electric trolling motors ?
 

I'm anxiously waiting for the arrival of my first 18' Seacraft & naturaly I have a list of add ons to install when I get the boat in a few days. I will be using it to fly fish & an electric trolling motor is a must for the type of fishing I do.
I am trying to avoid cluttering the bow with mounting a loooong shaft motor & was wondering if a custom aluminum bracket designed & fabricated to be mounted with the existing engine's mounting bolts in the transom would work?
I know some will suggest trim tabs with electric motors but that is not an option, $$$$$$ ! and some will suggest the units that mount on the engine but that would not be practical eighter because it would prevent tilting the motor up when it gets real shallow.
What are your thoughts/ideas/suggestions ?

You could look at something like these for the front.
The first one is from classic gheenoe and the second from birdsallmarine.
Birdsall can be used front or rear.

My suggestion is to mount it on the bow and be done with it. I have one on my 20 sf and it is not in the way at all. You will not get close to the maneuverability on a transom mount as compared to a a bow mount trolling motor.

strick

Strick, which model motorguide do you have on your 20' ? Are you happy with it or would you get something else if you had to replace it ? What would you reccomand for an 18' bow mount & how much #thrust . Also would you know how long the shaft should be for the 18' ?

I'd like to know that info also strick s I'm looking to out a fishing seat on the bow soon and a motor would be sure to follow Where did you install your batteries for the motor?

The batteries are in the forward storage box on the casting deck. There is a starting battery in the CC for the Yamaha. The trolling motor is a Great White series 82# thrust 60" long shaft. It will scoot the little 20sf along very nicely. I use it for fishing the shallows while plugging for stripers and it also works great for hovering over holes during a drift. I would recommend the same motor for the 18 seacraft.

strick

I was think the batteries in the same stop would be good and add some weight forward. A previous owner the the whole thing filled with foam. I dug it all out to find a huge storage area I see you don't have a foot contr struck do you think they went neccasary ?

:D

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/y...t/3bf701f9.jpg
This was how it was

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Mike...you still havent fixed the auto spell check yet ????...disable it me thinks!!!
-Fred

Strick, Is there any particular reason why you chose the hand control 82lb over the remote control 75lb?

The remote controls were fairly new when I bought and I did not trust them I guess so I just wanted to keep it simple.

strick

I got a good quote on a Minn Kota rip tide 80 I/pilot & I'm ready to take the plunge but I can't wet the boat for a few days so I can't measure the height of the bow from the waterline. I want to place the order a.s.a.p because they don't keep them in stock & the expected time of delivery would be approx four weeks. Does anyone know what shaft lenght is required for a "remote" control motor for the 18' Seacraft ?

What's the longest shaft they offer?? Then that's the one.

I have the 60" 80# auto pilot on my 18.

How high above the bow/gunnel is the head of your motor when its deployed and operating ? Would you say the 54" Would be too short ? I flyfish from the bow and unlike conventional rods, the tip of a fly rod is always pointing down into the water when stripping the fly in , so a lower profile would be preferable and less in the way sort of speak.

What Don said. Take a look at the pictures I posted earlier. With the 60 inch shaft the trolling motor prop is just below the water line so there is no prop wash. Once in a while if it gets a little choppy the prop will wash occasionally. You can get an idea about how much the control handle sticks up above the hull when the motor is deployed by looking at the picture. You are going to have to work around the trolling motor with that fly rod no doubt but that motor is going to help you catch fish :)

strick

Damn. This makes me wish I didn't sell that Minn Kota Riptide 101 that I never got around to using in my last boat. A large trolling motor and batteries are a great way to add weight up front.

Strick, Your motor is hand operated so I can see why it would not be practical if it was too low & close to the bow because you would have to reach down for the handle every time you want to steer . Judging by the location of the adjustable shaft clamp in your pic. i'm guessing the head on your unit is approx. 16" above the bow. I don't know how much difference there is in bow height between the 18' & the 20' and I'm getting the i pilot so there is no hand operation . I'm just wondering if the 54" would be a better fit for my intended purpose. At the end of the day I just want to be sure I make the right choice & get the best one for my application & not have any regrets later.

The 54" would probably work for your application. How do you raise and lower that particular motor? My motor has a handle with a cord for lowering and raising.

strick

It has a stow/deploy lever release in the base that you have to deploy & the balanced weight of the motor tilts it into the water. I may have no other choice but to live with an extended portion above the bow in order to balance the weight for it to deploy properly. I think that ultimately I will have to measure the height of the bow from the waterline & find out from the manufacturer what the proper size shaft would be required. I's just going to delay ordering it for a few days but at least I would have piece of mind that I get the proper size.

That would be the best way to nail it. I took a few measurements and pictures tonight to hopfully help you out a little. When standing in my forward casting platform the control handle is approximately at my mid abdomen. It is 26 inches from the top of the control handle to the gunnel cap. There is 11" of ss shaft from the lock nut to the bottom of the control handle. There is 40" from the top of the gunnel to the bottom of the lower unit not including the skeg.

strick

Thanks Strick, I looked @ some pics of the boat in the water & took note where the waterline in the pic was. When i went to measure the boat which was on the trailer, it measured 33" from the bow where the motor would be mounted to where the waterline should be. I called Minn Kota with that measurement & they said to add 20" the the waterline measurement so theoretically according to them a 54" would work.
I also asked them about retrieving it back from the water & into the boat & they said to grab hold of the head & pull it straight up & tilt it down on the bow.

I can't find any good deals on ebay for Minn Kota electric motors. Any idea who has the best prices ?

trolling motor bow mount
 

Strick, I have always worried that a bow mounted trolling motor would take a beating when you are out in rough ocean water. How "tightly" is it mounted and does it rattle around when going through rough chop?
HatTrick

Finally got my 80 lb Riptide I Pilot and I'm wondering what size battries to buy. Minn Kota recommands 115 amp/hour minnimum & when I went to look @ battries I was surprized to find that running 115amp/hr battries would require group 31 & they are huge & very heavy .Since I intend to put them in the front fish box of my 18 S F & need two of them , I'm very concerened about the weight.
Does anyone know if the smaller, lighter group 24 battries will work ?

Go with AGM deep cycle batteries. Spend the extra $$$ up front, you will be glad you did.

Wally World's big brother, Sammy Club, has them at a good price. I think they are 27 series, maybe 31. Oh yeah....now you'll really need an on board charger.

I would not worry about the weight it will most likely make your boat ride better. You can put some weight in there first just to see how it will handle.

strick

Looked @ Duracell Grp.31 AGM @ Sam's Club for $166 , can't beat that price with a stick however Minn Kota reccomands 115 amp/hr & the Duracell are only 105amp/hr. Flooded batteries of the same group are 125 amp/hr and cheaper.The question is , are the AGM a better choice over the flooded even though the amp/hr rating is less ?

when I purchased my 23 s/c it had the trim tab trolling motors. The previous owner did some tarpon fishing and used them. I am an offshore guy so I took them off (kept the tabs). They are not cheap but it would fill your need. They are actually pretty neat. I just did not want anything on my boat to upkeep if I was not going to use them on a regular basis.

Thanks for this.. looking into putting a trolling motor my 20sf and was looking for guidance! Think I may go with a minnkota though, they have same shaft length though so should work.

Picked up a pair of AGM from Sam's Club on your advice/suggestion & rigged them & the I Pilot . Had the boat out & I'm very pleased with the set up but it's going to take a few outings to get used to all the features of the I Pilot with confidence.
Now as you said, all I need to complete the set up is a decent charger. I have been looking @ the Charles 30 or 40 amp 5000 series 3 bank chargers but man they are costly.
Know of any other good quality affordable 3 bank chargers ?