I decided it was time to turn my old Scupper Pro into an e Kayak using a pair of T200 thrusters. After a couple of partially successful attempts at mounting the thrusters to the side of the kayak using a rod holder, I settled on building a custom mount to the rudder mechanism. Photos attached:
First sea trials have just be completed and all ran surprisingly well. Very maneuverable, with a cruising speed to 4 knots (and at 100kg I’m not small passenger). Even managed over 3 knots with my son being dragged through the water behind - in good way.
More sea trials later today hopefully. I’m keen to test battery life. Seemed that from about 3/4 power no appreciable speed gain. Max hull speed calculated as five knots.
Hi,
Maximum speed so far has been 4.7 knots on full power, though strong cross wind so less than ideal conditions. Just setting up proper current (the electrical kind) monitoring, but first couple of rounds suggest a disproportionate battery drain increase getting from 4 to 4.7 knots.
As a temporary power source, so far I’ve just been using a Powersonic deep cycle 12V 35.0AH AGM sealed lead acid battery I had (normally used to power the camping fridge). The battery is in a splashproof outer shell and kept inside the sealed hatch of the Scupper Pro.
Still to test the full run time - but initial runs have been about 40min and still well within the battery tolerance limits.
Very cool set-up! I’ve also been contemplating this type of set-up for a kayak, although with just one T-200. I wonder what the tradeoff there is, also given the extra drag of two thrusters. It sounds like max boat speed issues are your limiting factor. Although, if you’re using the thrusters to get back home against strong wind and waves the extra power may be necessary.
Here is some information that may be helpful. My friend Phil in Oregon helped me with the selection of the clamp on meter and sorting out all the electrical questions I had.
Here is a little video on amp draw and a Minn Kota Trolling Motor. The T200 motors will most likely vary from this test due to the particular speed controller you use and other factors. It will only cost you around $38 to get some really revealing answers and have a really handy tool for general use around the house.
I did some on the water testing and with a NuCanoe Frontier 12 doing about 2 mph I only drew about 4 amps and at wide open throttle which is about 4 mph it drew about 27 amps. As you can see by these readings you will get a lot more run time out of your battery running at slower speeds. I was surprised how BIG the difference was between half speed and full speed.
If you are looking to get maximum range it might be a good idea to check and see what your amp draw is with your particular vessel and motor configuration at given speeds. Like I said my results were VERY SURPRISING to me.
Here is a link to e-bay where I purchased my AC/DC Amp meter. A very handy tool and only cost me about $38 shipped. Best tool I have bought in a while. Most of these meters will only read AC amps and are quite expensive. This one has 3 ranges for reading DC amps. 2A/20A/100A
That’s a great idea. Unfortunately the Ebay version won’t ship to New Zealand, but I found the same item on Amazon with only $7 shipping, so will give this a try once it arrives. Fortunately Amazon shipping to New Zealand is incredibly quick, so will probably have it within the week.
You are most welcome. I know you will enjoy that meter. It has a lot of features. It is the most all around meter that I have ever owned and is also pretty compact. I have used it for a couple of years and it still continues to work well.
