old run a bouts, ski boats

Discussion in 'Electric Propulsion' started by shad, Dec 10, 2020.

  1. shad
    Joined: Nov 2020
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    Location: texas

    shad New Member

    In my area you can find old run-a-bouts and inboard/outboard ski boats with trailer for next to nothing. I don't want to go fast or ski anymore, so i am wondering what would be the best way to repower one of these boats for fishing and maybe slow cruising on a medium size lake. Electric power, small outboard, etc.? Thanks
     
  2. ondarvr
    Joined: Dec 2005
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    Location: Monroe WA

    ondarvr Senior Member

    Small outboard plus an electric trolling motor.

    For going slow, non planing speeds, anything below 10hp is fine. But don't get a single cylinder model.
     
  3. Ike
    Joined: Apr 2006
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    Location: Washington

    Ike Senior Member

    Most Ski boats are inboards, but most old runabouts are outboard powered. And I/Os can be easily fitted with an outboard bracket for a small O/B. A 10 HP O/B would work fine. I have one as a kicker on my 1972 18 foot Sea Ray which is an I/O. I use it mainly for fishing. I uses very little fuel (the I/O sucks gas like mad.) I can troll all day with the O/B.
     
  4. shad
    Joined: Nov 2020
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    Location: texas

    shad New Member

    How fast will the 10hp push your Sea Ray when you are trolling? Is it a huge strain on the motor? Are there any cheap electric options i could put together to get a few hours of trolling? Thanks
     
  5. ondarvr
    Joined: Dec 2005
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    Location: Monroe WA

    ondarvr Senior Member

    Unless you can get on plane you are limited to maybe 6-7 mph

    There is very little strain on the motor at typical trolling speeds. I'm not talking offshore stuff.

    I can troll for 8+ hours on a 24V 80# thrust bow mount motor.
     
  6. Ike
    Joined: Apr 2006
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    Location: Washington

    Ike Senior Member

    I have a Suzuki 10 HP High Thrust, made specifically for trolling. The rpms are lower than the regular motor and it has a bigger prop designed for trolling. It does push the Sea Ray (which weighs 2000 lb ) at hull speed, probably 8-9 knots without any strain on the engine. But it will also troll as slow as 1 mph. However, the regular 10 HP might go faster. Prior to this I had a regular 4 hp Mercury (under the hood a Tohatsu) and it actually pushed the boat faster because of the higher rpms. But that put a real strain on the engine, so I didn't open it up very often. I bought the Suzuki mainly because it has electric start and an alternator. Plus I'm getting along in years and I'm tired of having to pull start motors. It's nice that now all I do is push the button and it fires right up. Also this is a fuel injected engine with an ecm that controls everything. The old merc was carbureted and could be cranky on cold mornings and you had to be careful when choking it not to flood the engine. And there was no way my wife could start that engine. Now she just pushes the button.

    As for electric, you could use one of the more powerful trolling motors.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2020
  7. gonzo
    Joined: Aug 2002
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    Location: Milwaukee, WI

    gonzo Senior Member

    A proper electric installation, equivalent to 10HP, will be costly. The battery bank, charger and controller will cost you more than a few years of fuel.
     

  8. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Location: Australia

    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    It depends on how fast you need to troll, 5 or 6 knots is fast enough for most fish, and some fish somewhat less.
     
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