Canoe and electric motor

[gbaglo]

I took the Minn Kota electric motor back to Canadian Tire. Talked to my brother who has a Clipper and electric motor, and pontoons. I also checked the manual for the motor.
They recommend a 105 Amp battery.

By the time I haul the battery, motor, pontoons and motor mount down to the canoe, I'll be exhausted anyway. And my bank account would be under stress as well. $150 for a battery, $350 with shipping and tax for pontoons. I have the motor mount.

Then there's the hassle of packing all that stuff in the RAV or in the Toad, and charging the battery. I've got a charger, but no power at a lot of sites I like to frequent.

I guess you could go solar, but that's more stuff to pack and more expense.

The whole appeal of a canoe is light weight and simplicity.

I think, I'll just paddle my own canoe.

baglo

 

[Ace Brown]

When I want to use a "motor" on my canoe I break out the kayak paddle which nearly doubles my power. But I am kind of a canoe purist and much prefer my nice wooden bent shaft unless I am fighting a headwind or current where more HP is needed.

My canoe is a 14' Bell Wildfire solo in "black gold". It's a 32# thing of beauty.

Many years ago I tried an electric motor on a big tandem boat and it worked well except one really had to be careful in turns, but I did not have (or want) pontoons.

Maybe we ought to start a new thread on car-toppable boats that work well with small RV's. I have tried several.

Ace