eCanoe Trips
and Tips
An eCanoe enthusiast can carry a
canoe on top of the car, with the batteries and motor stored in the trunk.
Or fully outfitted canoes can be carried on a flatbed trailer and slipped
in to the water much like other boats are launched.
For launching from shore or a dock, first load the batteries into the
bottom of the canoe, then mount the motors before loading in all your personal
gear, seats, and flotation.
Once out on the water, the eCanoe
motor provides quiet but effective speeds (twice the speed one can paddle for
long), even when heavily loaded with three adults, gear, and four 60AH batteries
in a 20-foot canoe. The low draft
(10 inches, max) and excellent maneuverability allow cruising in areas where
bigger boats just can’t go, like right along the shore, around snags and rocks,
and into shallows where the wildlife can be found. And if a motor does hit an
obstruction at full speed, no problem.
The motors bounce right over the snags and keep on going.
Or the eCanoe motor can carry you
on long, open-water routes such as across large bays, lakes, and sounds.
Those deserted ocean beaches and out-of-the-way places are a quiet and
almost meditative ride away with clean, efficient, and safe 12 to 36 Volt electric
power. Just watch the
voltmeter and switch to a fresh battery when the voltage gets low.
A fully charged 60 A-H battery can cruise a heavy load about 5 miles on
still water, or much farther if you work with the currents and tides.
For more excitement, there is
upstream action. Slower rivers
(1-2MPH) are no problem for the 5 MPH eCanoe.
Their currents add another dimension to the experience.
For upriver conditions in class I and II whitewater, it is best to sit in
the rear of the canoe with the batteries shifted aft.
The motors are mounted as far forward as practical to literally pull the
canoe up the rapids. This loading
makes the bow ride high so that it is less effected by cross currents.
As class I is approached (river speed 3 MPH), the currents demand
more operator skill, and at Class II (3+ MPH with turns), the eCanoe Motor
put you in charge of a much more exciting situation than any video game can
match! Indeed, the upstream
capability of the eCanoe opens up a whole new approach to river trips. Instead of the hassle of two drivers placing two cars, one
upstream and one downstream for the trip, it is far easier to take one car and
an eCanoe. Put in downstream,
cruise upstream until the batteries run low, then float back to the car.
Or, if you know the river well, float downstream, then motor back up.
Just be sure to carry enough power to get back, and avoid going down any
rapids that are too rough to ascend.
Trolling is another natural for
the eCanoe. With 16 forward speeds,
one is just right for about any lure and the one-hand operation of the
controller leaves the other hand to feel for a strike, or reach for
refreshments. Battery charge seems
to last forever at trolling speeds where current drain is only 3 to 5 Amps.
After a day on the water, it is a
quick job the store the motor, gear, and batteries, put the canoe back on the
car, and head home to recharge for the next journey.
eCanoe Model 12DD Heading Upriver
© eCanoe2005