Canoes With Trolling Motor? Speed?

[bassinshankles]

I have a 15ft Coleman RamX canoe going to put a 55# trolling motor on it any ideal on what speed I might get from the trolling motor? I can paddle at a steady 5 mph bumping 6 according to phone speedometer app. Anyone else ever check there rig out that way?

[Goose52]

I have a 12ft canoe with a 38" beam (not conducive to high speed) with a 45lb TM - on a freshly charged battery it tops out at about 4.5 mph fully loaded - this reading from two different GPS units, one a car navigation unit in walking mode...and the other the GPS in my sonar. 

 

The length-to-beam ratio, hull shape, displacement, and probably a bunch of other factors come into play in determining speed.  If you research the term "hull speed", you will come up with a bunch of nifty, and confusing, technical terms and details that are involved in determining potential max speeds.  For instance, I hit my top speed at about 80% power on the TM - adding additional throttle does not increase the speed - this is the "hull speed" factor coming into play.   Further increase in speed either requires going on plane to reduce displacement (and canoes are not planing hulls) or the addition of substantial additional power.  Not sure I understand all the science and math involved...but since the biggest lake I fish is only about 2 miles long, 4.5 mph gets me around it nicely...

 

Welcome to BR!

 

 

[A-Jay]

 I'm running a 55lb thrust MK on this  Old Town Square back. (15' 3")

 

 Loaded with two Humans, two batteries (31's) and a decent pile of gear, 4.0 is max cruising speed.

 

Though extremely stable, the 40 inch beam and chopped off stern do reduce the speed & mpg.

 

A-Jay

 

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Echoing what's been said before, you will probably move faster paddling. The trolling motor is nice to have, especially if you're feeling lazy.

[Koofy Smacker]

Echoing what's been said before, you will probably move faster paddling. The trolling motor is nice to have, especially if you're feeling lazy.

I'd love to see someone paddle faster than 4-5mph in a typical canoe

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I'd love to see someone paddle faster than 4-5mph in a typical canoe

I'm assuming you don't do much serious canoeing then. Obviously it depends on several things (e.g. do you know how to row, wind, weight, physical condition, current, etc.)

The OP said he does 5mph pushing 6 according to his gps with paddles. I've clocked thousands of hours fishing from canoes and with 2 people on board it's no competition, paddling is faster and provides far more torque/thrust than a 12volt tm. If you're by yourself in a 15' Coleman then it might tilt the scales slightly in favor of the tm, but even then it's doubtful if a person is in decent shape.

There are several stretches of the Potomac where our 55lb. tm won't overcome the current going up river, so we paddle to get through.

[bassinshankles]

Thanks to all for your input! I'm anxious to get a motor on there. I can currently paddle over 12 miles in a day but that's some hard fishing. Also koofy Smacker in perfect conditions like the lake looks glass no wind an canoe loaded to one end if you work hard enough topping out at over 7 mph is doable. I'm just trying to increase my range for a day of fishing I would love to comfortably fish 8 or 9 miles one way from boat ramp so 18 miles total. I use my canoe just as many do big boats on a 33000 acre lake only having about ten boat ramps that I will use.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Thanks to all for your input! I'm anxious to get a motor on there. I can currently paddle over 12 miles in a day but that's some hard fishing. Also koofy Smacker in perfect conditions like the lake looks glass no wind an canoe loaded to one end if you work hard enough topping out at over 7 mph is doable. I'm just trying to increase my range for a day of fishing I would love to comfortably fish 8 or 9 miles one way from boat ramp so 18 miles total. I use my canoe just as many do big boats on a 33000 acre lake only having about ten boat ramps that I will use.

It's a great addition to your setup. The tm is really nice to have after a long day of fishing when you need to head back in.

[MacP]

I can fly in my Hobie

[Christian M]

I had the same EXACT setup. The 55lb motor pushed the Scanoe with no problem, but I would only use it on smaller lakes

(200 sq acres or less). I never bothered to see how fast I was going, but it was about as fast as I can walk at full speed with all my gear. Snakehead is right about getting more torque and speed when you paddle, the only thing about those Scanoes is that they have really wide flat hulls and don't have much of a keel to cut through the water. My question is if you use your Scanoe to fish a 33,000 acre lake, why not just put a 5hp gas motor on it? I don't see a trolling motor pushing 18 miles in one day off of one battery.

[Koofy Smacker]

I'm assuming you don't do much serious canoeing then. Obviously it depends on several things (e.g. do you know how to row, wind, weight, physical condition, current, etc.)

The OP said he does 5mph pushing 6 according to his gps with paddles. I've clocked thousands of hours fishing from canoes and with 2 people on board it's no competition, paddling is faster and provides far more torque/thrust than a 12volt tm. If you're by yourself in a 15' Coleman then it might tilt the scales slightly in favor of the tm, but even then it's doubtful if a person is in decent shape.

There are several stretches of the Potomac where our 55lb. tm won't overcome the current going up river, so we paddle to get through.

Yes I have canoed all my life. That said, going for a paddle alone is very different than having two guys and a canoe full of fishing stuff for the day. I did not mean for it to sound that its not something easy to do, but load it with a bunch of gear and push into a head wind after fishing for hours and I would bet the trolling motor would be a saving grace. I fished out a 14' wide bottom Radisson for 3 years so I have definitely done it.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Yes I have canoed all my life. That said, going for a paddle alone is very different than having two guys and a canoe full of fishing stuff for the day. I did not mean for it to sound that its not something easy to do, but load it with a bunch of gear and push into a head wind after fishing for hours and I would bet the trolling motor would be a saving grace. I fished out a 14' wide bottom Radisson for 3 years so I have definitely done it.

I know what you mean. I only meant that a trolling motor on a canoe is not a substitute for paddles. Wasn't recommending to sprint around all day paddling like a madman, just meant that 6mph is pretty easy to do if need be. When I fish out of my canoe I usually use the trolling motor about half of the time or less, but then again I usually take the canoe because I am fishing extremely rocky and/or shallow waters where I don't want to foul up my prop. Paddling all day is a lot of work, and coupled with casting and retrieving all day it becomes a workout; this is where the trolling motor excels imho.

 

I had the same EXACT setup. The 55lb motor pushed the Scanoe with no problem, but I would only use it on smaller lakes

(200 sq acres or less). I never bothered to see how fast I was going, but it was about as fast as I can walk at full speed with all my gear. Snakehead is right about getting more torque and speed when you paddle, the only thing about those Scanoes is that they have really wide flat hulls and don't have much of a keel to cut through the water. My question is if you use your Scanoe to fish a 33,000 acre lake, why not just put a 5hp gas motor on it? I don't see a trolling motor pushing 18 miles in one day off of one battery.

I'm pretty sure that bassinshankles canoe doesn't have a transom though, but maybe it does. I've run a 3.5hp air-cooled on my 17' Coleman RamX, and that was sketchy (way overpowered.) Afaik the Coleman Scanoes are rated for trolling motors only, not gas outboards. The torque of the motor will put a lot of stress on the gunwhales with a regular motor mount setup for canoes, and the aluminum ones on the Coleman canoes bend really easily. A 2 or 3.5hp would move it really nicely though.

edit: Just found this online. Sound in the video is pretty low volume.

[bassinshankles]

#1 I'm New to owning a boat of any kind so what is a sconoe at first I thought typo but guess not?

#2 I don't want no gas motor period ti much maintenance plus for now I'm car topping its 12 miles to nearest launch if water is right to fish that area of the lake. I do carry everything except the kitchen sink. And if one battery (31 series is all I will buy) won't work I will use to I don't care about weight. My canoe to me is on they way to be the best bass boat on the water. If a big 21ft stratos can troll twenty miles in a day don't see why a canoe with motor can't.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

#1 I'm New to owning a boat of any kind so what is a sconoe at first I thought typo but guess not?

#2 I don't want no gas motor period ti much maintenance plus for now I'm car topping its 12 miles to nearest launch if water is right to fish that area of the lake. I do carry everything except the kitchen sink. And if one battery (31 series is all I will buy) won't work I will use to I don't care about weight. My canoe to me is on they way to be the best bass boat on the water. If a big 21ft stratos can troll twenty miles in a day don't see why a canoe with motor can't.

1. A scanoe is a canoe with a flat stern (transom on the back.)

2. Fair enough, gas outboards do require maintenance. The 31 series battery is going to weigh 20lbs. more than a small outboard, but that's a moot point since you don't want to deal with an outboard. How long the battery will power the trolling motor in 1 charge will depend on the current draw of your motor and the reserve capacity of your battery. I'm guessing that 20 miles will be stretching it. Many newer bass boats charge the deep-cycle trolling batteries from the alternator whenever the outboard is running, which greatly increases your trolling range.

The one thing I can say is that putting a trolling motor on your canoe is going to be great, regardless of whether it'll go 5, 10 or 20 miles on a charge or top 6mph.

[bassinshankles]

To clear things up for some I will be buying a Minn Kota Taxxis 55# thrust Digital Maximizer. My canoe is 15ft 3in total length the beam is 36in wide I have yak-gear oversized outriggers on it. They are about six inches to front of center my motor will be mounted directly behind them. Hope that gives yall a better ideal of what I'm working with.

[Goose52]

To clear things up for some I will be buying a Minn Kota Taxxis 55# thrust Digital Maximizer. My canoe is 15ft 3in total length the beam is 36in wide I have yak-gear oversized outriggers on it. They are about six inches to front of center my motor will be mounted directly behind them. Hope that gives yall a better ideal of what I'm working with.

 

Something like this except longer...