Electric trolling motor for emergency?

My insurance covers on-the-water boat towing, but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to keep an electric trolling motor on board, such as:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017122V6/ref=s9_sfl_co_t2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Does anyone do that? Any idea of how fast it would push the boat, and would it be safe to clamp on to the swim platform (I'd have to modify the clamp for a horizontal mount of course)?

Sure.... but why?

Your 09 should be more reliable than that.

Someone suggested it to me, so it was just something I was thinking about.

Total waste of money on an 09.

Well I had a brand new Mastercraft which went dead 1st trip out. I wished I had a electric motor then. I filled the tank up with gas when I bought it but didn't know there was water in the bottom.

What happened was that the gas tank had water in the bottom as I bought a last year's model and they only had put a little gas in it which sat for almost a year and a half on the showroom.

This might still be an issue with so many boat dealers having financial problems and having old stock.

Dealer had to pull the tank which was labor intensive for them and I had an unhappy first boat day.

All that could have been avoided if they had just filled the tank up...

My recommendation is to drain any gas if you are buying a boat from a dealer and the boat has sat for a long time.

In case you run out of gas... but how often does that happen? I'm with the others, no real need!

I agree its not needed. I have seen brand new boats that have broken down on the water. Last year I towed a new Malibu 24.7 and my 06 Malibu broke down once when I first got it. But boaters, no matter what kind of boat they have well always give you a tow. I have always just given gas money and beer, seems to be the most popular commodity on the water. What if your boat breaks down from an electrical problem and you can't fire up that trolling motor? Seems like it'd be awfull slow too. Save the money. If something happens just flag down another boat and I'm sure they'll help, just make sure you offer them gas money as a thanks. You'd be amazed by the amount of people that don't offer and don't say thanks. I had a guy who ran his Sanger aground. I bent my tow bar pulling him off. (We had ten people on shore lifting and pushing plus my boat pulling) I then towed his boat to the Marina about an hour trip all in the middle of the night. The guy didn't offer a damn thing other then his number to my girlfriend! Sure hope I see him on the lake this summer, his boats going to sink! lol

I suggested this last year as the world's cheapest, and maybe most practical, hybrid wake boat. If you permanently mounted it under the swim platform so that it was out of the water when you were on plane you'd have no drag. It would be nice for silently putting around and if you had an extra battery or two for the stereo you could have very long run times. If you had it turn with the rudder you'd have excellent maneuvering around a dock. Once again consider this post prior art. Forgot to mention that this and almost any other motor like this would push your boat to hull speed in the absence of a head wind. Google 'hull speed calculation' to find the formula for your boat.

(Message edited by roverjohn on April 20, 2009)

Just save your money and buy some paddles. It takes a little longer to get back to the dock but you release all your aggression and by the time you make it there your too tired to be pissed about being dead in the water.

yea you should get one and instead of a cooler on your boat make it into a trolling motor storage and then make a cool annodized aluminum mount you can attatch to your swim platform, you should only have to put 2 or 3 holes in the the deck but so what you will be leaving it there. It will probably help for resale. Post pics when done. thx for sharing your idea.

bret rogers is right on the money!!! it takes alot of strenght/energy to paddle a 21footer trough mild current...been there done that.

Robert, thats unbelievable. Well maybe not as I had the same thing happen to me, although I only towed them 20 mins and not a hour but they did not so much as say thank you.

Complete waste for 99.9% of boats. The only situation this might be practical is if you are the only boat on a remote lake or a private one without cell service. It would beat paddling, but most boaters will help each other out, although if there are more pricks that John and Robert have run into, there may be less willing volunteers.

Besides not being worth it (carry paddles), a 30lb thrust motor isn't going to do ••••••• a wakeboard boat.

Might as well get out and kick, and spend the money saved on beer

Awesome idea if it will actually move a wake boat.

It depends were you are at I was on powel this weekend in an 2006 tige which you would think is very reliable froze the engine up right at dark with very few boats on the water to flag down I wished that I had that electric motor. but on a local lake not needed unless you are boarding on the week day during the winter I would say it is a good idea.