Have you considered a larger outboard trolling motor? They make very large saltwater trolling motors in 24v, and 36v varieties. I had a 24v 82lb thrust Motorguide on my Catalina 22, and it would easily do 3+ knots, and even make headway into strong winds. It only cost me $300 used on eBay. If you get the right batteries, you can mount them below the waterline in the center of the boat and (unlike normal motor/fuel weight), they might actually make the boat sail better. Tyler M15 On Jan 15, 2014, at 12:03 PM, Scott wrote:
I have a 2 stroke motor that came with my Monty when I bought it. In good conscience, I cannot get myself to use it. I have a 12 v trolling motor that worked OK for getting it in and out of the smallish bay on Minnesota's Lake Minnetonka, but it was a little slow. Getting in and out of Carson's bay generally took me about a half hour plus each way.
I am tempted to take the lower unit off the motor and bolt it to the bottom of my Monty behind the keel and mount an electric motor inside the hull. I have figured out what I need for power and duration in terms of the motor and batteries, but I am reluctant to put a hole in the bottom of the boat to mount the motor and prop. Any thoughts on how that could affect the value of the boat?
Scott Larson