New boat question

[Crow Hunter]

We have bought a new boat, which we will be picking up this spring. It is an Alumacraft Competitor 165 sport with a 90 horse Yamaha

motor. I will be buying and installing a trolling motor,  wondering if I can get some recommendations on what pound thrust I will

want for this boat?  Also, I will be selling my old boat, is there a good way to determine the value on an older boat ( mid-80's with a 75 horse 2-stroke 

Mariner motor)  I will appreciate any help with these questions.

[Wanderer]

Dang, new content and now answers.

 

First, congrats on the new boat!

 

My recommendation is to get the most thrust you can in 24V, assuming a boat that size isn’t running 36V.  80 might be tops?  I’m partial to MinnKota.  
 

How do you plan to use the trolling motor is an important question too.  
 

All weather or just nice weather?

 

Casting a lot or bait dragging?

 

Bobber or panfish fishing?

 

Spot lock?  Networked with depth finders?  What brand of depth finders?

[Crow Hunter]

Wanderer, thanks for your reply. I do intend for it to be 24 volt, with a thrust of 70-80. Spot lock is a must (my wife is looking forward to

not being the anchor person any more).  With my old boat we did quite a lot of pulling shad raps and hot n tots, using the trolling motor. Unlikely

that we will fish in whitecaps, did plenty of that when I was younger. I also need a wireless remote, not going back to a foot pedal. We do a fair amount of bobber fishing.

I don't think I will bother with a depth finder on the trolling motor. I am leaning toward moving my Garmin depth finder from my old boat to the

new one, just because I am so used to it and it works well for me. I am 70 years old and kinda set in my ways...

[Wanderer]

If you really want to treat your wife (and yourself) with a remote operated trolling motor, the Minn Kota Ulterra is about easy as it gets.  Auto stow and deploy is pretty awesome.  You just have to turn the motor on when you go out and that the last time you have to touch it.

 

24V 80lb.  60 inch shaft is probably the right length for your boat.  They ain’t cheap - about $3k - but neither one of you would have to leave your seat to use it all day.

[Crow Hunter]

Sounds pretty sweet, alright. I will check them out, thanks.

[Down2Earth]

I second the ulterra.  Nice choice with the Yamaha this time around. 

[Crow Hunter]

Another question- I wil be running 24 volts on the trolling motor for this boat, what amperage onboard charger should I buy? Some have told

me 10 amps per channel, but at full draw that would be 20 amps, and my outlets at home and where I plug in at the lake is only 15 amps,

is 5 amps per channel enough to charge batteries overnite after using spotlock during the day? Thanks for the help.

[Wanderer]

That’s an interesting point.  While I understand how Amps work, I can’t say I’m fully versed in the draw of modern on board chargers.

 

By modern code, outdoor and outbuilding outlets should be 20 Amp.  If your outside or garage outlets are 15 Amp, they’re undersized.  But that is quite possible if the garage was built before that code became enforced.

 

With heavy use, you may not be able to keep up on daily charging without the 10 Amp per channel charger, however that’s with very aggressive use for consecutive days.  On our June muskie trip we run up to 15 hours a day for up to 7 days on a 24V Ulterra and by mid week we’re starting to see the batteries not reach full charge.  That’s a lot of bank running at nearly 2 mph on windy shores.

 

We charge at a dock with up to 6 boats per dock plugged in - some with 36 volt systems.  Now I’m not sure if all the outlets are on a dedicated circuit but I’m betting they aren’t.  But they’re all 20A outlets with a lot of draw on them.  At max draw, they’re not keeping up but also not tripping the breakers.

 

What I’m saying, without a technical review is: you’re probably fine either way.  You probably won’t tax your batteries so much that they can’t recover on a 5 Amp per channel overnight charge and a 10Amp per channel charger probably won’t be too much to plug into your 15A outlet - if it really is a 15A.  If you’re sure, you’re sure, but I would double check if you’re not 100%.

[Crow Hunter]

Wanderer, thank you. I did look at the breakers for my garage/outside outlets and they are 20 amp.  I reached out to the company that makes dual pro chargers with the question and this is the reply I received.:

 

 

Thank you for reaching out to us here at PCS. The Sportsman series charger, although rated ay 10 amps per bank, draws only 5 amps from AC when all banks are charging. As the Professional series which provides 15 amps per bank, has a maximum AC draw of 7.5 amps with all banks charging.

 

[bobbymalone]

Power output is:  amps x volts = watts

 

If your charger is pushing 10amp at 12 volt: 12 x 10 = 120 watts.  2 banks = 240 watts.

 

240 watts / 120v at your outlet = 2 amp.

 

Efficiency isn't 100% so it's gonna be more than 2 amp on your garage circuit, but maybe like 2.4 amps.  

 

I think.... It's been a while, LOL.  Either way 20amps output on a charger for a 12v battery isn't the same as pulling 20amps off your garage circuit.