Electric Motor for Dinghy

Sounds like many positive experiences with the Torquedo. With advances in battery technology, not surprised that a new model nearly doubles the run time. The question of recharging has not been addressed, and for those who do not typically stay at marinas but prefer remote anchorages and would rely on the alternator when running the boat, or perhaps the solar panel when on the hook, is the Torquedo practical?

For perspective, we cruise 40 to 60 days/year, most nights on anchor, and I don't ever bring the shore power cord along as it would not be used. I would not change my approach to gunkholing to accommodate the charging needs of the Torquedo, but if charging could be handled by an hour or two of running the engine cruising to our next remote cove and/or using the solar panel, the advantages of eliminating a gas can on board, along with less weight, stowability, and quiet operation would be very appealing!

-Mark
 
Mark: Recharging the battery from a low charge state will take around 11 to 12 hrs. When you anchor how far away from the shoreline are you typically ? For your 2 hrs gunkholing the battery would hardly charge up. If you had a second battery things might be better. No matter, if you use the battery sparingly by keeping your dinghy speed low the battery would last a lot longer. You do have oars, right ?

I have no idea how long the solar charging accessory takes to charge up the battery.... but if you see that as an option then suggest you call Torqeedo Tech Help to get and idea about solar charging the battery.

The bigger and more expensive battery supposedly doubles the time for the battery to reach zero.
 
I carry the 110V charger on the boat and I also made up a plug that goes into a 12V outlet and then directly into the battery. While anchoring I plug the 12v in after use to top it off. What is interesting is that the battery itself puts out 34 volts. If you have ever taken one apart there is a series of lithium batteries and a motherboard. I can only assume that for a 12V charge to charge up to 34 volts the motherboard must isolate each battery somehow and allow for individual charges.
Anyway, I am not sure if charging via direct 12V or the 110V charger is more efficient. If cruising one could always turn on their inverter and plug in the 110V and start charging that way. I see they make a high output charger that will charge empty to full in 5 hours.

With owning a Torqeedo my observation is it is great for ease of handling, ease of storage, no gas and good power for pushing a dingy. The offset is limited time and distance and having to recharge at a slow rate. Having a spare battery is a plus, but pretty expensive at a 6 to 8 hundred dollar range, depending on wattage.
The data on the tiller really helps with managing your speed and time so that is a plus.

If weight is not an issue and you want to avoid gas on board there is always the Lehr propane motor.

Boating is always a compromise. Just pick your poison and live with it.
 
All those hassles with motors we have things called oars here in Western Australia they power our dinghy's with a little self effort and keeps us fit at the same time 🙂
just my POV
Cheers
Peter B
 
Peter B,

Couldn't agree more about using oars and rowing. I'm considering the eventual purchase of the Torquedo because:
1. Need to take dog ashore, sometimes at inopportune hours, and certain anchorages can be a long way out, or against a strong current or wind. Also when we have some of our 5 kids/6 grandkids with us, I need to more quickly be able to "ferry" crew back and forth to shore quickly in multiple trips.
2. The above are the exceptions, not the rule. Currently, I find myself rarely using my Yamaha 2.5 hp OB, which means I'm carrying heavy, bulky cargo on the aft rail which puts weight in the worst place and also impedes the view when lounging in the cockpit.
3. If I don't use the gas outboard much, I risk using aging fuel and clogging the injectors, etc. is the maintainence worth it relative to how little I use it? Hence my interest in the Torquedo.
4. Why do I use the Yamaha OB so little? We love to use oars and paddles of all sorts! We carry a kayak and a SUP board, and use them each more than we do the motor on the dinghy.
5. We actually interchange between two different dinghys: A) the "Ranger Tug RIB" that typically comes with the Tug (as ours did); B) Walker Bay w/flotation collars. The WB has "real" oars (wood, full size) and combined with a traditional strake hull it rows, glides, and tracks well. It is a pleasure to row compared to RIBs, and especially soft-bottom dinghys. We also carry the full sail kit, and thus far this season I've put more hours sailing the dinghy than motoring it!
6. Lastly, I am a slide-seat rower, as a hobby at home on a lake when not on the Tug. I also carry a strap-on rowing rig that converts my SUP board into a slide-seat rowing "scull" (also carry the long, graphite oars, or sculls). Yes, my "cave" is full of all sorts of rowing/kayaking/sailing accessories!

With these multitude of on-water options and activities it is easy to see why my dinghy motor gets little use! Especially because I love the opportunity to get exercise off the boat, and to see nature more closely at low speed. But given the occasional need to ferry dog/kids/grandkids, I still need the option for propulsion even if the usage would be limited, which may be a good thing given the challenge to recharge absent 110v hook-ups!

-Mark
 
Mark: Don't get too focussed on the Torqeedo. Step back and breath.... 🙂 The Torqeedo is very expensive to begin with and the battery under normal use will not last much longer than around 6 yrs. It's a lithium battery and eventually will lose its ability to charge as well as it does when new and pristine.... much like batteries in the laptops these days. A new replacement battery will cost $700.

Consider other less expensive electric motors that quite likely will need an external 12v battery and that offer some 35 to 55 lb thrust. Some of these type motors cost a fraction of the Torqeedo (as little as $200), their batteries cost less than $100 and probably weigh 1/2 the weight of the Torqeedo.

The Torqeedo has some fancy electronics, GPS, battery level indicator, speed and so on that from what you've posted you really do not need.

I would advise you plan and review your dinghy motor needs carefully before spending some $2000 for the Torqeedo.
 
Barry,

Sound advice! I am certainly in no hurry to change from my current set-up. Just dreaming about what may make sense now that we have established a routine on Seaquel that involves far less use of OB propulsion than I imagined, largely due to how exceptionally well the R27 stows all my toys with very easy deployment.

When we purchased Seaquel three years ago, we almost opted for the Yamaha 6hp OB, and for our needs I am glad we didn't. For those who take extended excursions by dinghy, even island-hopping, I can see the value of a larger OB motor. But now I'm realizing that even further "down-sizing" in propulsion could make sense given that our longer excursions are human-powered. The Torquedo is a slick, albeit expensive alternative to consider, but so would other electric trolling motors as you correctly point out.

Any reports from users of other electric options would be most welcome, including routine for recharging the external battery without benefit of 110v hook-up.

-Mark
 
baz":gnk04som said:
Consider other less expensive electric motors that quite likely will need an external 12v battery and that offer some 35 to 55 lb thrust. Some of these type motors cost a fraction of the Torqeedo (as little as $200), their batteries cost less than $100 and probably weigh 1/2 the weight of the Torqeedo.
I would advise you plan and review your dinghy motor needs carefully before spending some $2000 for the Torqeedo.
Click to expand...

Barry,
A battery half the weight of a Toqeedo? I always thought all those motors required a deep cycle 12V battery. What are you looking at with those specs. I would be interested in taking a look at one.
 
Mark:

I'm considering the freshwater/saltwater Venum Watersnake Electric motor. It weighs 15 lbs and the Watersnake model line provides from 34 to 110 lbs of thrust. I'm interested in the Venum for my Sea Eagle 385ft FastTrack inflatable Kayak. The Watersnake does require an external 12v battery. When tired of paddling it will be nice to have a little motor such as the Watersnake to simply tool around in, and I have to believe it's awfully quiet when running. Cost for this should be around $250 for a new motor & 12v battery.

There's also a smaller and less expensive Watersnake model that cost $129 with a 24 lb thrust and weighs just 7 lbs.

Another option is the Minn Kota Endura 30 that cost around $149 with 30 lb thrust but it's only for fresh water.
 
knotflying":3hskss10 said:
baz":3hskss10 said:
Consider other less expensive electric motors that quite likely will need an external 12v battery and that offer some 35 to 55 lb thrust. Some of these type motors cost a fraction of the Torqeedo (as little as $200), their batteries cost less than $100 and probably weigh 1/2 the weight of the Torqeedo.
I would advise you plan and review your dinghy motor needs carefully before spending some $2000 for the Torqeedo.
Click to expand...

Barry,
A battery half the weight of a Toqeedo? I always thought all those motors required a deep cycle 12V battery. What are you looking at with those specs. I would be interested in taking a look at one.
Click to expand...

Mike I meant to say, the small electric motors such as the Watersnake products are 1/2 the weight of the Torqeedo. The 12v battery of course adds further weight to the combo by as much as at least 60 lbs presumably, although you can get some that weigh around 35 lbs.
 
for me the torqueedo business case fell apart as a choice as you have to factor the purchase of two batteries. and it gets cost prohibitive based on the following scenarios.

you need a spare in case you get stuck a long way away and/or its too windy to row.
you need a spare whilst its charging.

gasoline is amazing in the speed at which you can recharge.
 
knotflying":17k2afm8 said:
baz":17k2afm8 said:
Consider other less expensive electric motors that quite likely will need an external 12v battery and that offer some 35 to 55 lb thrust. Some of these type motors cost a fraction of the Torqeedo (as little as $200), their batteries cost less than $100 and probably weigh 1/2 the weight of the Torqeedo.
I would advise you plan and review your dinghy motor needs carefully before spending some $2000 for the Torqeedo.
Click to expand...

Barry,
A battery half the weight of a Toqeedo? I always thought all those motors required a deep cycle 12V battery. What are you looking at with those specs. I would be interested in taking a look at one.
Click to expand...

Mike: If price isn't an issue one can go with a 12v 35AH Wilderness Tarpon 100 Kayak Electric Trolling Motor AGM SLA Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DDZE33E?psc=1&smid=A33OOXQLQV58WQ weighing 22 lbs for around $65 with free S&H or the more expensive Lithium Battery For 12v Electric trolling motor (Li Ion 11.1V 50Ah) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR34NPR?psc=1weighing a mere 10 lbs for around $350 + $70 for S&H from Amazon.

Then of course there's the Battle Born USA assembled 100 ah 12v LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery that weighs 29 lbs and sells for $899 - https://battlebornbatteries.com/shop/12v-lifepo4-deep-cycle-battery/ :lol:

So there's an option for the Watersnake motor + battery not being that more weight than the Torqeedo. 🙂
 
The first trolling battery you show is 35AH. The motor you are looking at draws 48 AH. Not sure how far you would get on that equation.
 
The 48 aH is for full speed. Half speed would be around 25. So have a battery with say 75 aH would give you 3 hrs at half speed. Of course even slower speed would provide even longer time.

I pulled the following off the web as an example for running hrs using the WaterSnake Venom trolling motor that is rated at 34 lb thrust, and 32 amps at top speed. This shows it would provide a run time of 3.3 hrs running at top speed, 6.7 hours at media speed and some 20 hours at low speed.

Code: 
Motor thrust     Amps drawn at various speeds            Approximate Run Time in hours
---------------  -------------------------------------   --------------------------------------
lbs              Max           Med           Slow        Max           Med          Slow
---------------  -------------------------------------   --------------------------------------
30               30             15               5        3.3           6.7            20
40-70            40             20               5        2.5           5.0            20
80-100           50             25               5        2.0           4.0            30
The above numbers are approximate.
The above numbers based on 100 amperage hour battery and the motor operated at the stated speed for entire period

Thus if I were to have a 50 amperage hour battery I could have a run tine of 3.5 hrs at med speed and 10 hours at slow speed.

It seems an average price for a deep cycle 12v 100 amperage battery weighing around 50 lbs can be bought for around $100.
 
Look on eBay for Nissan Leaf artery cells which can be had for a bargain. Each of them is 8 v and they come in pairs
 
I meet a couple on the PDQ cat in Rudder Cut Pond in the Exumas who had a brand new Yahama 15 outboard. I asked about the new motor and he said he just picked it up in Georgetown, Exuma to replace the Torquedo. He found the electric motor just did not have enough power to brave the currents in and around some of the cuts. The one instance that convinced him to go gas was at Shroud Cay. He went up the creek against the current, very slow going. But upon return the current was also against him. He ran out of juice and rowed, pulled, pushed, and swam his dinghy back to the PDQ. One man's story, and my take away is have a motor that is suited for your journey.
 
baz":25l3qsax said:
...snip...
I pulled the following off the web as an example for running hrs using the WaterSnake Venom trolling motor that is rated at 34 lb thrust, and 32 amps at top speed. This shows it would provide a run time of 3.3 hrs running at top speed, 6.7 hours at media speed and some 20 hours at low speed.

Code: 
Motor thrust     Amps drawn at various speeds            Approximate Run Time in hours
---------------  -------------------------------------   --------------------------------------
lbs              Max           Med           Slow        Max           Med          Slow
---------------  -------------------------------------   --------------------------------------
30               30             15               5        3.3           6.7            20
40-70            40             20               5        2.5           5.0            20
80-100           50             25               5        2.0           4.0            30
The above numbers are approximate.
The above numbers based on 100 amperage hour battery and the motor operated at the stated speed for entire period

Thus if I were to have a 50 amperage hour battery I could have a run tine of 3.5 hrs at med speed and 10 hours at slow speed.
...snip...
Click to expand...

Based on my research and the typical use I'll be needing for my WaterSnake Venom motor to be used on my Sea Eagle 365ft FastTrack inflatable Kayak I will be buying the WaterBlade Lithium Battery Li Ion 50 Ah battery. It weighs a mere 10 lbs and measures 9" x 8.5" x 5.5". The reviews for this battery are all very positive with one review saying they tested the battery with a motor having 62 Lbs of thrust at full speed and were able to get a run time of 2.5 hours, and ended with saying "always carry a paddle with you". :lol: There's an Ad for this battery that shows a young smiling lady holding this battery high above her head with her one arm outstretched. 😱 😀
 
Navigator's Son":3jv5fexl said:
olygirl":3jv5fexl said:
Wow, thank you everyone for your insights into an electric motor. One more question for you...is there a way to secure the Torqeedo to the transom of a dinghy? Would hate to spend the money to get one only to have someone walk away with it!
Click to expand...

I have no familiarity with the Torqeedo, how it breaks down, etc.

If you just want a simple theft deterent over a typical cable which can readily be clipped with bolt cutters, this deadbolt/bar system provides a little more protection.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Seasense-Out ... Ncapji8GRU

But as posted earlier - the really determined thief is going to get what they want - this is merely a slightly higher level of protection for the quick grab and dash thief
Click to expand...

Hey, I like this. They even have a polished stainless steel one (for considerably more $$$). Thanks.

Todd
 
Hi Todd,

I'm waiting delivery on my Torqeedo 1103. What model Torqeedo do you have? I'm curious if the size 195 is good for my model as well. Also did you have to do anything special to lock the battery?

Eric
 
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