Semper Fi wrote:
I am also looking for a portable auxiliary engine.
Gas powered is a no-go for my favourite crew member (aka my wife) : too smelly and noisy.
So electric it shall be.
Hobie Evolve 2 is too expensive.... so are Torqueedo's ultra-light !
So 2 ways to go :
- Bixpy J2 : light but still expensive (IMO),
- a 12V sea capable trolling motor (Minn Kota or other brand).
Any advice ?
Bixby's aren't inexpensive, they cost $1,200 for an underpowered motor and an underpowered 378 Wh battery. Add a TI mount and another battery for decent range and you're up to $1,947. The Bixby TI mount goes in the MirageDrive hole which doesn't permit tilting up, so you'd better include another prop or three (and you may even need a replacement motor if you hit something). Now you're in the price range of a Torqeedo. The Bixpy's very strange wrist-mounted remote control is not in the same league as Torqeedo's, and the Torqeedo has tilt-up which I personally consider
essential for
any prop-driven motor. This also eliminates the Hobie Evolve which is quite simply a flawed design. Trust me when I tell you tilt-up is required for most bodies of water. You should not
ever rigid mount a prop motor beneath any boat used for any shallow waters. The motor's life span may be very short and at $1200-$2,000, that's not something you want to replace often. If I'm going to spend that much money on a motor it's without question going to be mounted properly and well-protected against damage. If you get a Bixby, find a safer way to mount it.
Do not use their MirageDrive mount unless you can afford to replace it often. Such damage will not be covered by their warranty.
Trolling motors are designed for trolling, not for primary propulsion. The TI is large and heavy, it requires a motor that can propel it properly. The minimum would be 1HP and that's the
absolute minimum. You'll see considerably slower speeds and not enough propulsion for dangerous conditions. Trolling motors are not designed for constant propulsion for hours on end as are electric outboards. There may be reliability issues. Nor are they designed for maximum prolonged propulsive efficiency. You'll still need expensive lithium batteries for any decent range. The cost of a suitable trolling motor and the batteries will approach the cost of an electric outboard yet you'll have compromised performance. Trolling motors are an absolute last resort for powering a TI. Mounting one to a TI will be difficult and you'd be largely on your own. I did some early testing of trolling motors on the TI and the results were so disappointing to me that I decide not to publish them as I felt they weren't even worth considering.
You're going to be in the ~$2,000 price range if you want a proper electric motor with decent power and decent range, even with the Bixby. If this is not acceptable and price is the primary factor, then go with the Suzuki 2.5 HP outboard. At around $900, it's a steal compared to electric motors. Yes, it's very noisy and you need to deal with gasoline on board, but the exhaust is not too bad and the power is excellent. Range is only limited by how much fuel you can carry. You can wear earplugs if the noise gets to you, that's what I used to do. If price is the primary factor, this is your best choice.
If you definitely want an electric motor and you want the best price, then a lot of people have been turning toward the
Newport Vessels NK180 kayak motor. This is an unabashed Chinese knockoff of a
Torqeedo 403 A. However, reviews on it are good and it purportedly has more power than the 403 A. It is also direct drive which should make it even quieter than the gear-driven 403 series. It currently costs $999 but it doesn't come with a battery. You still would need to buy one on your own. Newport Vessels sells one for
$939 which would bring the price up to $1,938, about the same price as the 403A, but you do get the extra power. Also, unlike Torqeedo, you can select your own battery which might save you more money if you choose a lower-cost one. This might save you another $300 or so. It lacks some of the refinement and features of the Torqeedo such as GPS, but it remains a viable choice.
To mount an NK180 to the TI would require a Torqeedo A-series style TI mount adapter. I just designed one for the 1103 AC which should work perfectly for the NK180 as well. I will soon provide everything you need to replicate this mount down to the last detail so you wouldn't need to worry about anything there.
The bottom line is that a viable electric motor option for the TI is going to be expensive. There is really no way around that. You can save a few hundred dollars over the price of a Torqeedo but you give up the refinements and maybe some of the quality, reliability, service, and longevity. I'm not sure that's worth a few hundred in the long run, but it nonetheless remains a viable choice.
In my opinion, and I've likely tested more motors, both gas and electric, on the TI than anyone, the
only viable low-cost alternative is the Suzuki 2.5 HP outboard. Despite the noise and all its other disadvantages compare to electrics, it's still the very best economical alternative to an electric motor for the TI and it works well. It's also one of the most powerful TI motors if power is a primary factor (and it should be). It's considerably more powerful than any electric motor other than the Torqeedo 1103 AC.
I'm currently testing the 1103 AC 3HP electric outboard. I'm still running the tests but from the data and experience I have with it so far, I can already state unequivocally that it is, by far, the best motor choice for the TI. Yes, it's expensive, but nothing else is currently in its class. This is the ultimate motor for the TI. Expect a full report on it in this forum soon.