Just an fyi regarding the electric motors like our Minnkota, which we also
use for other boats too
(Wife's old aluminum Fisher).
Our local Battery Shop ('Batteries Plus') also sell a Solar Charger for
Marine usage - 'Solargizer'.
We have one on our old Stink Pot boat to keep it topped off (Runabout
Bayliner) and one for the electric motor battery. The charger usually sits
on top of the battery case (Velcro) and leaves the battery fully charged so
we are ready 'whenever'. Even when we're 'drowning worms' or beached & not
going anywhere, the battery is recharging in the Sun, right??
The charger has two interesting features. 1) it pulses the battery so that
it won't develop 'memory' and
2) it also has an AC adapter plug so it can be charged without Sun (in the
garage?).
btw - I use an equivalent charger on the 'Antique' Jeep as well, which gets
morning Sun everyday
(it's Velcro'd to the top of the Winch Case) so it 'never' has a dead
battery (for quite a few years now).
I've seen similar chargers for sale at Radio Shack and at very competitive
prices which is great for the budget.
I can visualize a small solar electric panel on the transom of an M17 that
keeps an electric motor 'ready when needed'.
Just my .02 cents
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Howard Audsley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2004 3:06 PM
Subject: Re: M_Boats: more on electric drive on M17
> I have a 55 lb thrust Motorguide I used for a brief period while my
regular
> motor was in the shop. It pushed the boat along at what I'd estimate to be
2
> to 3 knots. It even pushed it against a really strong headwind
(whitecaps),
> and was making decent progress until the trolling motor battery gave out.
> Not that much of a drain, it simply wasn't charged up in the first place.
>
> There was a brief fire drill while I went below to get the primary battery
> out and get it hooked up. You drift downwind pretty fast in whitecaps. I
> wasn't really sailing that day....only moving the boat from point A to
point
> B, but in anticipation that something could go wrong, I had taken the sail
> cover off and had double reefed the main and had it ready to hoist. I knew
> if the motor didn't have enough power or for any reason didn't work, I was
> going to have to get busy playing sailor!
>
> On a small lake for day sailing, I think it would work fine. Just be sure
> the battery is fully charged before you set out. A fully charged deep
cycle
> battery should push the boat along at 2 to 3 knots for several hours. With
> any hint of a breeze, your sails would help you out as well.
>
> Howard
> M17, #278
> Audasea
>
>
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