Conditions:
West Wight Potter 19 mastless
Garmin GPS 12 speed and distance measurements
Wind speed 12MPH
Current speed 0 MPH ( mean low water tide )
daggerboard all the way down and locked
Minn Kota Endura 50 with 44" shaft mounted on top of tiller metal attachment
to rudder. Motor turns with rudder and top of prop is approximately 6" under
water.
Left dock into wind speed of 10 MPH (dead on nose) at power level 5 (top
speed) achieving a max speed of 1.9MPH. with gusts to 2.2MPH as measured by
GPS 12
Turned corner headed into main canal (no wind in this location) and achieved
max speed of 3.6 MPH with a sudden gust to 4.4MPH when I stood in
companionway.
Reached corner and entered main canal with wind blowing sideways speed
dropped to 2.5mph.
Proceeded downwind main canal at position 5 speed 3.0MPH. No wake showing.
Reduced speed to pos 4 with max speed reducing to 2.2 MPH. Traveled to end
of canal (2 miles) with speed varying from 1.5 to 3.6 depending on gusts of
wind. Turned around into wind with motor speed position at 4 and vessel speed
dropped to 1.5MPH. Increased motor speed position to 5 and vessel speed
increased to 1.9 with gusts to 2.2mph according to GPS12.
Conclusion:
Endura 50 is adequate for mastless, windless and currentless condition. I do
not like moving at less than 2.5 MPH. Not enough breeze generated to keep me
from sweating profusely. Wind affects vessel speed drastically. For all other
conditions i would mount two endura 50's with a series 29 battery for each.
That should make it maintain a minimum of 3.3 MPH into wind and tide and
provide a range of 8+ miles.
top speed 4.4 MPH for about 3 seconds
Maximum sustained speed 3.3 mph for 2 mins. at
motor speed position 5 headed downwind.
Av speed 2.2 MPH
Speed into 15 MPH wind 1.6 MPH
Speed into 10 MPH wind 1.9 MPH
Speed into 1mph current and 10 mph wind 1.2mPH
Distance travelled during test 5 Miles.
Power left in battery at end of test 60%
If mast had been on vessel I would not have been able to perform test as
vessel would not have moved away from dock.
I would recommend an electric motor with more than 70 foot lbs of torque
which would be 20 more than the Endura 50. Perhaps two endura 50's
If you remember previous test with lil 13' Sovereign the Minn Kota 50 powered
it into wind and tide at a minimum of 3.3MPH. MOre that adequate for the 13'
sailboat