Owners of Torqeedo Outboards -

[oldrt]

Hi all,
I am in the process of trying to find a propulsion system for a dingy that I have not purchased yet. I am looking at a Torqeedo Travel 801 or a Travel 1003. I am looking to use it on an 8.6 foot inflatable with an air bottom. I realize the 801 and 1003 are rated higher on power and I could purchase the smaller Travel units but I want a little extra power.
I think I will use the dingy mostly from an anchorage to land and maybe a small amount of exploring.
My question for those that have purchased the Torqeedo is:
• How do you like your Torqeedo so far? Would you purchase it again if you were to do this over again?
• Does it have the run time that suites your dingy useage?
• What kind of dingys are you using the Torqeedo on?
• Are there any issues with salt water corrosion as of yet?
• In the real world is the Travel 1003 worth the extra money over the Travel 801 folding unit?
• Are there any reasons I should not purchase a Torqeedo?
I would rather not use a gas outboard, Honda 2HP or Suzuki 2.5 HP, because I do not want to handle gas on board the boat.
If you have any other suggestions that I may have over looked please let me know.
Thanks -
😀

 

[Bruce Moore]

Greetings oldrt,

Until you start getting direct answers in this thread, you'll find two lengthy threads about Torqeedo here and here.

Cheers

 

[oldrt]

Bruce Moore,
Thanks for your quick response. I did a search on the subject and read all of the responses as you suggested before I posted my note. I enjoyed the video that was posted. As you can see the 1003 is a new unit and I am trying to see how it is received after it has been in service a month or so.
Really I am just trying to cover the bases because as of now I think either unit will suite my needs, both units have tradeoffs.
Thanks again for you help.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Cool. No doubt Barry (Baz) will jump in with some answers. I look forward to hearing what all of you learn. The electric alternative is appealing to us, as well.

Cheers

 

[doke01]

Torqeedo needs to make it's own forum.

 

[baz]

I have the 1003L model.
I'm using it on a Portland Pudgy that weighs around 140 lbs unloaded.

Hi all,
...snip...
My question for those that have purchased the Torqeedo is:
• How do you like your Torqeedo so far? Would you purchase it again if you were to do this over again?

I like it very much and would highly recommend it to others with similar requirements to mine.

• Does it have the run time that suites your dingy useage?

My requirement was for it to have a max range of around 15 miles -- but not running at full speed -- maybe around 4 kts max.

• What kind of dingys are you using the Torqeedo on?

Portland Pudgy dinghy.

• Are there any issues with salt water corrosion as of yet?

Have had it in sea water maybe for 2 hrs -- no corrosions as of yet. 😉

• In the real world is the Travel 1003 worth the extra money over the Travel 801 folding unit?

The uplift from 801 to 1003 is around $500 at Defender.com
IMO the extra $500 is well worth it. Look at the specs for each and the battery specs especially. The 1003 has more power than I really need but this then means I can run it at lower power setting and get far more range out of the full battery charge. I was attracted to the 801 at first because of its stowage space when folded but after examining the 1003 I found it would fit nicely into my starboard side cockpit locker easily. The folding aspect of the 801 actually made it less robust IMO than the 1003. The 1003 breaks down into three pieces very easily and assembles very easily. Tiller arm, Battery and shaft/propeller are the three sections the 1003 breaks down to.

• Are there any reasons I should not purchase a Torqeedo?

Reasons to buy the 801 vs. 1003
The +$500 for the 1003
The 801 is lighter than the 1003L (but only by 1.1 lbs)
The unnecessary extra battery charge of the 1003
Not wanting GPS and battery level %, speed display

If the range of the Torqeedo does not meet your requirements then go for a gasoline outboard
The construction and assembly of the Torqeedo is outstanding -- and I'd say the 1003 being a newer model has some build quality and design advantages over the 801. You can drop the battery in the water without issues after pulling it out and using it again immediately. The battery casing is waterproof.

Overall, with my limited use of the 1003L I'm very happy.

I do have one issue (not a big one mind you) which is related to the C clamp attachment on my dinghy. The holding caps are just a little to close to the top of the transom for my liking. I'm in the process of figuring a solution that will provide me with enough comfort about the motor not twisting off the transom when under power or when suddenly apply power quickly -- ie accelerating quickly. This issue may be unique to the Portland Pudgy transom dimensions and construction. It may not be an issue with your dinghy.

If you need more info post back or IM me and I can give you my telephone number and we can talk more easily.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[HRowland]

I am considering a Torqeedo Travel 1003 to use on our new Bombard Max 2 dinghy. The 2011 models have more battery capacity than the earlier ones- 520 Wh vs. 400 Wh. It looked impressive at the Newport boat show. The range specs are also very good and it weighs less than 30 lbs.

How does everyone like their Torqeedos now that you have had them for a while?

I really like the idea of not needing to carry gasoline for an outboard on the R27. I will also be able to charge the battery on-board.

The manual for the 503/1003 mention that the battery can be charged from a 12VDC source if a cable is built, although the included AC powered charger would be easy to power from the inverter, generator, or shore power. How is everyong charging theirs?

How are you securing it to prevent theft while at public dinghy docks?

Thanks,
Howard

 

[baz]

I am considering a Torqeedo Travel 1003 to use on our new Bombard Max 2 dinghy. The 2011 models have more battery capacity than the earlier ones- 520 Wh vs. 400 Wh. It looked impressive at the Newport boat show. The range specs are also very good and it weighs less than 30 lbs.

How does everyone like their Torqeedos now that you have had them for a while?

I really like the idea of not needing to carry gasoline for an outboard on the R27. I will also be able to charge the battery on-board.

The manual for the 503/1003 mention that the battery can be charged from a 12VDC source if a cable is built, although the included AC powered charger would be easy to power from the inverter, generator, or shore power. How is everyong charging theirs?

How are you securing it to prevent theft while at public dinghy docks?

Thanks,
Howard

I continue to be very impressed with my Torqeedo Model 1003 Long Shaft.

I charge my battery using the AC powered charger that comes with the motor. Last year as the winter approached I fully charged my battery and left it onboard over winter. Some six months later I checked it and the charge level was at 92%. Torqeedo sells a solar battery charger, so this is another way to charge. I have not explored 12v charging at this time.

Securing the Torqeedo while it has been left at public dockside IMO is no different from what would be done for a small outboard gasoline motor. Apart from detaching the complete Torqeedo motor from the dinghy and taking it with you I cannot think of any other way to provide complete security. You can take the dead-man switch with you and you could also wire and padlock the battery secure prong (the long orange stick) so the battery cannot be removed. Maybe use a bicycle locking cable somehow to secure the the complete motor to the dinghy might be another solution.

So far I've taken little precaution in securing my Torqeedo motor when at a public dock, but then I've not been too far away or have the dinghy out of sight for long. I certain;y would not leave it alone for extended times -- and so I need to figure out a method of securing the Torqeedo from theft at some point.

 

[Wolf Pack]

Wolf Pack (R29) also uses the Torqeedo 1003.

Thus far, very happy with performance, range, speed, etc. Ours is the 2010 model which still had the 400 Wh battery. However, the new 520 Wh battery would make a fine backup, for sure!!!

We charge ours either while underway using ship power or when plugged in to shore power. No issues either way. As Baz mentioned, Torqeedo also offers a portable solar panel charger for the 1003 models, but we don't have one. We have been told that the charge occurs faster via that accessory.

Wolf Pack uses the Torqeedo Travel 1003S (short shaft--23") on a Ranger Tug 9.5' RIB Inflatable dinghy which weighs 100 pounds. We have, on two occasions, exceeded the weight capacity of 660 pounds in the dinghy and the Torqeedo had no issues with transporting the load from shore back to the anchored Wolf Pack. And incidentally, the Ranger Tug factory is now a Torqeedo authorized dealer, presumably for Ranger Tug owners, of course.

I didn't see any references to Torqeedo factory support, which is the main reason Wolf Pack is chiming in. We had a couple minor issues and contacted the Torqeedo support number in Illinois. We received first rate service (our main issue was with the little nylon pieces that support the throttle on the bottom of the tiller which warped and the service tech sent new parts to fix this problem, which issue has also been corrected on newer models).

As for salt water, we just wash ours same as we do the rest of the boat when we get back to home dock and have had no corrosion issues as of this writing. These are supposedly made to withstand full submersion in at least one meter of salt water for whatever period of time is in the video on the Torqeedo website.

As Baz mentioned, it breaks down to three pieces and easily stores in the cockpit compartments on our R29.

We have had our Torqeedo out in the canal at LaConner when the current was at full force and did fine against the current. Same performance in the current on the south east side of Blake Island and also in the current at the opening of Quartermaster Harbor, both in Puget Sound.

Wolf Pack agrees with Baz on the security questions. We do keep an eye on it, but in my opinion (and as Baz infers), it should be no more difficult to rip off a gas powered Honda or Suzuki than one of our Torqeedos. There are ways to secure the Torqeedo with a bicycle lock to the dinghy, same as any other type of motor.

Yes, I would recommend to a friend and would buy another if needed.

Gene R.
Wolf Pack

 

[HRowland]

Thanks for the positive feedback. I bought the Travel 1003 today. I was able to get a local dealer to match Defenders price which saved me over $200.

The quality is outstanding and it was very well packaged, plenty of foam for protection. I have the battery charging now, it was 15% charged out of the box.

Howard

 

[baz]

Howard:

Give that battery about 15 hrs to fully charge.

There's one anomaly I've encountered so far with the battery -- and it may just be normal operations as I've not yet checked with the owner's manual.

When the battery is charging via the AC charger the red LED on the battery's upper surface pulses on/off. This is normal. However, I've noticed that after having used the motor for a while and then subsequently remove the battery for storage the same red LED pulses on/off as if it were charging, and it does so for a very long time. Is this normal ? I dunno, and I don't recall it doing this when I first bought the Torqeedo.

That darn "q" in the Torqeedo name always throws me as I really want to and I'm always tempted to follow it with a "u" letter... 😉

 

[Captmike]

I have the 1003 and am very happy with it. I drop the dingy (inflatable that came with the boat) and mount the motor on the dingy with it attached to the davits. I will push our R-27 at about 4 knots across a current for about 2 hours while I steer at the helm. I think it is a good get home motor. I get about 12 hours at 3 knots in the dingy.

 

[HRowland]

I am very pleased with the Torqeedo 1003. I fully charged it the first time so the battery meter could calibrate itself. We ran it up Warwick Cove and back for about a 1 1/2 mile round trip. The battery was down to 90% at the end. It is incredible how little power is needed to move the dinghy at 2 to 2.5 knots, 100 watts or less input will move it very well. The display indicated I had a range of 15 to 20 miles depending on the power setting.

cmregets, I am impressed that the 1003 can push a R27 at 4 knots, great idea to use it as a get-home motor. I will make a bracket so I can attach it to our swim platform for emergency use.

Howard