setup/placement question for trolling motor, battery and finder

[s freud]

So I am setting up my boat with a trolling motor, depth finder, and battery and have a good idea of placement but wanted to get everyone's feedback. The pic and diagrams below hopefully will help you get an idea of what I am talking about. Are there any problems with having the battery so far forward in the boat? It is a 12 foot V-hull with a 9.8 on it. Also, the base I am using for my trolling motor is 1" think (you can see it in the pic). Is that think enough, or will the torque snap it and send my whole rig to the bottom of the lake? I also figure the placement of my breaker is the best I can do for accessibility and tie-in with my trolling motor and finder. Thanks for your help!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: setup/placement question for trolling motor, battery and finder

First problem is that you are apparently using pine lumber. Pine is probably the worst choice you could make. You need at least 3/4 inch plywood to handle the strain of the motor. Next I'm a little confused by your wiring. You show a fuse but you have the depth finder and the troller wired to it. You did not mention how big the troller is but if it is a 40# motor it could draw up to 40 amps maximum. The locator will never draw more than 1 - 2 amps on a bad day. So you need two fuses. One sized for the troller and one sized for the locator. Both need to be close to the positive terminal of the battery. Next, you show a wire coming from the troller to the foot pedal. Not knowing what motor you have I can't be positive about the wiring in your specific example. Normally the main power feed is from the motor itself to the battery. A separate connection is made between the foot pedal and the motor to turn the motor on and control speed and direction.. You need to look at that more closely. You may know what you are supposed to do but I don't think you've drawn the diagram correctly.

 

[s freud]

Re: setup/placement question for trolling motor, battery and finder

Thanks, I thought about the pine after I cut it. It is a 50 amp fuse so I thought I could use it for locator and motor. Is that not right? The line from the motor to the pedal is just the regular connection. The wires actually run from the foot pedal to the battery.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: setup/placement question for trolling motor, battery and finder

The fuse is sized to protect the wiring.
The wiring to the Troller will handle the 50 amps that makes the fuse blow.
The wiring to the Sonar will start smoking at 20 amps and the fuse will never blow. Fire ensues!
The Sonar wiring needs its own fuse. 5-10 amps is typical.

The battery way up front will keep the wiring short. Good!
The weight will keep the bow down with you and the Motor at the stern, Good Again!
A Win,Win Situation!

 

[s freud]

Re: setup/placement question for trolling motor, battery and finder

Got it. I just need like an in-line fuse for the sonar then. Thanks for the placement. I didn't know if the battery bouncing around in the bow would be bad for it. I of course will anchor it, but just from chop.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: setup/placement question for trolling motor, battery and finder

... I didn't know if the battery bouncing around in the bow would be bad for it. I of course will anchor it, but just from chop.

Get it well secured. It will take more than you will.

The more you can keep the bow down the softer the chop will feel.
Cutting the wave with the bow feels better than skipping off them with the bottom.
Cutting through and splitting the water requires energy, so your top speed will be reduced some.

When it's Choppy, you can choose a Fast Ride, a Soft Ride, and an Economical Ride; Pick any two!