38 replies to this topic

[Strategery]

OK Weta guys...

I don't think I posted this before, but I meant to.

Has anyone successfully rigged a motor on the boat without killing performance attributes? I tried rigging a trolling motor off the beam, but between the wires to the battery, the weight of the rig and my mount slipping, it was a mess.

I have read about guys in the viper class using modified weed whacker motors as well as 18V power drills with a tiny transom mount for the shaft... Has anyone been successful with this on the Weta?

Best,

C

[DaveK]

Just wondering why you'd want that?

[richardstephens]

I have never even used a paddle on my Weta.

Richard.

[Occams Razor]

Davo had spec'd out one of those fancy German Torqueedos. Not sure if anyone ever bought one.

[Crump's Brother]

I gots one of these for extended canoe trips. Will drive 16' canoe @ hull speed @ 1/3 throttle. I call it the cuss and carry




Heres one on ebay but you can find on Craigslist too

[munt]

does it run on meth?

[Strategery]

Just wondering why you'd want that?

Live on a long bayou that's 40' wide... can't tack into it for 3/4 mile... Too narrow...believe me I tried.

C

[jaybird1111]

Google "AquaBug"

[lake Pee]

http://www.golehr.com/marine.php



Propane fired outboard, currently available in 2.5 and 5 HP, with 9.9 HP in design.


My F22r will have the 5hp...


Mike

[LakeBoy]

I think the Cruise n carry may be the same as the Aquabug which was also sold by Sears under the Gamefisher name. The may all have been built by Tanaka. (who also sold the, under their own name)

Had to stop selling because of emission requirements for outboards. Essentially a weed whacker on an outboard shaft.

Would like to see what the Viper boys are putting together.

BTW, where can I connect with the Weta crowd for a test sail. Any Wetas in Ohio?

[U20guy2]

Park your 50hp skiff one tack in and tow the weta home after a fun day sailing.

[RedTuna]

BTW, where can I connect with the Weta crowd for a test sail. Any Wetas in Ohio?

Join http://groups.yahoo....Weta-Trimarans/ and ask for a ride. There was a used Weta in OH about six months ago. The only other OH boat I knew of moved to Kansas.

The Weta map shows a couple boats in the Chicago area and one in Grand Rapids. Or just do what most of us have done. Buy one sight unseen.

[Oxygen Mask]

The propane outboard (or a more reliable actually available gasoline equivalent) is far too heavy for the Weta, plus you'd have to make a solid (therfore heavy) motor mount to hold it.

The weedwhacker motors vibrate the boat it to bits, and your bits too.

I would go with the Torqueedo if you have the cash, they are stupid expensive for what they are but I have never seen anything work as sweet as they do. Really good power and range, yet small and light. Charge the battery at home, no need to haul the motor etc. And quiet is nice too.

[Strategery]

Torquedo is too heavy to mount on the boat. If you put that much weight on the stern of the boat, it will change how it sails.

Has anyone put a working motor mount on it?

C.

[GybeSet®]

are the fishheads bass trolling motors cheaper/lighter than the torqueedo ?

would not have to go on the stern

and yeah check the canoing offerings

http://www.ebay.com/...&_osacat=171105

[Amati]

??

http://www.electricp....com/index.html

16 pounds.

[hobie17li]

how about an 18 volt cordless 1/2" drill with a long paint mixer?
you even get two speeds...sort of like an electric long tail motor
then keep it in water proof container when not using

[jetboy]

how about an 18 volt cordless 1/2" drill with a long paint mixer?
you even get two speeds...sort of like an electric long tail motor
then keep it in water proof container when not using

I've done this. Used it regularly to get in and out of the marina on a hobie 16. Cheap Ryobi drill, plus 36" stainless 3/8" rod, plus two pieces of 1/8" stainless sheet cut into propeller blades and welded on = cheap ultra light outboard.

I found the custom build propeller to work much better than a paint mixer. Works both as a pusher or a puller. It's light and very easy to stow.

I used a small solid "fun noodle" and jammed the shaft through about 12" of it. Sometimes the chuck on the el-cheapo drill let go and then the propeller won't sink.



If the propane outboards are anything like the Lehr propane yard tools, you don't want anything to do with them. Good idea - actually GREAT idea, poor application.

[Oxygen Mask]

are the fishheads bass trolling motors cheaper/lighter than the torqueedo ?

No, when you consider the need to carry a CAR battery! That is what I use on the Tremolino, a trolling motor and a group 24 battery. Combined weight is FAR more than a 3.5 hp gas outboard!

40 lbs for the regular Torqeedo is a tad high. Make a mount for this and you might have something workable -
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|215570|1794284|1794310&id=1801543

[Strategery]

Thanks all.

Any pics of the drill mount?

C

[MoMP]

Stick the business end of a leaf blower in the drink and hang on...

[jetboy]

I don't have a pic of mine handy. Not sure if I still have it as I sold the boat a while ago.

This is the idea:


No need for complications here. Just a straight shaft with blades on the end. You can hold the drill by hand or you could make a brace of some sort. I just used it by hand. Use a long enough shaft so you can put it down in the water w/o too much cavitation. You might be able to just buy a small trolling motor prop and use the appropriate spacers, washers, and nuts, on the end of a long piece of all-thread and build one w/o any welding required. The same could be done off the end of a gasoline powered drill or even on the end of a small weedtrimmer shaft.

That was the next idea i had planned for a bigger catamaran - 4 stroke honda trimmer motor, clutch, and long shaft. Motor could mount up near the front in a nearly fixed position. Shaft would have a bearing mounted arm. The arc of the arm would swing the prop up to the bottom of the frame when not in use, then swing to vertical for motoring. It would be very light, reliable, and plenty of juice to get you in and out of a marina. If you could source some smaller motor it would be even better. Possibly out of a gas powered drill or even an R/C application.

It's only good for short distance though. Battery life is not all that long on 18v drills running continuous.

[ddwjr]

Stick the business end of a leaf blower in the drink and hang on...

I like this idea. Anybody try it?

[zerothehero]

we have a medium sized trolling motor on our Nomad but it is really heavy and I usually leave it behind. It hurts performance and the Nomad is over 600 pounds and slow compared to a Weta. The weed wacker conversions are awful. Loud, slow, dangerous, smelly, etc. The torquedo motors are sweet but I have no experience. Lets face it a Weta is really weight sensitive so even adding a few pounds in the transom is going to take away from the sailing experience of the boat. Go get an aluminum john boat with a 5 horse engine used. The worse looking the better and use that. You should be able to pick one up for under $600 complete. A lot better than an engine hanging off the back of the Weta.

[jetboy]

^^^
A tug boat. Possibly not a bat idea so long as you have somewhere to leave it once you get out to better sailing. Then again, why not just use the motor until you get out to the clear water, then leave the motor wherever you'd leave the tug boat? Possibly use a bike lock and lock it to a tree or something?

[U20guy2]

see post #11

[Danie COlyn]

Range?
Im busy developing one but wont be ready for 3 to 6 months.

[sailpowerd]

How about a sculling oar off the transom with board down 1/2 way. http://rowingforplea...ulling-oar.html


Check out the vid.

[munt]

either scull or use a sup paddle and sup. that will mean one less supper in the lineup. win/win.

[multihull]

I've seen two system used for adding an outboard to Wetas. One was a timber bracket glassed and then gelcoated to match the hull and on to this was bolted a small adjustable outboard mount on which a 2.5 HP Tohatsu was clamped (sorry no photos but I'll keep searching) and then there's the electric option as seen in the photo.

Attached Files

•  Outboard.jpg   154.07K   55 downloads

[Strategery]

This is great. Thanks for posting.

How does it look tilted up and in the water? Who did the mount?

[Speng]

paddle? What's so hard about tacking up a 40' wide creek? so you tack every five seconds. Pussy.

[RedTuna]

I've seen two system used for adding an outboard to Wetas. One was a timber bracket glassed and then gelcoated to match the hull and on to this was bolted a small adjustable outboard mount on which a 2.5 HP Tohatsu was clamped (sorry no photos but I'll keep searching) and then there's the electric option as seen in the photo.

Hey, I really like the the PVC assembly in the socket to support the akas while trailing. Thanks.

[Multihauler]

Hey, I really like the the PVC assembly in the socket to support the akas while trailing. Thanks.

Way, way, waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy too complicated!!!!

Simply take a line, or small tie-down strap and wrap it around both sets of beams and tramps (front and rear together). Because the forward "upper" beams rest against the support that runs between the front and rear beam on the opposite side, tying the lowers to the uppers keeps the lowers off the main hull, with plenty of room to spare. This extra line can then be used as a dock line.

Cheers!!!

-MH

[multihull]

This is great. Thanks for posting.

How does it look tilted up and in the water? Who did the mount?

This picture was forwarded on to me by Roger Kitchen (Mr Weta) so I don't have any spec's or info I can share. Sorry

[hobie17li]

If you add a motor, even an electric one, in many states you have
to then register the boat as it is considered a power boat and I'd also
check with your insurance people.

[RedTuna]

Hey, I really like the the PVC assembly in the socket to support the akas while trailing. Thanks.

Way, way, waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy too complicated!!!!

Simply take a line, or small tie-down strap and wrap it around both sets of beams and tramps (front and rear together). Because the forward "upper" beams rest against the support that runs between the front and rear beam on the opposite side, tying the lowers to the uppers keeps the lowers off the main hull, with plenty of room to spare. This extra line can then be used as a dock line.

Cheers!!!

-MH

That's what I do now, but thanks.

[K38BOB]

Google cordless drill outboard Seems target rich, didn't look

[Be Rad the Fish]

On the rare occasion I get to sail, I go, no matter the wind conditions, so oftentimes I get stuck out there on Lake Murray, SC. Before that, it was Lake Perry, KS. Before that it was Ohio. I wonder if Red Tuna was referring to me in post #12.

I use a short shaft Electric Paddle with a mount that I came up with. The entire rig weighs 16 lbs, split evenly between the motor unit and the battery.

I get just over 3 knots in dead calm. The manufacturer claims 2 hour range on high, 4 on medium and 5 on low. I've never had to use it for more than 3-4 nm so I've never run the battery dead. I had an issue with the first one they sent out to me, which they quickly corrected, they changed the prop for one with more torque and increased the power to the motor slightly, so I would probably get less than the 2 hours on high, not sure how much less.

The mount I made was just supposed to be a prototype, but it's a prototype that works so I stuck with it. I'd be happy to post more details if anyone's interested.

Manufacturer's website: electricpaddle.com


I've been lurking for a while, this is my first post. I look forward to the abuse, you'd better not disappoint.

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