Bow motors for boats

"What electric bow motors are available for my boat?" - You can easily find the right motor type and model for your boat in the categories. Here you will find almost all manufacturers and models available on the market for maritime applications.

Bow motors are mainly suitable for inflatable boats, RIBs, rowing boats, or even sailing boats. In general, the motors can pull boats from 200 kg to 2 tons solidly and offer an attractive alternative for anglers compared to stern motors.

You are not sure which electric bow motor is best suited? Give us a call! We have a selection of 30 different electric propulsion systems from 3 manufacturers.

E-bow motors are available in a small power spectrum. You will find all variants from 0,5 kW up to 1,5 kW (2,5 HP) power in our marine shop. You will also find higher quality bow engines from 1 kW in the corresponding category. Depending on the boat, you will need about 1-2 kW power per tonne in displacement mode, and exponentially more in gliding mode.

The control of your bow engine is on the one hand via remote control by remote gas. This is also by far the most common variant. On the other hand, you can of course also control the electric motor with a remote control using a special foot pedal. This is especially suitable for anglers to have their hands free for the rod. Compared to Outboardn the models are mostly not Plug & Play, but cheaper. The bow engines are usually used with a lead or AGM battery. Alternatively, small lithium batteries are also possible. These are lighter, more durable and a little more expensive. Depending on the application, we recommend modern lithium batteries or AGM batteries for maritime use.

For the bow motor, the immersion depth of the propeller and thus the shaft length plays an important role. Depending on how high the deck is above the waterline, different shaft lengths can be selected.

The selection criteria vary depending on the boat and application. One of the most important criteria for us and most anglers is the volume. There are e-drives with gears that produce a high-frequency whirring sound. These are significantly quieter than combustion engines, but still relatively loud.

Normally all bow engines are silent, with them absolutely nothing can be heard. We find quietness on your boat should not be disturbed by anything. You can also find the information with the individual products or you can filter according to them.

Most boaters use the bow motors when fishing. There are also some differences between the electric motors. In any case, you should note the differences between step gears and stepless gears. Due to the lower consumption, we recommend the stepless gear shifting.

Otherwise, there are various features such as the foldable tiller, stable brackets, or a particularly break-resistant material. Of course, battery indicator, GHP signal, lower consumption, or, if necessary, a special protective coating for use in saltwater are also important features to consider when making your choice. Depending on manufacturer and model, the bow engines can also be coupled with echo sounders from Hummingbird, Lowrance, Garmin or others.

Bow engines are designed for private use in leisure time. Frequent drivers should use a classic electric outboard. In this marine market, Torqeedo, ePropulsion and Aquamot offer the best conditions with an unbeatable price-performance ratio.

Most boat owners know Minn Kota with its modern design and the combination of yellow and black. Minn Kota is an American brand. Minn Kota is the market leader in electric boat drives and has launched thousands of electric drives worldwide. Besides the racers of Minn Kota in the field of bow motors for anglers and smaller motorboats, there are of course other manufacturers. There are still Motorguide (Mercury) engines or the models from Haswing. They are also very recommendable and keep what they promise.

The engines in the lower power range and are even cheaper compared to the combustion engines in this range and have long since replaced the internal combustion engine. Especially as batteries can be used without any problems from the automotive sector. Find out here best about the requirements.

There are also still very unknown manufacturers who offer their engines at Amazon, for example. We have no practical experience in this area. We are open to new models on the market but tend to recommend a high-quality motor. It's not for nothing that they say, "Buy cheap and you buy twice."

On the one hand, electric bow motors have the conventional advantages of an electric motor. The electric bow motors are quiet, clean, and very efficient. Also, the engines have significantly better handling, maneuverability, and more thrust in the lower speed range. E-Boat engines are also cheaper to maintain, safer than combustion engines and also environmentally friendly.

Especially for anglers, bow motors are an ingenious alternative to stern motors, depending on the boat and use. Especially because of the more flexible control via a foot pedal. Besides the easy use, the good price-performance ratio, or the modern features, there are also many possibilities for upgrading. Suitable for the engines are also echo sounders or autopilots available.

Bow engines are easy to (dis)mount. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. They are much more flexible and can be dismantled after the trip or for wintering. The disadvantage is that bow engines are stolen more often. Don't worry: there are other ways to protect the engine against theft besides dismantling!

Bow motors are especially common on smaller boats and inflatable boats up to 3 HP, but of course, smaller sailing boats are used. The components electric motor, driveshaft and, if necessary, the gear of the motor are installed in one housing to save space.

The installation of a bow motor is relatively uncomplicated at the bow of the boat. Hence the name. It can be mounted using an engine bracket or by direct bolting to the boat. Depending on the weight of the engine, this is easy, especially for engines up to 2.5kW (4 HP), and can be done by a layman.