When designing the Milford 20, (see Kiwi Ingenuity, The Shed, Issue No. 107, March–April 2023), I realised that some form of auxiliary propulsion would be desirable. Many slipways in New Zealand are located within the confines of a marina, and these places typically don’t allow sailing within their area.
Initially, I thought about oars; however, to be effective they would need to be quite long, and that created a stowage issue. The next obvious solution was an outboard motor. I think these represent one of the best solutions for a small boat if it doesn’t lend itself to oars: a relatively cheap, simple, self-contained power unit that is also portable. Modern outboards are fairly refined and quiet, qualities that I value in a power unit, and can be very fuel efficient, depending on the hull shape.
What type of outboard?
Exploring this theme, I next considered an electric outboard. This would be environmentally friendly and nicely refined and quiet.
I wasn’t too worried about range, as I really only wanted the motor for close-in manoeuvring. A little online research revealed a couple of problems.
Back then (around 10 years ago), electric outboard manufacturers were making quite wild claims about what
