Advice for a newbie

[noiseordinance]

Ok, so I'm guessing no one will reply to this because I only have an inflatable. The truth is, I'm a poor college student who can't afford a real boat yet. Though poor, I managed to buy a Sevylor Fish Hunter 280 inflatable. However, I would also like to buy a trolling motor and a battery, but I would like some advice:

1. I have been looking at an Minn Kota Endura 30 trolling motor to go with this boat. Does this seem like a decent motor? It's selling at a local store for $90 with a $20 mail-in rebate.

2. I have no clue what to look for in a battery. Obviously something that doesn't break the bank since I'm poor.

3. How do you charge the batteries? Is this a separate component?

I'm hoping to get the mount, motor and battery for under $200 but this might be completely unlikely. Anyone have any pointers out there? Thanks a ton... Rowing this thing is a real pain.

[Lazy_Iguana]

Well, looking at a picture if the Fish Hunter 280 I do not see a good place to attach an electric motor. But according to Cabela's it can have up to a 2.5 HP engine. You need the optional motor mount. So first thing you need to do is get the optional motor mount.

The electric motor is limited in range by the battery. Obviously you need the largest battery you can. But be careful, batteries contain acid and if spilled could be a problem. They are also heavy and could pose a puncture hazard.

And yes, you would need some sort of battery charger. You would put the battery on a charger after using the boat. You want a battery charger designed to stay connected to the battery. These will say "fully automatic" on them somewhere. Be careful - many automotive battery chargers are not automatic and will overcharge a battery. Marine type chargers are designed to be left connected to a battery for extended periods of time and will not overcharge a battery.

AGM type batteries are lighter than lead acid batteries. Also they will not spill. They are much safer for your application. I would avoid batteries with removable caps and go AGM or "maintenance free".

You want a deep cycle marine battery. Not an automotive battery. The more amp hours it has the longer it will last for you. You may even want two batteries, in case the one you are using dies. You will not have to row back to shore. But it all depends on how far from the dock you plan to go.

I think just about any electric motor would push that boat. It is very light. So you are good there. Not a problem - assuming that there is not a horrible current in the water you will be in.

Good luck! A boat is a boat. If it does what you want then all is good. Hope you can get something that fits your budget together.

[leebert]

I had some of my best boating experiences in an inflatable in the keys when I was younger. But then again we didn't have ethanol to deal with...



LB

[tprice]

Lazy_Iguana summed it up pretty well

You can get a "cheap" onboard battery charger from Bass Pro for around $50 that is a 1 bank charger, that means it will charge one battery. If you have two you get a 2 bank and so on.

Great thing about these is that they are waterproof and you can leave them plugged in all the time and they will not overcharge the battery or if it rains it will not harm the charger. I have 2 chargers on
my boat, 1 for trolling motor batteries and the other for electronics and starting battery and this keeps all batteries charged and ready to go at all times.

I have not used one of the AMG batteries but I think next time my TM batteries are due to be replaced I will spend the extra money for these

[baitkiller]

Save a couple more pesos and have way more fun and range. 4 stroke 2hp gassers for under 600$ shipped.


http://www.funtimeinflatables.com/Pr...and_Hopper.htm

[RGL Cape Cod]

Good luck with your boat ,some of the best fisherman in the bay around here are using Kayaks with fish finders. The fish don't care what your sitting in.

[shemstreet]

Just be careful, batteries can run in the 60-80lb range, and have square corners on them. In other words, if you don't handle them carefully they may well punch a hole right through the boat (maybe get a tray or something to keep under it. If you have a wood or other solid floor for the boat this may not apply, but it could still potentially pinch one of the tubes if not secure.

Due to the battery's weight, it can quickly become a real PITA putting it in and taking it out of the boat/truck and lugging it around the whereever you have the charger located. I had a 10' plastic boat (Walker Bay) with a battery and trolling motor on it, it moved around pretty nice on the water but was such a hassle to use that I eventually moved right on up to a real boat. If you have a trailer than you keep the boat inflated and loaded on, it would make it a whole lot easier to use, and then you would use it more often.

You probably do not need a huge battery, maybe a smaller one would be plenty to put around for the day with since your boat is so light.

[noiseordinance]

Thank you guys for all the advice. I greatly appreciate it. I'm really only looking to have a 2-3 hours of putt-around time. The boat has a "battery pouch" which is just a thin piece of pvc to drop the battery in, but I definitely fear 60-70lbs of pressure on sharp corners. I'm still kinda lost on finding a good battery that isn't going to break the bank. Is there a middle-of-the-road battery company out there? The Endura 30 motor is 12v if that helps at all...

Thanks again you guys. I appreciate any direction.

[GhostShip]

Not sure what that "pouch" looks like, but if it's for a standard 12V battery you might want to consider securing a "battery box" in the pouch. The box w/ cover is hard plastic w/ rounded corners so less chance of damage and the cover prevents accidental shorting out of the battery terminals, not a pleasant event [img]../images/emoticons/surprise.gif[/img]and is probably required by law. Speaking of laws, any powered craft usually needs to be registered w/ numbers on the hull.

Check w/ Batteries Plus or Sears, they'll have the chargers too. Deep-cycle, highest rating you can afford and non-wet cell(if possible). I have a friend who's got a 42# trolling motor on a 16' John boat and he gets 2-3 hrs. easyout of el-cheapo $40 batteries. A better, more expensive battery will last longer too.