TorqTrac: Torqeedo electric outboards get app monitoring & more

Ben Ellison

Ben Ellison

Panbo editor, publisher & chief bottlewasher from 4/2005 until 8/2018, and now pleased to have Ben Stein as a very able publisher, webmaster, and editing colleague. Please don't regard him as an "expert"; he's getting quite old and thinks that "fadiddling fumble-putz" is a more accurate description.

8 Responses

  1. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    Sorry that I accidentally turned commenting off on this entry. It’s fixed now,
    My seminars at Trawlerfest are done and I’ll be back in the Panbo groove soon.

  2. Brunson Russum says:

    Ben, we keep our boat just down river from you near Oriental, NC. Our tender is an 8′ Fatty Knees and we are in the market for an outboard. We like the lehr 2.5 hp propane outboard but it does not come with a long shaft. This puts the 1003 at the top of our wish list.
    Do you have a short shaft for you 9′ FN? Is your tiller extension from Torqeedo or did you make your own? We would like to hear your thoughts on the quick charger and on charging options while cruising.
    Thanks in advance

  3. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    Hi Brunson. My boats and I are back in Maine, but I’m happy to talk about the the Torqeedo 1003 I’ve been long testing. It is a long shaft as you can see in my original review:
    https://panbo.com/archives/2011/07/the_travel_1003_a_serious_case_of_torqeedo_love.html
    Actually I bought the articulated tiller extension in the photo above at the Oriental consignment shop when I was using the Torqeedo on an even shorter tender. It’s not for everyone because when you turn sharply you can no longer control engine rpm’s, but I’ve gotten used to it.
    When I’m cruising I charge the battery using my boat’s inverter. In Camden I sometimes bring the charger and battery home. But it’s not very cumbersome, doesn’t need charging often, and the battery does not seem to have lost noticeable capacity during my four years of use.
    Yes, I am a big fan. The Lehr also seems neat, and with a lot lower initial cost, but I was a little surprised at how noisy it is.

  4. Brunson says:

    Thanks Ben. And I agree about the noise level of the Lehr. We will be going with the Torqeedo 1003.
    From past experience cruising the Bahamas, we know that distances from anchorages to town (or to good spearfishing spots) can be miles away. We are wondering about the cost vs. benefits of using Torqeedo’s solar panel kit for those days when we need to make multiple long trips. Or, are better and more economical options for assembling solar charging for these occasions?

  5. Butch Davis says:

    Yamaha has recently acquired Toegeedo.

  6. Butch ?Davis says:

    Sorry, feel like an idiot. This was announced by Ben Stein a couple of days ago.

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