electric outboard advice

rpmcmurphy

I'm giving strong consideration to purchasing an electric outboard this year and am keen to know of any of your experiences or recommendations of the many different brands available.
I am aware that Minn Kota seem to be held in the highest regard and are priced accordingly. I will mostly be using the engine as a back up to my 15hp (which has been known to be temperamental at times) and for stealth fishing. i will not be trolling with it. I will be fishing my 19foot sheelin which is a heavy enough boat so im thinking 55lb thrust is a safe option?
What are the recommended shaft lengths for this set up?
Is transom mount preferable to bow mount?
Is deep cycle leisure battery the way to go?
What about recharging??

Has anyone any experience of these more moderately priced brands?
HK electric outboards?
Yamaha
watersnake,
Shakespeare
Haswing
Airflo wavehopper

Any advice appreciated....

bluezulu49

I have been using electric outboards since 1999 as they are the only motorised method of propulsion allowed on my home lake and I currently have 2, a Minn Kota 36lb and a Zebco which I think is a 42 lb thrust.

The Zebco moves a 17ft boat with two anglers at normal rowing pace in my experience. If a strong wind gets up you may need to provide auxiliary oar power to get home.

I have fished in situations where the electric engine was used as a back up and manouvering device mounted on the side at both the bow and stern at different times. It has been my experience that rear mounting works best as the same person can use both engines and steering is easier. I mount the electric engine on the side of the boat as there is not enough room on the transom for an electric and a petrol engine.

You really need a deep cycle leisure battery to power the engine, the bigger the better. My last one was over nine years old when I replaced it but it still will give about half a days fishing. A 110 amp hour battery on a 42lb thrust engine with two people in the boat gives me about two days fishing comprising twelve kilometers of travel.

I charge the battery when it is discharged during the season and about once a month in the off season.
Only disadvantage of 110 amp hour battery is weight!.

All of the engines I have come across have long shafts but are easily adjustable to suit the boat by opening a clamp screw.

Be careful when under way with a petrol engine that the propeller of the electric is not submerged as is may unscrew itself and be lost.

Main problem I have encountered is that engine switches ( 5 forward and 3 reverse) tend to be unreliable and may need dismantling and cleaning. When I got the Zebco engine it was seized as one of the rubber engine gaskets had failed and water was getting in. I opened it, cleaned the insides with sandpaper, greased it, changed the gaskets and it has worked fine for the last three years.

I have no experience of the other engines mentioned.

Good luck with whatever you purchase.

rpmcmurphy

Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer bluezulu. Some sensible advice there. I will bear it in mind.

Mr Bumble

All of the above is excellent advice. I have 54lb Jarvis Marine which I use on Currane with a WIlkinson 19ft Corrib. It will push it easily in a small wave but I would only use it as an add-on. It would not be powerful enough to deal with any sort of decent wave.
I've used it up on Roundwood as a standalone pushing two people with no problems.
It's very robust and has taken a good deal of punishment without complaint - seven years old and not one problem with it. Invaluable if you're on your own in a boat and want to fish a drift or a rock slowly (or again, quietly!).
It can be messy enough to find a good spot to mount it if you're using it as auxiliary and takes a while to get used to. I took out one of the oarlock mounts and fix it there. As bluezulu said, get a decent marine battery and it will chug away for years.