Clever auxiliary power idea...

[mdevour]

Starting from a post in the Building forum, I followed a bunch of interesting links until I ended up at this Devlin design (http://www.devlinboat.com/dcnancyschinadc.htm).

The idea of embedding a trolling motor head in the trailing edge of the rudder has got to be one of the cleverest things I've seen in a long while!

Drag while sailing is the only disadvantage I can see. Meanwhile, the motor wash keeps the rudder working at low hull speed even more than a skeg mount would, and a single tiller controls both.

Has anybody here tried this or seen it in use?

Be well,

Mike D.

[Steve Paskey]

Don't know how well it works, but I know that someone tried this with an original Herreshoff 12-1/2 named WHI-FUS. (I believe they built a second rudder, rather than modifying the original.) She's been for sale for quite some time, and as of a month ago was sitting alongside U.S. 1 in Maine.

[ 08-17-2005, 12:36 PM: Message edited by: Steve Paskey ]

[Keith Wilson]

If I recall correctly, there was a how-to article in WB about building an electric motor into a rudder, issue #112 I think. I use a trolling motor for auxiliary power on my sailboat (19' about 1500#) and the drag when the motor is in the water but not running is surprisingly high. It's nice, if inelegant, to be able to pull it up out of the way.

[paladin]

I had a detachable mount on the rudder of my 31 foot tri over 30 years ago and worked fine....just lifted the thing out of the way and hung it on the lifeline stanchions when not in use....

[mmd]

Fellow forumite Steve McMahon (sp?) built a boat last year featuring this propulsion arrangement. He did a fine job of it and received many compliments when he showed it at last year's Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival. I believe he posted pictures of the boat here on the WBF.

[Dave R]

I use a trolling motor as an auxillary on my little boat. There is indeed a fair amount of drag when I leave it in the water while sailing. Since I'm not racing to get anywhere, I usually put up with the drag. Still, the boat sails better with the motor up.

Here's an idea for a motor setup that seems kind of cool.
http://stevproj.com/FrlcMtr2.jpeg\
Link to description (http://stevproj.com/EMotorIdeas.html)

[Keith Wilson]

I LIKE it! That might be really useful, and it's a lot more elegant than the Minn-kota motor bracket. It doesn't steer, unfortunately, and I'd have to figure a good way to keep it from flipping up in reverse, but still . . . Thanks very much.

[Donn]

The latest and greatest. 164# of thrust on a trim tab:


http://www.lencomarine.com/Lenco%20Drive/Resources/LDmorePhotos.jpg

[Dave R]

Keith, I've been trying to come up with an alternative mounting for my trolling motor. I like the swing up arrangement but I've discovered that it can be very handy to steer with the motor.

Lake Pepin is really low right now and I have to keep the rudder up until I'm about 25 yards from the dock when I'm going out. The motor doesn't hit the bottom but I have no steering from the rudder when it is up. I also like being able to turn the boat in its own length (or thereabouts) when I need to.

I've got to do something though because the head of the motor is in the way when I pull the motor up out of the water and I don't want to horse it into the cabin when I'm not using it.

I think a lock to hold it down would be fairly easy to work out.

[Keith Wilson]

Oh boy, another disadvantage to the permanent motor mount. It's very useful to be able to raise the trolling motor so that it's barely below the surface of the water, which you can do with the standard Minn-kota bracket. It makes an amusing putt-putting noise if the top blade pokes out a little; very noticeable because it's completely silent most of the time. I can then motor in any water the boat will float in. The mount in the picture won't let you adjust height at all. In my boat, the motor will pivot so the prop is essentially horizontal, and if you then move it forward (what would be raising it in the normal position), it's entirely clear of the rudder. The plastic Minn-kota bracket isn't pretty, but it is quite handy. I think I've talked myself out of changing anything.

[DrakeChristensen]

I saw it on this TV show a while ago...may want to contact the shop directly:

http://www.theboatshop.com/show/700.shtml

[mdevour]

Wow! Thanks for all the amazing ideas, folks!

There's got to be a good way to hang the motor alongside the rudder so it can drop in when needed, be pulled up easily, and yet not too obtrusive to look at.

Keeps us dreaming things up, it does! :D

Mike D.