In a message dated 1/27/02 12:02:20 AM, .com writes:

<< Does anyone have any leads on
submersible 12V DC motors,
possibly suitable for building a stern thruster?

MinnKota and MotorGuide make such motors in a variety of powers and voltages
for use as fishing trolling motors. Check your local large sporting goods
store or WalMart. I use an older MinnKota trolling motor as both a stern
thruster and an occasional get-home trolling motor as well as a very slow
speed harboring manueuvering motor. The motor is fastened to a rudimentary
motor mount attached to the swim platform of my 30' Willard trawler. I ran a
pair of 50 amp fuzed #4 wires from the house battery to an outlet in the rear
of the cockpit. It is a matter of a moment to mount the 20 lb. fishing motor
and plug it in. A #27 Diehard deep discharge battery will run the MinnKota
for about 4 hours at top output. It will suffice to move my W30 at about 2
kts. in very calm water. Docking at a crowded pier is a breeze. I just angle
in slightly to put the bow where I want it to be, then move the stern
laterally to straighten out the boat.

Larry Z

LRZeitlin@aol.com writes:

Larry I have a similar setup but am curious what you used to "plug it
in". I mean the type of connector? I use the battery cable clamps
that came with the trolling motor. A real "pug in" would be nicer.

George G.

P.s: My daughter, who is a bit of a naturalist, uses the motor on our
rubber dinghy to sneak up on the local blue herons and other swamp
creatures. Has hours of fun and her feathered friends don't seem to
mind. I could never do that with my 'British Seagull'. <grin>

From: LRZeitlin@aol.com
To: trawler-world-list@samurai.com

Larry, please pardon me for a piggyback on your response:  My server
didn't deliver the original post!

.com:  If you Google "electric outboards" you get some useful stuff.
These are not all submersible motors, but some are good stuff.  In
particular, I think the Ray motors are built by the family that
ancestrally operated a fleet of electric tour launches on the Silver
River in central Florida.

Ben