txneal
Well-known member
I've been steadily adding things to my boat as I can afford them and the next thing on my wish list is a trolling motor. I've never had one before, so I've been spending the past few days reading about them and trying to make a decision on what to buy. Right now I'm leaning heavily toward a Minn Kota Riptide 55 transom mount. I thought about getting the Traxxis, but there is a good chance I'll be taking my boat into salt water occasionally, so I think the Riptide makes more sense and is only about $100. more for a 55.
Now I'm trying to figure out which shaft length I should get. It comes in either 36 or 42. According to the charts I've looked at, my boat should be good with a 36. It is a 1973 14ft Starcraft Seafarer. However, I'm wondering how practical it might be to get a 42 inch shaft. If I mount it directly flush with the top of the transom, next to my outboard, then a 36 should be sufficient. There is another option for mounting it a little farther from the outboard though and it could be mounted a few inches higher. In that case, I think a 42 would be good.
More than likely, I will mount it in the place where 36 inches should be sufficient, but I'm wondering if it will interfere with my ability to operate my tiller controlled Evinrude 25 if it is mounted too close to it. The Riptide has a feature called the quick-lock cam depth adjuster, but I can't seem to find any info on exactly what it does. Does this depth adjuster allow me to raise the prop to a higher position if I find myself in very shallow water? It seems like a small difference of 6 inches between the 36 and 42, but maybe it is more critical than I realize. I don't want to make a mistake and order the wrong shaft length, so I'm hoping some of you guys might help me out by discussing the pros and cons of going with the longer shaft. Thanks!
Now I'm trying to figure out which shaft length I should get. It comes in either 36 or 42. According to the charts I've looked at, my boat should be good with a 36. It is a 1973 14ft Starcraft Seafarer. However, I'm wondering how practical it might be to get a 42 inch shaft. If I mount it directly flush with the top of the transom, next to my outboard, then a 36 should be sufficient. There is another option for mounting it a little farther from the outboard though and it could be mounted a few inches higher. In that case, I think a 42 would be good.
More than likely, I will mount it in the place where 36 inches should be sufficient, but I'm wondering if it will interfere with my ability to operate my tiller controlled Evinrude 25 if it is mounted too close to it. The Riptide has a feature called the quick-lock cam depth adjuster, but I can't seem to find any info on exactly what it does. Does this depth adjuster allow me to raise the prop to a higher position if I find myself in very shallow water? It seems like a small difference of 6 inches between the 36 and 42, but maybe it is more critical than I realize. I don't want to make a mistake and order the wrong shaft length, so I'm hoping some of you guys might help me out by discussing the pros and cons of going with the longer shaft. Thanks!
