Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

[CZSteve]

We just moved into our new marina / slip last Sunday.
Have a 24' toon and the access alley between the docks to get to the slip is maybe 36-40'; bit tight making the ninety degree turn into the slip.

I'm not 'completely' seasoned behind the helm but pretty good handling a vehicle whether it be parking / loading the boat or handling trailers. First time in had my brother on the bow and my wife @ stern with push-hooks to help when close to the dock and / or other boats - especially one accross the alley with his outdrive sticking out a bit.
Old marina had a straight shot in; just had a current / wind to contend with - wasn't a big deal.

There will be times when it might just be one adult and a kid (11-12 yr old) or two when taking the boat out. I'm not comfortable with a twelve yr old being either the one up front or aft to physically help avoid trouble or at the helm yet.
Thought on how much a benefit a trolling motor would be to help navigate into the slip?

We primarily use the boat for general leisure / tubing but will probably start using it more and more for fishing. Thinking about a ~ 50# thrust hand control 12v motor.

Thoughts???

EDIT: Probably looking for something like a Motorguide VariMax V55 w/ a 50" shaft; seemed to be most economical via a quick web search.
What the best vertical position for the prop relative to the tubes?
Any other models we should be looking at?
Hand control seems to make more sense if the primary use is tight quarter navigation. Also prefer something that is compact and does not take up a lot of deck space.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

A poor man's bow thruster? Interesting idea. Others will know if it's practical (I don't).

Far as I'm concerned, any landing you walk away from is a good one... use whatever will help.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Well, it's an option, but it's kind of a PITA in real-world use. Having to cruise into the marina and then walk up to the bow to drop the trolling motor in and hook up the control pedal if needed. Then sit there at the front working the pedal and fighting the wind/current the same way you do now, just from the front instead of the back. I just don't see it as helping anything really, as there isn't anything much you can do with the trolling motor that you can't do with the main engine unless you are using them simultaneously which I'd love to watch, lol. Just use the main engine and start wide, while just bumping the engine into and out of gear to make adjustments. The trolling motor is fine for fishing but doesn't provide you with any real advantage over just learning how to maneuver your boat/predict it's path. Note: if you have a lift in your slip, the trolling motor will likely hit the structure underwater (don't ask how I know, lol)

 

[QC]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

How will you get your hands on the trolling motor from the helm? What I picture is you at the helm, and then you run up to the bow and "steer" and then proceed back to the helm. Seems clumsy unless it is a two person arrangement, and that might work really well. I would not depend on a trolling motor to do much by itself on a toon. I think with any wind you could get in trouble fast. I guess I'm struggling with the plan so far, but like JoLin I think this poor man's bow thruster could ultimately work.

Edit: Great minds . . . ^^^^^

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Practice. Go slow, bump it into reverse, than foward, You'll get it. You may have to go past the slip somewhat, than bump it into reverse to line up with the dock etc. etc.
People grabbing docks and pylons., is good way to smash hands and break arms.
Get some bumpers for the sides untill you are proficient (sp?).
36 to 40' canal is plenty of room.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

If all else fails, entering the slip at a 45-degree and using the corner/bumper to pivot against is an option as well.

 

[cribber]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Fenders out and bump your way into the slip would be best. You'll get the hang of it and it will eventually become part of your routine.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

How much money will you spend to have complete bow trolling motor control ?

There are corded control units that you could have right where you steer from. There is also a "wireless control " type.

A bow troller is VERY VERY good way at pulling the bow instantly left or right. It IS a bow thruster for pure sideways docking.

Wind is where a troller shines.

I called Minn Kota for advice. VERY helpfull. Saved me a bundle of money that web posting people were telling me to spend.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Wind is where a troller shines.

SO what happens when the wind is pushing the back of the pontoon past the slip and you are trying to pull the bow forward? Sorry, but you run into the same issues as you would without the trolling motor, just with the ends of the boat swapped. Unless you can run a wireless trolling motor at the same time as steering/operating the main engine, I don't see it being an advantage for this situation.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

From what I gather, even bow thrusters are not great, unless the person behind the helm knows how to control it. It may help a seasoned captain, but adding another thing to control when trying to get into a slip for someone new to it, just ads more confusion and more things to potentially screw up.

I too had 40' or so between my slip and the other boats two seasons ago. I also had a 32' boat (pulpit to platform) to get down the aisle and into a shared slip. The shared slip was 28' wide, with the other boat being 12' beam, and mine just under 11'. Needless to say, you practice and get used to the set up you have, because there is always someone with it worse.

 

[CZSteve]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Thanks for the replies.
Should have clarified a little more. If we add a trolling motor it would be operated by a secondary person; primary person @ the helm on main motor.
I personally am more of the generally consensus of just using the primary; wasn't too bad and Sunday was the first time out. My Dad brought up the idea and started thinking it might not be a bad idea as a poor man's bow thruster as pointed out.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Absolutely get one for fishing the shallows/shoreline, but leave it stowed for docking.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

not only do I think that this "idea" is totally un needed.... just learn to pilot the boat..... get some practice and you'll be fine.... BUT I also think that having a kid helping you pilot the boat is a monumentally bad idea.... two experienced captains could likely work together safely but an unsure newbie (no offense) and a kid IMHO is a recipe for disaster...

if you can't maneuver with an 8' buffer at both ends of the boat then you are either trying to move WAY too fast or you are fighting the wind instead of using it.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

I've often thought of a project like this...

For someone with a little electrical engineering/computer programming knowledge, this would be a fun project! I've dabbled in robotics also...

Anyway, 4 trolling motors, mounted on linear actuators. Push a button, and they drop down into the water. From there, it would be fairly easy to program a joystick control that would pretty much emulate the current joystick control systems out there. It really isn't that hard for basic control, and a $30 microprocessor board could easily handle it. (I'm thinking basic x maybe) Also, I'd ditch the trolling motor speed controllers and use some speed controllers meant for RC hobby use. You can get 100 amp brushed controllers for relatively cheap.

(I'm building an RC quadcopter right now... It actually is a VERY similar concept and all the programming/controls would be almost identical. Quadcopters are more complex because they deal in 3 axis, and need gyro stabilization to be even remotely flyable.)

Anyway, long story short... To the OP, find a local computer nerd/robot geek and throw this challenge at him!

Just a quick top of my head guess as to cost...

$120/$480 4 - 12v trolling motors, cheap ones are fine, you are using 4 concurrently!
$30/$120 4 - 100 amp speed controllers (hobbyking)
$50 ATMEL, BASICX, or Propeller microprocessor
$50 RC transmitter/rx (hobbyking)
$50 - $150 ea waterproof linear actuators

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

[HIJACK] I've researched a similar project.... I considered trollin tabs for my v20 at some point but I wanted to control them with gps. I found 100 amp 2 channel speed controllers that could be controlled with either pwm or variable resistance.... then it's a relatively simple task (for a robotics nerd) to control with a serial data signal from plotter to said processor to the speed controller [/HIJACK]

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Wow I feel dumb after reading those last two posts loo. Anyways I think that the trolling motor could work as long as its being remotely controlled from the helm but really a far better idea is just practice practice practice until you can do it without thinking about it. Maybe on a nice day when you have a spotter and some time to kill just go in and out of the slip for an hour or so and youll probably have it licked.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

I read somewhere, where joystick controls are a option on some of the more expensive boats already. Owners love them to.
So they should be filtering down to all sizes shortly.

Electrical steering on a LOT of vehicles is being done because of lower costs to build. Ease or convience is a ACCIDENTAL benefit. Cost is always the reason for change.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Get yourself a Minn-Kota with copilot.It's just like having a bow thruster and can be used in conjunction with the main engine to move the boat sideways or spin it on center in tight docking situations. I do it all the time. The most fun is when your at a public dock and theres no way to come in to an open space without cliping another boat. I just pull in close and then slide the boat in sideways. You should see the looks I get.

 

[CoffeeHound]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

Back in the 80's i spent what seemed like hours every week practicing to land my plane .. I got good , I got dam good , could lead a flock of geese to the Numbers !!
Boats and ships are not that much different, forget the term Drive a boat -- It sucks,, you Pilot a boat .
You are a Caption In TRAINING- Go out and Practic ,,Practic,, practic untill you earn your captions right to the water !!

 

[Andy'sDelight]

Re: Tight alley getting in / out of slip - trolling motor benefit???

I have about 30 feet of room between the nose of my boat to the nose of the boat across the canal slip and my boat is 23', 25 including the outboard. You just need to practice. I was terrified of my slip when I first moved in, now it's a breeze. I deal with alot of wind and current as well. You need to learn how to use both to your advantage as well as how to properly turn your boat on a small space. Short, small, directional throttle bursts are your friend.