by GreenLake » Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:43 am
Trolling motors are super cheap, but they also consume more electricity than needed.
I used a 40# one for a number of years. Adequate to move the boat for up to a few miles in calm conditions (no currents!).
I've upgraded to an EP Carry, which gives me the same speed, but at about 1/3 the electricity (measured in Watts per knot). The main advantage is that I have almost the same range as I had with the trolling motor using 2 deep-cycle lead acid batteries. However, the battery I now use is minuscule by comparison and weighs next to nothing. Makes it super convenient to recharge underway (if I dock/beach somewhere, I can take it with me to the nearest outlet).
That said, adding range is expensive, because the batteries aren't cheap.
Your Falcon is ballasted and you're planning to use it on an excursion. You may need to look at something a bit more powerful, like an EPropulsion Spirit 1.0, or similar.
Find out what that draws at full power, figure 3.5knots as your likely boat speed and then see how many Wh you need to go the distance you maximally need to cover in one day. Consider that this requires fully charged batteries, so it's only feasible if you've charged before you go on that leg. Do the same calculation for shorter trips, or shorter run-times (like getting out of a wind shadow). Figure out whether the solar panel can recharge those fast enough - at 1/2 nominal rating, because that's the best you can expect - the further north, the less power the sun has.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~