Electric motors,,,

[dsitka]

I just bought a pedal Kayak that would be a great platform for an electric motor. I would like to hear from any like minded kayakers. The timetable for registration involves deadlines and excise taxes. But the kayak is not yet powered, so I assume the process of buying and mounting a motor triggers the timetable. Beyond that, I am wondering about other people's experience with brands, even types of motors. Electric is my main interest. I have a trailer so I will be traveling to those ramp access points. Anyone using electrics?

[mjfishnut]

I purchased my kayak in 2016. Just got the Electric motor in 2021. You are correct in your assumptions that once your purchase the motor is when the kayak needs to be registered regardless if the motor is installed or not. There will be fees assessed from the time the motor is purchased until you register the kayak. (ask me how I know)

A couple of suggestions from the lessons I learned registering my kayak through the DNR office in Bel Air. They recommend you calling them to make sure the paperwork is filled out correctly before making an appointment. It will save you and them a lot of time. Second, take a photo of the serial number off the hull. Print it out and take it with you. I spent a total of 10 minutes with the registration process and getting my decals. The person at the DNR was very pleasant to deal with. She appreciated the fact that I had all the needed documents and paperwork filled out correctly.

[nhunter344]

There are a couple different directions you can go with this. You have the kayak specific electric motors from companies like Torqeedo or Bixpy and you have the traditional trolling motors which usually require a bit more tinkering to get mounted to a kayak.

The nice thing about the kayak specific motors is that they are light and dont take up much room on the already limited space found on most kayaks. With the smaller size, you usually sacrifice speed and or run time but I dont have an issue being out 10+ hrs. Then again, Im usually not in a hurry to get anywhere so I conserve a bit of battery life.

Traditional trolling motors take up a bit more space and even if you pick up a lighter lithium battery, its still plenty heavy. Plus side to that is longer battery life and more power/speed but with any kayak, your speed is going to limited to hull shape and other factors, not just the size of your motor.

[Memory Maker]

I have 3 yaks with engines and all are registered. I love my Torqeedos. I would suggest getting a motor system like the Bixby or the Torqeedo because they include everything you need to install and use so it is tested and makes it quick and easy to install and use. They are also space and weight saving which is what you want in a Yak. I don’t recommend a system where you must supply the battery because they are usually heavy and 100 amp battery is usually very heavy and must be securely tied down because if it shifts at the wrong time can turtle you ……. don’t ask how I know. My Torqeedo batteries weigh just a couple of pounds and small enough to fit almost anywhere. Yes, you have to register it. It costs you 1 time and permit renewals are free. I don’t understand the additional fees. You only have to register if you are adding an engine. I have added engines long after I had the yak with no additional fees. You have to pay the registration fees which are a % of the purchase price and maybe a small application fee but I don’r\t remember any. I’ve never paid any additional fees.

[Oldbayrunner]

I have been motorized on my kayaks for the last 7 years and was the first person in this membership to promote the use of lightweight Lithium Lipo4 battery's. Trust me I caught a lot of flack at the mention of them back then. I have learned a ton over the last years both battery wise and motor wise. Originally I thought Torqeedo but at the time the batteries that were available's run time wasn't that great and would for what I wanted need to have had multiple batteries at a cost of about $600 per battery on top of the system pricing, which was more than I wanted to fork out. Todays Torqeedo 912 batteries @ $900 a piece have a greater run time and now Bixpy is a player in the market. Both are well worth worth considering. I disagree with some of what others have said, I have yet to turtle my kayak because of battery shift, even back years ago when I was starting out with heavy AGM batteries. My motor takes up no more space than a Torqeedo. Nowadays using Lithium have cut that weight considerably. For that last 5 1/2 years I have been running my motors using a 100ah Lipo4 lithium battery with much success. Is it heavier than Torqeedo or Bixpy's, yes it is but there are other things to factor besides weight.

The biggest thing with powering a kayak isn't speed but comfortably running at a speeds that allows one to troll, get to ones destination(s) and be out hours at a time by managing ones usage yet allow for enough battery left to make it back to ones launch safely even if needing to traverse through winds and currents. Using conventional trolling motors has been a great learning curve that I have really appreciated the undertaking between motors, controllers, battery monitors & batteries. Originally I tried various size motors mainly because of the winds and currents I ran into that caused me problems. Brushed trolling motors are heavy so now I have swapped to using Brushless trolling motors. They are 1/2 the weight and are more efficient plus when used can run using less amp draw then standard brush motors. I have two I use a 65# thrust brushless that weighs 13lbs which is less than most 30# thrust motors and an 80# that weighs in at 17lbs, more thrust for less weight and less power draw when not running full out. Now some may say that is too much power and will use a battery up quicker...poppy cock.... What I have learned is a higher thrust motor will draw less amps at the same speed as a lower thrust motor. Where the difference lies is if one runs their motor at high throttle and that's a waste as your really not going to go much faster.
Example for me to troll using a brushed motor at 2.5 mph using my smaller motor I would draw between 12-15amps per hour. With my 80# brushless I can easily do that drawing 6-9 amps per hour. to comfortably cruise at 3-3.5 mph my old brushed motors would be pushing my throttle & draw 18-21 amps per hour now I draw 12 -15 amps using a little more than 1/2 throttle. I've yet to go out and spend 8-9 hours on the water and come back with less that 1/2 my battery gone.

As far as registering, what you are going to need presuming you bought a new kayak, not used is; The Kayaks Certificate of Origin, bill of sale & as mentioned a photo or pencil etching of the serial number.

What you will pay is $2.00 for a title
registration $24.00
5% tax on the sale

These are one time fees and following registrations every two years are "no fee" and can be re registered on DNR Compass

[dsitka]

Oldbayrunner,,, and others, thanks for the info. I am looking at the 1103 Torqueedo for my new Hobie. The new LiPo batteries , though relatively expensive are impressive. The Torqueedo series has fairly straightforward installation, and comes with everything you need for my kayak. I am an old guy so I am in no hurry. Run time is probably more important than top speed. I posted last fall about fishing the Bay Bridge in my Tarpon 14. Well I picked a day with changeable weather. I got out a couple of miles and was casting some deep crankbaits. The wind did pick up ,,, I was lucky I had a dry Bib on. My tarpon is round bottomed and 27" on beam. The one piece of gear I really could have used was a rope ladder to help right the yak! Yes,,, I got cold but I had my PFD and a whistle. A powerboat came by and helped me out. Live to fish another day!

[Oldbayrunner]

I'm 73 soon to be 74..... Just remember the 1103 has a lot of power can, as with any motor, if not managed right eat up a battery quicker...... Also rescue rope ladders are easy to make...

[dsitka]

Oldbayrunner ,,,I'm the same age as you are, so we are in the same boat, metaphorically. I will definitely take a look at run time data before I buy a motor. There are variables that can't be calculated, like water conditions, hull design displacement. So the brochures are rough guides. I like your rescue ladder, simplicity, some Poly rope and PVC. I have that stuff in the garage already and rigging my own gear is right up my alley. Thanks for posting... I will shoot a picture this spring, of what I come up with. Do you fish the Bay tributaries?

[Oldbayrunner]

dsitka, run time data is going to depend a lot on you and your usage on the water. The Torqeedo has a pretty sophisticated controller from what I've seen. Others could let you know better on that system than I. I've adapted a very sophisticated monitoring system that lets me know very accurately my battery state and available run time based off how I am using my motor amp draw.. The 1103 will handle anything you run into. I fish from Susquehanna river down to the mouth of the Chesapeake so it just depends on time of year and how much time I have available to fish.

[nhunter344]

As Oldbayrunner mentioned, the Torqeedo does come with a nice controller. The thing I like most is that it will give you battery percentage left (which honestly isnt a very useful metric) as well as distance left that you can travel at your current speed. It will also give you warnings to slow down to conserve battery. I can say that its pretty accurate until you run the battery down way low.

The reason I chose an all-in-one solution is that I dont get many days on the water and when I do, I want a simple straight-forward solution that someone else has already tested so I can just plug in and go.

If you decide to go the trolling motor route, I dont think Ive seen anyone more qualified and whose advice I would trust more than Oldbayrunner. The amount of data he crunches in order to get the best possible operation out of his setup is mind-boggling.


Regarding registering a kayak, I do have one question. Are you still required to may the 5% sales tax on the value of your kayak even if you purchased it in Maryland and have already paid the sales tax at time of purchase? I know for me, I bought mine in another state and therefor had to pay the 5% on the purchase price of the kayak.

[Memory Maker]

Oldbayrunner,,, and others, thanks for the info. I am looking at the 1103 Torqueedo for my new Hobie. The new LiPo batteries , though relatively expensive are impressive. The Torqueedo series has fairly straightforward installation, and comes with everything you need for my kayak. I am an old guy so I am in no hurry. Run time is probably more important than top speed. I posted last fall about fishing the Bay Bridge in my Tarpon 14. Well I picked a day with changeable weather. I got out a couple of miles and was casting some deep crankbaits. The wind did pick up ,,, I was lucky I had a dry Bib on. My tarpon is round bottomed and 27" on beam. The one piece of gear I really could have used was a rope ladder to help right the yak! Yes,,, I got cold but I had my PFD and a whistle. A powerboat came by and helped me out. Live to fish another day!

I have both the 1103 and the 403. I LOVE both types. You can use either and it will do the job especially for your yak. Actually, most of the time I like the 403. It’s smaller, lighter, easier to pull up and put down …….. not as fast but it will get you there and back for several days without recharge on the larger battery. In fact, I’ve never run out of battery using the smaller battery but I usually run and gun to spots and fish for awhile before moving. Sometimes I just troll between spots. However, I don’t like the little bit of noise the 403 makes.

The 1103 is a beast …….. it’s much more powerful and faster. It’s also much heavier and uses more power at higher speeds however, it’s more efficient at lower speeds than the 403. It’s also very quiet.

It’s really personal preference which one to get but I LOVE the Torqeedo’s.

[dsitka]

Memory Maker, I am a cruiser and speed is not as important. The efficiency of the 1103, at lower speed, is a relevant point for me. What I like about Torqueedo is the easy install, it comes with a decent battery, and a forward mount controller. I expect to pay,,, dearly. Someone suggested a row boat, because my initial challenge was stability. I understand but a rowboat is not a pedal kayak. I like the pedal aspect in combination with easy access to a motor. I still plan on pumping pedals. With all the gifts of a bad back I want to keep my gear handy, my hands and rods forward as much as possible. Thanks for your input and experience. For me slow and steady wins the race, most of the time. I did learn a good bit about electrics on my Tarpon. I will get Coast Guard ready, and use a fishfinder. Hobie is cut throat on alterations concerning their hull warranties. I think installation of the Torqueedo is painless in that respect?

[mjfishnut]

Just a FYI..If you are going with a Torqeedo, you may want to check out INNOVATIVE SPORTSMAN - Home. He's giving a free rock guard with a purchase of a Torqueedo through him. He also carries installation and some replacement parts. I got my Torqeedo through him. I think he'll do installations as well. Nice guy. I believe Delaware Paddle Sports also carries Torqeedo's.

As far as installation.. Check out Youtube. There are a number of installation videos that will help. Some will provide different insights and tips on installing a Torqueedo.

[dsitka]

mjfishnut,,, thanks for he tip. Curious as to which Torqeedo you got and which yak you are fishing with.

[Memory Maker]

I also like Innovative Sportsman …….. Trey makes some great accessories……. I have those rock guards and other stuff he makes on my Torqeedo’s and he is a great guy ………. Getting a free rock guard is a GREAT incentive and he is right here in Md.