Bait Boat Revamp – Help & Advise please – My first Boat Project

[ROBERT BUTTRESSParticipant @robertbuttress87089]

Hi all, I,am new to the forum & require some help please on a project – I,am revamping a Baitboat for fishing – I have upgraded the motor & ESC (G2 HYDRA 50 kit from Mtronics) and replaced the lead acid 6V battery with a Lifepo4 12ah 12Volt – I've installed new Futaba servos etc.

The problem i,am having is that the boat goes at slow speed, but when i turn up the speed it slows down? the prop shaft is 5mm where it joins the motor shaft which is also 5mm – these are connected with a stainless steel universal join – at the propeller end the shaft is M3 on which a 50mm plastic 3 blade propeller is mounted – the propeller seems very flimsy, and I was wondering if this is collapsing under the strain of the new motor ?

If anybody can advise me that would be great.

I,am also getting a lot of heat from the ESC, after a while 10mins – the motor judders like its getting intermittent power.

Below is a link to a youtube video that shows the same boat as I have. Single propeller & rudder steering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcU_Oz0dDjs

[ROBERT BUTTRESSParticipant @robertbuttress87089]

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

The Hydra 50 kit comes with a 2100kv inrunner motor which, on 12v, will attempt to run at 25,200 RPM. This is racing speed and totally unsuitable for a bait boat, especially with a plastic 50mm prop. **LINK** I'm not really surprised that it overheats and runs erratically when you apply throttle. Imagine trying to run a quarry dumper truck using a Ferrari F1 engine; loads of HP but all at the wrong end of the torque curve. In my opinion you need a larger, slower outrunner (no more than about 800kv for a 12v battery) and a 3-blade brass scale prop. Would start with something like this one **LINK** The MTroniks ESC is rated at 50A while the motor tops out at 44A, so you should be able to use the ESC.
If you log onto Model Boat Mayhem's forum there's a special board dedicated to bait boats where you ought to be able to find someone who has successfully converted the one you have. That's the best sort of advice you can get. Good luck.

Dave M

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