How to power a trolling motor with a generator?

N

nesibus

New member
As someone mentioned in my other post...using a trolling motor with a generator instead of a kicker motor. This also does away with the pounds and pounds of batteries you would need to be able to power the motor for a good while.

Assuming the motor mount trolling motors start about 100lb of thrust, how would you setup a generator to power it/how big of a generator would it take?
 
The 60 LB trolling motor on my 16 ft Carolina Skiff lasts abot 4 hours running off a deep cycle size 27 battery. I think the way to go would be run the trolling motor off your battery while running the generator to charge the battery?
 
Nesibus, I would worry about trolling along with a constant source of carbon monoxide nearby. Hopefully, someone will suggest a safer way to do this. Stay safe, Roger
 
If you have a generator on board and you're going to run it ever, you better have the exhaust worked out so it doesn't gather on board. Most who do this at the dock have the generator mounted above the gunnels with the exhaust pointed out. I would think you would be much safer trolling as at least then you'd be moving. Hence, I don't think that trolling near a (properly exhausted) source of CO is a problem - I do it all the time (with one of my two 40HP mains - both make as much or more CO as a generator).

It seems to me that if you have a generator on board and have it set up to safely exhaust outside the boat, using it to run a trolling motor is a fine idea. Many of the generators even provide a direct source of 12V so you could either use the gen to charge the batteries and run directly off of them or even run the motor directly off the generator.

Roger - what am I missing that makes you think this is dangerous?
 
Using the Honda EU2000 as an example...would the generator keep up with the draw? I'm assuming a 5-30amp draw depending on the speed of the average motor, and the generator putting out 8 amps.
 
I did not read the other post but what is the point of running a ele trolling motor on a c dory when the new 4 strokes are quiet clean and reliable???

I have used elec. trolling motors on small boats for years in trout lakes but that was because at the time small four strokes did not exist. if you are fishing a 22 dory the amount of thrust you need to combat wind or current will cause you to need batteries or generators that will out weight a 4 stroke with 4 times the thrust.I really don't see a reason for it.
 
Tom - if you have a 90hp on a 22 and no kicker yet AND if you are going to get a generator too, then I think what he is asking is can he get away with running a trolling motor off the generator (as opposed to buying a more expensive kicker).

Snal has it right though - the 12 V output on the 2000W Honda is only 8A (similar for the 2400W Yamaha). The 120V output is much higher, so I guess one could consider getting a large AC/DC converter - e.g. a large AC powered 12V powersupply or battery charger- and using that the run the trolling motor. Starting to sound more complicated than a kicker though.
 
I would keep life simple, just run your trolling motor off the batteries, plug your shorepower cord into the generator and it will top off or continue to charge as necessary. This isn't an operation you're doing every day, so there's no reason to go overboard with it -- just a quick rig to get you back in under optimal conditions.
 
flag, I think he was trying to do away with the battiers, why I dont know. You have to have batterys on board anyhow. Cant run a boat this size with out them so why not get a couple of really good ones and run the electric trolling motors. My problems is that with the windage of a c-dory and the weigth, a electric is not up to the job and the operater will be left wanting more power at the end of the day. Remember that the 100 lbs thrust is only at the begining of the day. Small 4 hp 4 stroke is going to weight less then the genarator, or at lest close to it, and have a lot more power. May even burn less fuel then a genarator?? . Hell I trolled just fine with my 90hp honda for two years. loved it. still use it some times.
 
Tom:

He's replying to me on another thread that you didn't read (you said). All he wants to do is get back to the ramp after a big engine failure without a lot of fanfare, expense, a little motor sitting up front that hasn't been started in 3 years, etc., etc. Would have been better to have this conversation contained on the other thread in context, but here we are . . . That's what he wants to do, the reason he wants to do it, and I just gave the how to do it (on battery power, charging with the generator).

Happy travels.
 
-+-****If the individual wants to get back to the ramp--then some outboard motor is a better alternative. Same for trolling any distance. Trolling motors are great on bass boats--and I use one on my 12 foot skiff--but they are most useful by being nearly silent, and allowing one to put the boat just about anywhere with the touch of a foot--or hand...

To get the power needed for a good sized trolling motor (100 lbs thrust)--you are looking at some fairly serious power draw. A 100 lb thrust trolling motor is usually 36 volts--and this means an expensive and sophisticated charging system for three 12 volt batteries. We once had a 12 volt approximately 100 lb thrust bow thruster--and it used large amounts of power--2/00 cables, and 8 D battery.

To even get 50 amps of 12 volts from a battery charger you are going to spend upward of $600. A "110 V AC to 12 volt CD converter"--might be used, but this is an RV item--not a boat item. In either case, because of power factor you will probably not get away with a 1000 watt generator--and maybe not even a 2000 watt generator.

I recently purchased a 4 stroke 2.5 hp Suzuki--it is light, like I wanted, but it is noiser than my 3.5 hp Merc (Tohatsu) and has more vibration. My larger 4 stroke engines are real jewels. Although a 3.5 HP engine will push a boat a few knots--it will be very slow, if there is wind or seas. If you want real get home--and tolling motor--get at least a 5 hp--prefereably 8 hp to 15 hp outboard.
 
We're not talking about the better alternative in this case, or speed, or trolling, we're just talking about getting back to the ramp in a 22CD using a trolling motor, that's all.
 
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