Electric motor on canoe

Hi all,

I'm thinking about using an electric trolling motor with my canoe (12ft, 65lb) to enhance my fishing excursions. I'd be interested in hearing the experiences of those who have employed this setup on the Ottawa and Rideau river, as well as surrounding lakes. I'd like to stay away from a gas outboard due to the price and environmental impact.

Regards,

My father and I did this years ago with a kevlar canoe and a side-mounted electric trolling motor. We had a full-sized car batter under the rear seat and we zipped along for hours and hours. I remember fishing all day. We definitely went faster than walking speed...I remember it had three speeds, and the top one could put a little wind in your face.

Keenan gokayaking.ca

I have a 2 HP Yamaha 2 stroke on mine 16' prospector. I believe Honda makes 4 stroke engines that small which are not as harmful on the environment. I love paddling, but there are some days its nice to have a motor to scoot around and explore things.

I'm in the same position. I have used an old and small yet surprisingly loud 1.2 hp gas motor on an 16' alum. canoe. The motor, when running, is great for return trips but I've had problems with it. (currently apart in the basement... help!!). I don't think the torque would be at all equlivant nor the speed but from what I've seen the electric motors do move the canoe at a pretty good rate. Just be sure to get the best kind of battery with a deep cycle .

Mark (first posting here)

What are the specs on your deep cycle battery?....I'm looking for a good compromise between power and weight (of the battery, that is).

PS - thanks for all the responses

A few years back, I had a small 12 volt fridge aboard a sailboat, and bought a deep cycle battery to operate the fridge while under sail, keeping the main battery for engine starting. The deep cycle battery cost $115 plus tax. It came with a one year warranty, and only lasted a couple of seasons. Since a regular marine battery at the time could be had for about fifty dollars, and came with a three year warranty, I decided that was a better buy. It did the job of keeping the fridge going quuite well, altthough I was careful not to fully discharge it. In view of that experience, when needing a battery for the electric trolling motor on the dinghy, I just went to Walmart and bought a $39 battery. It worked fine - again, I didn't fully discharge it, and always recharged it immediately after use. I don't know if there is a lot of difference in quality beetween batteries, it seems that the extra price for better or premium batteries is just to cover the extra warranty period. I purchased a top of the line Canadian Tire battery for the car, and it failed after only a couple of weeks. They give me a hassle over it, claiming there had to be something wrong with the car's charging system, but finally replaced the battery after their tests proved it was a dud. Then, on the replacement battery, they reduced the warranty by one year from the original! I had to complain to head office to get the warranty restored. So, I'll take my chances with the Walmart cheapo's, and if it dies after a year, just buy another. It still works out cheaper. If you really want first class, there is a new battery out, which is shaped like six round cylinders glued together, it supposedly has more capacity and longer life than anything else. Sorry, can't recall the