Trolling motor thrust?

Question

I've recently built a 8' plywood dinghy that (in theory) seats 2 or 3 people at most, and I was hoping to put some type of engine on it, and since an outboard would be too heavy, I was thinking of putting an electric trolling motor onto it. I was wondering how much thrust I would need and which type would be the cheapest.

Answer 1

On a boat that size , almost any small trolling motor will work on it- get the hand control- it will take less room to operate it in the small boat.Have fun!

Answer 2

I would think 30 would be sufficient on an 8 foot boat..MinnKota is a good one, and can be bought at any Walmart...I have a 50 on my 18 foot boat, and it is almost too much, unless I run it on the lowest setting....I had a small piroque at one time, and it had a 30.  My bf cut the shaft, and mounted it on a swivel on the back, and ran cables from a "Tee" to foot pedals.  He extended the wires where the on/off and speed controls were right beside the seat...The motor could kick up, if it hit something underwater, and it worked out very nice...(I'm on his computer today, and I hope he does not find out)