to which special day! As for the most recent of the “opened gifts”, Santa gave me a Minn Kota electric trolling motor, 38# trust, for the new Highfield 9.5 RIB. What! Ho! Ho! Ho!
It’s not as wide a leap as it might first seem. The old Tohatsu runs a bit rough at low throttle; sometimes putts out, etc. Yes, we all know the interim remedies. But going through the Naples canals to see the Christmas decorations just needs quieter, slower, and more manageable propulsion (without exhaust). So, viol’a — an electric trolling motor!
Hey, these things are much less expensive than a “real” electric outboard, even with the cost of a deep-cycle battery added. But I had one of those already aboard (dual purpose deep cycle), so I just switched it out with me relatively new spare starting battery, and we’re away! Got it all rigged now where I can charge using my solar panel the battery while it’s in the dink tied alongside. The Minn Kota stows upright in me wet locker below. So, now we’re good for short hops in the dink on our next cruise.
