Hello Ted and other electric folks, M-17 Robbin now has 2400 watt-hours of AGM battery and a MinnKota 80# thrust Riptide outboard. This is a little different from the carry-on battery and small trolling motor approach, but I'll share my experience. For our inland lake this arrangement is perfect--quiet, minimally polluting, and way more controllable than my old Honda 2 HP gasoline outboard. On the Bay however, tidal currents can be more than a match for motor power and system energy. If you are far from port and the currents are unfavorable, gasoline will be a better choice. I don't have experience with adverse winds, but I suspect the same issue could arise. Max motoring speed has been a little over 4 mph by GPS. Two important accessories are a good ammeter and voltmeter. They will help you monitor both system performance and available energy. Also, at these higher amperage levels, you need to be very careful and use proper wiring, circuit breakers and fusing. This system may be more intensive than some sailors will need, especially if getting in and out of the dock are the only motoring events. But I'm looking forward to even more efficient products that will someday give me power and energy to rival gasoline engines. Good winds to all, Bill -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Ted Weidenbach Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 10:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: Electric Motor Hello all, I believe this is my first e-mail question I have. I bought an M-15 in December and can't wait to get it out on the MN lakes this summer. I live in Minneapolis and have a strong desire to sail the boat on the lakes right in the city, one hang up is you an only use electric motors on the lakes. I am a good sailor, but not good enough to not need a motor. My question is, what is a good electric motor that I could buy that will not be that expensive (I would only use on these few lakes). Thanks in advance for your insight! -Ted _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!