Hi All,
I’m brand new to the forum and to E-Craft in general. This topic is not about a board, but powering a plywood driftboat. I have built a couple of drift boats for fly fishing, but they are powered by oars, which make it impractical to go far upstream. I’m thinking of modifying the design of the boat and building a new one using a tunnel drive jet with batteries to power it. I’m looking at the MHZ-80 jet “bundle” . I am trying to figure out if this the right jet for the purpose. I also need to figure out batteries, how many I need for extended operation, (I’d like to be able to use power for up to 4 hours), which type, how heavy are they and how long will they last at 25%, 50%, 75% load. I’m also trying to figure out approximately how fast the boat will go with this power plant. My boat will be about 150lbs, (without batteries), 14’ long with a 4’ beam and a flat bottom with a nice rocker. I plan to use it solo and with a passenger.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Maybe someone can give you some general guidelines. But there’s a lot of variables that can’t be known until your configuration is complete and tested i think. Maybe look at the Bixby drive (not a jet despite the name) for experiences by owners driving all kinds of boats/kayaks, etc and the comparable battery size, output, motor output, speed, etc etc
I’m new too, so maybe I’m wrong and someone will have specifics for you.
Good luck!