"Best" Electric Outboard ??

[Bobfly]

With more fishing lochs not allowing a traditional outboard (and I do not have one anyway ) I am thinking that after six (!) neck and shoulder ops it is time to think about getting motorised.
What to consider .. best make .. what weight are they .. how heavy is the battery etc etc ??
I guess the higher power rating models are the ones to go for.
All advice welcome please !!

[Inchlaggan]

I have a Minn Kota that has served me well in flat calms.
BUT, the battery alone weighs way, WAY more than an equivalent petrol outboard engine.

[Wildfisher]

I have a Minn Kota 36 lb thrust which is adequate in flat calms  but struggles if there is any wind. I'd go for a much bigger one knowing what I know now. As Ken says the weight of the battery is a major issue if lugging the thing to a loch.

[Highlander]

Do not have one but have used a Minn Kota Endura & it was fine. When I fished Lomond my boat partner had one clamped to the transom along side his Mercury 10 Outboard. The electric was just used to position & correct drifts & for that it was ideal. Saved a lot of clanging about with the oars.
If I was going for one I would look for around 40lb thrust. It really depends on what you want to use it for.If it just for moving the boat to correct the drift & suchlike then this or a 30lb thrust will do fine. Anything other than that then a greater thrust would be advantageous especially going against anything than a bit of a chop..The battery is the most important purchase, a deep cycle "Leisure" type is what you want. Most caravan outlets will have something that you can use. They are not cheap in comparison to a car/lorry battery. Plenty of info online.

Tight Lines

[Bobfly]

On big lochs with big wave potential I am likely to have a boat (if I have a boat rather than the float tube) and it would likely have an outboard of sufficient size. For a big loch you need a bit engine .. nuff said .. anything else is out of order !!
I have in mind more of the smaller waters where you save your back/neck with a bit of battery power and you have the oars as well.

[Wildfisher]

For small more sheltered  lochs an electric is vastly superior. They are brilliant for making quick and precise position / drift corrections.

[Bobfly]

No particular idea yet for model and make but with the quality probably being a bit made-to-a-price with these little outboards I wondered if ebay was the right place to go looking !! Other posts have talked about gears sripping  and other problems.
Trolley wise I had been thinking along those lines with maybe a smallish ball-barrow sort of thing.

[corsican dave]

some of the smaller lochs only allow electric motors Vaughan. worth bearing in mind, which i'm sure you have already!

[Bobfly]

That was indeed the original point, that a suitably sized petrol outboard would normally come with a bigger boat on a big loch, so what to get as an electric for smaller waters? Seems like there is certainly no weight saving and there do not seem to be many motors to choose from. Maybe Minn Kota are the name because they really are better made ?

[Wildfisher]

How about a Shakey Sigma?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL2E2r8gusU