Torqeedo Travel 1003 S/L Setup & Operating experiences

[ekbutler]

I too have had a problem with the "wandering" Torqeedo, bad enough yesterday that I ended up towing the motor, fortunately lashed onto the boat! Baz, your description came through nicely, but the photos did not. It may be because I have a Mac, which doesn't support Flash images. Is there some other way I could see the images? Thanks.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Hmmm - I've been following this thread because I'm interested in the Torqeedo.

Looks like the images are no longer available on Barry's server. Mac's handle Flash fine - but Apple mobile devices (iPhone and iPad) do not.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[baz]

I too have had a problem with the "wandering" Torqeedo, bad enough yesterday that I ended up towing the motor, fortunately lashed onto the boat! Baz, your description came through nicely, but the photos did not. It may be because I have a Mac, which doesn't support Flash images. Is there some other way I could see the images? Thanks.

The photo image files were being shared for 30 days. That has expired so I must reinstate those photo image files. I'll see what I can do to allow another 30 days....

I've reinstated the photo sharing with a 30 week expiration. 😀

 

[baz]

All:

I have modified my design for ensuring the motor/clamp does not tear away from the transom. Essentially, what I did was to replace the angled steel bracket with a flat steel plate. This plate overhangs the transom on its inboard surface. This then provides a sturdy metal stop for the c-clamp cups if ever the clamp twist upwards due to the propeller thrust force.

Even with this design it IS ESSENTIAL that the motor assembly be tethered to the boat securely in the event the steel plate were to fail or bend allowing the c-clamp cups to move upwards and cause the entire motor assembly to fall off the boat.

I will post another picture or two that shows my final design.

Another note: I very seldom will power up the motor to full speed as the propeller thrust (which I believe is around 70 lbs) exerts a big moment arm force on the transom of my Portland Pudgy. The one thing that saves the transom from bending too much is the Pudgy's stock large flat steel plate that is bolted to the inboard surface of the transom. Without this plate the transom would not IMO be sturdy enough to handle the force the Torqeedo motor places on it.

I've talked with David Hulbert (Owner & President of Portland Pudgy) about this issue and we both agree that the Torqeedo design of the c-clamp really is at fault and should be far deeper to allow the c-clamp cups to be several inches lower on the transom. As it is, they are far to close to the top of the transom and can easily move over the top if the motor propeller force is too great.

The motor MUST be tethered to the boat to avoid its loss to the deep.

 

[ekbutler]

I tried a simpler solution for holding the Torqeedo in place this afternoon, and the c-clamps stayed where I put them. I bought two one-foot by four inch strips of 3M adhesive strips (the type used to put on stairs to stop people from slipping), and attached them on front and back of the transom of my Santana 22. Before placing them on the transom, I sanded the surface with (3M again) 120 sandpaper for better adherence. The strips are, unfortunately, black. But they held the clamps nicely in place with no wandering. I hope it continues to work.