Ouachita wrote:
On Jun 14, 9:34 pm, Muskoka Fisherman
wrote:

I am going to buy a 30 lb thurst min Kota trolling motor to push
around a 14 foot aluminum boat. I'm going to mount it on the bow even
though it's transom mount. What size battery should i purchase and
what brand?


If you are talking a jon boat that motor will be enough. If it's an
aluminum bass boat I'd go with at least a 48 pound thrust motor. A
larger power motor allows you to run decent speeds on a medium speed
setting without overheating it and draining the battery(s) too soon.
If you always have to run on high speed against wind you are
underpowered. If budget is a factor, delay buying until you can buy
quality batteries.

Assuming a 12 volt motor, use two batteries hooked together in
parallel for top performance. The two will last more than twice as
long as they would separately. Going to a larger wire size helps a
lot, too. Running two wires is a way around that in these days when
copper wire is expensive. Stick with marine cable and regularly clean
all connections, especially the battery posts.

Wal Mart batteries are OK and have a really good replacement policy. I
take them in every 6 months for a deep cycle test. If they are down
even a little they replace them without argument, applying a credit
for months not used on the warranty. Auto Zone does the same. It's a
hassle to mess with that, but it keeps my battery costs way down and I
rarely run a battery over 6 months old. Get the biggest battery
capacity they carry if it will fit in your boat. I changed up the tray
arrangement to get an extra battery in the compartment and was able to
put a third battery in for electronics to get clean power and no
interference from other systems in the boat.

One item I really love is an All Charge/StaynCharge system.
http://www.stayncharge.com It takes power off the outboard whenever I
run it to top the 3 batteries off plus the (4th) cranking battery. An
hour of outboarding keeps the batteries topped off all day. When I'm
towing the trailer the truck alternator tops the batteries off. When
the home charger actually charges it's time to take one or more
batteries in for exchange.

Jim

Just a confirmation regarding the "Stay N' Charge" system. I've had mine
now for 2 full seasons and it's the greatest technical advance to date.
I charge 2 batteries; one deep cycle and one starting battery in my rig
and never have to worry about finding and hooking up a household current
again. Not a great system for a person who docks his boat, but for us
that tow, it's a godsend! Very cost effective besides.