I’m shaping up the plug, which is sort of the master-form, to make a mold for some plastic Biyaks. I’m personally not that interested in having a motor on a kayak, but some of you have suggested that the option would be good for marketing and I agree.
Mounting the motor is easy, but I’m not sure what to do about a battery.
Ideally, I would put one in each pontoon, but I’m concerned about weight. What kinds of batteries do people use with electic motor rigs on kayaks?
I’m designing the hatches and don’t want to make them 1/4" too small to fit some standard size battery that I need.
Haven’t seen detailed pics but couldn’t you do a small motor behind the seat? Extend out a platfrom for it and have a motor mount on that. Battery can sit right there. I wouldn’t do one on each side, that’s just way too much.
Yakman, I can definitely extend a platform. I played around with that for coolers and other things. I’d probably have to put the motor and battery on opposite ends of the deck if I go that route an that might be the best way to do it. Thanks.
The boat is very stable, but I would love to get the center of gravity as low as possible. Thats why I was thinking of two smaller batteries, one in each pontoon, connected parallel.
Might be somethin to try. You could run the wire from each battery out the pontton and through a small pipe that goes right to the motor, so wiring is wasier and doesn’t get everywhere, can do a transuder wire also
You doing a aluminum mold right off the bat or going with a hi temp fiberglass mold at first? I’m assuming the’re going to be rotomolded. Speced out a polyethelene yet? (Was in kayak rotomolding business for many many moons)
Russ B. www.joinrfa.org
God is great, Beer is good, People are crazy
Looking at some of pics you could make it a option that attaches under you milk crate goes back and holds battery and trolling motor on one removable unit. Would be happy to lend a hand if you need
Thanks FryersKid, I think I get what your saying.
If it doesn’t require any modifications to my pontoons then I’m O.K. for now. I’m just trying to think of everything before I build this mold.
Yeah I would go with the whole unit there, that way you could run it with the pontoons in or out, plus then you can pull it off for easy transport. Can’t blame you for thinking about everything before, I try to do that on my projects also
We are going to thermoform. I am going to send you an email to get more into this if you don’t mind.
You’re going to have to soften a lot of the lines from your original prototype to get something you can thermoform. You’ll also need to pay really close attention to the depth or draw on your pontoons. The plastic doesn’t like to stretch long distances.
Thermoform is great for gentle curves and putting some nice reverse curve into the bow though
I would specify AGM batteries as they will not leak no matter how you place them to better utilize the available storage space. And you have tides to fight, so plan on 2 batteries. www.freedomelectricmarine.com. I can get 6-8 hours off 1 size 29 with my Twin Troller here in Atlanta on Lake Acworth, but a friend only gets a little more than half that on the Chattahoochee River when they are generating power at Lake Lanier, very much like your tides.
Good luck to you with your “little” project!
Thanks Bill. Good lord. Two size 29 batteries? I was hoping there was some small system with smaller batteries just for kayaks. That’s fine though, I resolved my hatch design today and could fit pretty much whatever I need to battery-wise.
Contact Steve@ www.bassyaks.com. He converts Minn-Kota Endura trolling motors for kayak fishing with hand or electronic controls, for fresh or salt water use. Bet he would love to help you!!
He put me on www.midstatebattery.com and saved me $40 delivered on my AGM.
I’m planning on his system for my to be purchased 2013 Wilderness Ride 115 kayak. Got a bad lower back and will accept any and all help!!
Tommy(Too Busy) Samuels is the man to get in touch with over there, he knows the little boats!!
The Twin Troller has 2 36 lb thrust Motor Guide motors, foot controlled so those hours may be misleading, but still a great boat, think duck hunter in the marsh with his Lab and 8" of water!!!
That system looks like it might be a good marriage for my boat and two 25lbs batteries sounds ideal, one in each pontoon. I will definitely come talk to you when the time comes. Thanks.
50 pounds of battery… Are you freakin kidding me??? Just buy a dang jon boat… You’ll have to get reg numbers and depending on the length you may even need to rig lighting…
50-lbs… my first kayak weighed 65lbs and that was WITH all my fishing gear in it… good luck but ya’ll need to switch this over to the boating section…
Hey nikonjedi, take um easy. I said it wasn’t something I was interested in for myself. I just want to make sure my boat design can accommodate whatever somebody else might be interested in.
