Review of Evolve Torqeedo Motor in Mirage well.

This motor really goes much faster on the water than I expected. My wife and I traveled about 5 MPH at full throttle in our Hobie Oasis. The only design flaw that I noted is the need to insert a metal "sword" into the top of the unit to push the propeller into alinement with the well slot of the motor. This is the only thing that will allow removal of the unit. It works but it's annoying when wanting quick removal of the motor while entering shallow water. You will also need this metal sword every time prior to taking your boat out of the water. The sword seems like an after thought device, unlike typical German engineering. At this price one should expect more than just a sword like push rod. It's also an easy thing to get lost as there is no place to store the blade while underway, and I doubt that it can float if it goes over board. It would be far better to have a fixed cam device for proper orientation of the propeller while at rest, or a sword that can be built as a part of the motor ready to slide into position for immediate use when needed. Presently you need to completely remove the sword when underway. This is a problem when using the motor in the mirage well, but not so when rudder mounted. Despite this issue I would say that the evole is well worth the purchase.

dds, welcome to the forum. I agree that the "Prop Alignment Slider" (sword) is a bit awkward at times, but some of its disadvantages can be mitigated. It can be secured to the motor or boat via lanyard and snap hook and can be stored in a simple scabbard (using canvas or brackets) that you can fashion and secure to the side or front of the cockpit. Best of all, it is simple and foolproof -- it is easily replaced/repaired if lost or bent.

If the prop gets fouled by seaweed or otherwise jammed, the cam concept may not work, preventing extraction and clearing. Likewise, if the cam got out of phase with the prop, you'd be doomed.

A lever mechanism may have possibilities if feasible, non-interfering with the handling of the motor, and shielded from bending -- would have to see such a device.

For most users the motor is inserted and extracted once per trip, so the inconvenience of the sword is not a constant annoyance. Last but not least, it's good to have handy in case of a pirate attack!

Yeah, I like the bit about Pirate attacks, and I'll have to try that out one day.

I already use the hobie fishing leash to secure the sword handle. It works fine, but a lighter cord might be better.

I also found that if you have the sidekick AMA Kit attached you can actually store the sword parallel directly under the mounted cross pipe member. It seems to wedge in there nicely and is just a wide (long) enough space to hold the length of the entire sword (Handle with Blade)