Dual trolling motor

I am in the process of building a pontoon boat for bowfishing, it will actually be my second of this nature. My question is, after looking and not finding any answer, a dual head hand controlled trolling motor. I know minkota used to make one that attached to the outboard, so I know it could be done, but is there a benifit? I have 2 - 101 pound thrust 36 volt tollers. would these two combined give me more benificial thrust or ould it just be a waste of time and resources. The motor would not be used at full thrust for long periods of time and battery life is not a worry as we run converters to maintain the batteries.
The biggest question, is it give me benificial thrust? In theory when running at half throttle, you should basically get about 50 lb thrust from each giving a total of 100 lb, but I am wondering if the prop wash would do some cancelling out on each of the motors.

Re: Dual trolling motor

with 2 turning the same direction they will try to walk slightly in the direction of the prop and more things in the water equals more resistance/drag which is why most people trim up there main motor while trolling. neither is a real major problem that i can see

Re: Dual trolling motor

There is no way anyone can provide a reasonable response since we have no idea if the two trollers are the sole means of propulsion, how big the pontoon is, and the distances and speeds traveled. How do you intend to steer this thing. When you say you run a converter to charge the batteries, what exactly does this consists of. Please don't tell me you use an inverter to power a battery charger or I'll have to bust open another bottle of wine. Two 36 volt motors will consume lots of power so you will need three very large batteries in series but again depending on run time required, you may on the hook for six of them (separate 36 volt system for each motor). If the pontoon is a 20 footer, why not install a bow mount 70 - 80# thrust with electric/remote steer and have a reliable and much better handling rig.

Re: Dual trolling motor

Well the pontoon is a 24 footer, and as far as the converters, they are powermax AC to DC converter/chargers. Each one produces 55 amps and each battery has its own. All this is run from a generator which is also powering the lights on the boat. As far as steering, (now this is all thought), but it would be designed like a regular tiller controled bow mount troller, just with 2 motors instead. This is all speculation and curiosity, just tring to run it by others that may have delt with something like this or played with trollers more than I. I had an 82 lb on my last toon which was a 20 footer and got a good deal on the 101's and just throwing ideas around. Trying to weigh out all the pros and cons before going into too much planning on it. I do appreciated all the help.

Re: Dual trolling motor

Is this going to be the only propulsion on the boat? If so, seems to me 2 motors running at 50% power would use about as much battery and provide as much thrust as one motor running at 100%, or pretty close - though you may get a little more battery life running at the lower setting.

If you use the rule of thumb that a 50lb thrust trolling motor produces approximately 1 hp (i know this is not 100% accurate that is why it is a rule of thumb), you could use one trolling motor and one 2 hp gas motor (I have a 2 hp that weighs in at around 20 lbs), less batteries = less weight and you would have a gas motor to get you back to the dock, even if the batteries die. If your running a genny, then it does not sound like noise is a major concern.

I thought about running two batteries, and two trollers in my 14 foot aluminum, but after figuring weight of two batteries and two motors I went with a single troller (~15 lbs), single battery (~40 lbs) and a 5 hp outboard with a built in gas tank (~35 lbs) this ended up weighing a little less then if I ran two batteries and two trollers, and if the wind picks up, I had plenty of hp to get me to shore.

Now if you already have an outboard to get you to and from, and are just looking for ways to troll around quietly, then, ignore this and carry on

Just a thought

d

Re: Dual trolling motor

No this would not be the only means of propulsion, the toon has a 115 hp Evinrude on it to get there and back. Another thing is that trollers are not designed to run full tilt for long periods of time, another reason for the twin motor, if I make good with a 101 at full throttle, then by running two at half throttle should be the same thrust and less stress on the motors. Just thoughts, in my head and on paper they seem like resonable assumptions.
and putting a kicker on the boat is a thought, but I prefer to be able to control the front of the boat

Re: Dual trolling motor

Silvertip said:

There is no way anyone can provide a reasonable response since we have no idea if the two trollers are the sole means of propulsion, how big the pontoon is, and the distances and speeds traveled. How do you intend to steer this thing. When you say you run a converter to charge the batteries, what exactly does this consists of. Please don't tell me you use an inverter to power a battery charger or I'll have to bust open another bottle of wine. Two 36 volt motors will consume lots of power so you will need three very large batteries in series but again depending on run time required, you may on the hook for six of them (separate 36 volt system for each motor). If the pontoon is a 20 footer, why not install a bow mount 70 - 80# thrust with electric/remote steer and have a reliable and much better handling rig.

Click to expand...

LOL.

1. Does it really matter if it's a 20ft pontoon or a 24?
2. He wasn't asking about any other means of propulsion so why be concerned with anything else but the trolling motors.
3. Distance doesn't matter
4. Speeds-kind of what he's asking in other words.
5. How it is steered is no concern. He wasn't asking about how to steer it.
6. Inverter does not matter. He said batteries are not an issue- so moving on
7. 36volt motors will not consume a large amount more than a large LB thrust 24volt motor-In fact you will have a net-much longer battery life
8. Again battery life isn't a concern of his.

Re: Dual trolling motor

If you're bowfishing for carp,you need the noise and vibration from your gas motor running to get them flying-why not just put a trolling plat on your engine? Are are you using another boat to get them jumping?

Re: Dual trolling motor

oldschooltiller said:

LOL.

1. Does it really matter if it's a 20ft pontoon or a 24?
2. He wasn't asking about any other means of propulsion so why be concerned with anything else but the trolling motors.
3. Distance doesn't matter
4. Speeds-kind of what he's asking in other words.
5. How it is steered is no concern. He wasn't asking about how to steer it.
6. Inverter does not matter. He said batteries are not an issue- so moving on
7. 36volt motors will not consume a large amount more than a large LB thrust 24volt motor-In fact you will have a net-much longer battery life
8. Again battery life isn't a concern of his.

Click to expand...

1) Just like a V-hull, it does matter if the pontoon is a 20 or 24 footer -- especially since we had no idea what other forms of propulsion there were being considered.
2) Yes -- he wasn't asking about other forms of propulsion. But when advice is asked for, why not ask for all of the details so a reasonable response can be provided. Do you just tell your doctor I don't feel well and let him figure out why? Or do you provide additional details so he/she doesn't have to pry the info from you.
3) Distance does matter if one does not know if there are other forms of propulsion, especially since using an inverter to charge three batteries (or six of them) might be an issue due to output current capacity.
4) "Beneficial Thrust" is sort of a meaningless term lacking other meaningful information.
5) How it is steered is of no concern to me since it is not my boat but when one invests time and effort into a project at least weigh the variables. Fact is, a bow mount troller on a pontoon is far more effective in wind and current than a stern mount. If you've ever been solo in a canoe and had to fight a cross wind you learn in a hurry where the best position in the canoe is. (hint -- it is not the back!) Where the motors would be mounted were not indicated.
6) See #3
7) `101# 36 volt Minnkotas draw a maximum of 46 amps each. Two of them at 1/2 speed is about 46 amps. Is the inverter on this vessel capable of dumping a MINIMUM of 46 amps back into the battery bank (23 amps each into two banks or 46 amps into one) just to maintain battery level?
8) Maybe battery run time isn't a concern of his --- But should it be?

Have you ever been asked a question and when you answer it, determine that you look rather foolish because your answer was based on too little information? Sure -- it's easy to say "but you didn't tell me that" . So why not ask questions to avoid that situation and to help avoid long drawn out posts where more time is spent extracting information than solving the problem. Besides, if the poster had all the answers he/she would not be asking for help would they!

Re: Dual trolling motor

Silvertip said:

1) Just like a V-hull, it does matter if the pontoon is a 20 or 24 footer -- especially since we had no idea what other forms of propulsion there were being considered.
2) Yes -- he wasn't asking about other forms of propulsion. But when advice is asked for, why not ask for all of the details so a reasonable response can be provided. Do you just tell your doctor I don't feel well and let him figure out why? Or do you provide additional details so he/she doesn't have to pry the info from you.
3) Distance does matter if one does not know if there are other forms of propulsion, especially since using an inverter to charge three batteries (or six of them) might be an issue due to output current capacity.
4) "Beneficial Thrust" is sort of a meaningless term lacking other meaningful information.
5) How it is steered is of no concern to me since it is not my boat but when one invests time and effort into a project at least weigh the variables. Fact is, a bow mount troller on a pontoon is far more effective in wind and current than a stern mount. If you've ever been solo in a canoe and had to fight a cross wind you learn in a hurry where the best position in the canoe is. (hint -- it is not the back!) Where the motors would be mounted were not indicated.
6) See #3
7) `101# 36 volt Minnkotas draw a maximum of 46 amps each. Two of them at 1/2 speed is about 46 amps. Is the inverter on this vessel capable of dumping a MINIMUM of 46 amps back into the battery bank (23 amps each into two banks or 46 amps into one) just to maintain battery level?
8) Maybe battery run time isn't a concern of his --- But should it be?

Have you ever been asked a question and when you answer it, determine that you look rather foolish because your answer was based on too little information? Sure -- it's easy to say "but you didn't tell me that" . So why not ask questions to avoid that situation and to help avoid long drawn out posts where more time is spent extracting information than solving the problem. Besides, if the poster had all the answers he/she would not be asking for help would they!

Click to expand...

Have you mounted a 36v trolling motor on a pontoon? How about two?

No? Then that is all the info you have to give. Nothing.
Long drawn out responses hoping to get info about things not being asked about are kind of amusing, but it gets old. Fast.


OP. Use one, test it out, and see if that is sufficient to you. If not add the 2nd motor. You will likely be the only one to do this, so this is the only way to know for sure.

Re: Dual trolling motor

dlngr said:

If you're bowfishing for carp,you need the noise and vibration from your gas motor running to get them flying-why not just put a trolling plat on your engine? Are are you using another boat to get them jumping?

Click to expand...

Well, true, but only silvers jump like that, we don't have them in our local waters but we do take trips to shoot them also.When we go for them we do use the outboard alot, but we spend more time trolling for other fish also.

Re: Dual trolling motor

I didnt want to start any problems, just looking for advice, or opinions, or ideas, not bickering. I agree with silvertip that some of the info should have been supplied earlier, but I didnt really know what would be useful info.
As far as the power, well the converters are each capable of putting out 55 amps so I feel that will not be a problem.

101# 36 volt Minnkotas draw a maximum of 46 amps each. Two of them at 1/2 speed is about 46 amps.
This is I guess the biggest thing, if I run it at half spped with the two units, will I get as much combined thrust out of the two as I would from one at full throttle? That is what I am looking for, if that would be the case I would be able to run at even less throttle than a single motor, yes using more battery, but in the long term increasing the life of the motors being that they are not designed to run at full throttle for long time periods. I may not need the full throttle of both motors, but it is nice to have it just incase, there have been several times where we could have used more power but were already maxed out.