Minn Kota TROLLING MOTOR - Riptide Transom 55

This video shows the features and functionality of the Minn Kota Riptide Transom 55 trolling motor. This 55 lb thrust electric trolling motor is designed for saltwater use and is the highest thrust motor able to run from a single 12 volt battery. 55 lbs thrust trolling motors are needed for larger boats or boats over 2,000 lbs. but they can also be used on smaller boats. This transom mount trolling motor is easy to set up and easy to operate. Minn Kota make a wide range of electric trolling motors and the Riptide 55 Transom is designed for salt water trolling use.
See how this motor compares to a 2.5 hp gas outboard! • Small Outboard Motors ...
I take the Minn Kota Riptide Transom 55 out on the water and show how everything works for this easy to use 12 volt electric trolling motor. If you're in the market for a trolling motor there are lots of options and models so be sure to do the research to find the right trolling motor for your needs or desired use. A saltwater trolling motor might cost more upfront, but could very possibly be a better choice for brackish water fishing or salt water fishing applications.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Minn Kota C2 Endura 30 lb fresh water trolling motor - amzn.to/2WGPp4j
Minn Kota C2 Endura 55 lb fresh water trolling motor - amzn.to/3yx74Z6
Minn Kota Riptide 55 salt water trolling motor - amzn.to/3t24wB4
#minnkota #trollingmotor #riptide55
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Sound effects and additional music is copyright free from iMovie
Music is Two Little Bums by The Great North Sound Society from the KZbin Audio Library

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

See how this motor compares to a 2.5 hp gas outboard! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJ-rlXadgb2IiKs

[@tonydtom536]

Wayne, you do a great job of explaining for the rookies like myself. It is always a relaxing and informative video. Thanks.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thank you so much! That's why I do this!!

[@60gidget]

Thanks Wayne very informative vid. I have just been handed one of these motor from my brother and I am stoked to find your video. Thank you.

[@Revviews]

Another great video. Easy to watch and informative.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thanks again!

[@gm1937]

Very helpful. I plan on installing one on my 22 foot 5,500 lbs Searay.

[@justinsane7128]

I've got four seasons on the exact same motor that I use on my 18 ft sailboat with two deep cells if there's no wind it's still enjoyable. I do run the three blade prop on it and I think that helps a little.

[@harryfritter8266]

I bought one of those from Amazon. But mine is black. And I bought a 12vx100ah lithium battery for $179. I mounted a 120w solar panel on the bow and a charge controller. That trolling motor runs endlessly on that battery and I have a 12v and dual usb plug connected to the battery and run a costway fridge freezer on the same battery. It's a pretty sweet setup

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That’s a sweet setup. Definitely some potential for fun projects!

[@artsmith103]

You'll get about 6amps off the solar panel in bright sun and the motor will use about 10-12 amps. The difference is supplied by the chatged battery. A few days of non use each week will be more than enough to keep up.

[@darrylmcleman6456]

Red Left Port!!! Good Stuff! CHEERS from Canada!

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Lol. Hope your September is going well!

[@samuelsnyder1587]

Great informative video thank you!

[@thomasweatherford4975]

I have a 55lbs thrust on my 14.5 john boat. I love it in small rivers around me. 12 100ah battery last me all day with no problems. 6 to 8 hrs at a time.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Nice. Great to hear!

[@ravtowson7825]

I'm kind of move from electric power to gas power, you do the reverse :) Got a Minn K Rip 45 from West Marine years ago, very happy with it

[@solarfry]

I have a riptide 55. Flat out the most I got in ocean was 3.5 mph. Going under intracoastal bridges was impossible even with oars assisting. I got a 2.5 hp tojatsu now that pushes me against currents satisfactorily. That was a heck of a diff.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah trolling motors work pretty good in calm waters. But otherwise - not so much!

[@bogman192]

great job :)

[@paulfennell01]

I have a 1986 16’ Starcraft mariner and with a 55lb Newport vessels trolling motor I can get about 4mph- (calm conditions) - as a comparison I also have a 1983 Johnson 9.9 which only pushes me a little faster at a top end of 6 mph- but the gas motor is my primary because its got much better range- I’ve got three group 27 batteries that will last about 2 hours a piece (if I use full throttle) as opposed to about 10 hours on my gas motor (also at full throttle) which has a 6 gallon tank, it will give me propulsion for about 60 miles as compared to my electric which gives me 12 miles until batteries are drained- again, if I use full throttle which I rarely do- I use the electric for trolling speed (1.5mph- setting “2”) which lasts me for a three day or four day fishing trip and I can gas up daily on the way to the ramp for infinite gas range on the lake. Hope this helps someone out there!

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

You bring up some great points! Also it's nice to read more 'real world' use and range information. My next video (coming soon!) actually discusses and covers some of these points as I compare this motor to my 2.5 hp Mercury gas outboard engine.

[@artsmith103]

There might be a different prop option to push your light boat faster if you're interested. Search the web for for prop dealers that have online calculators to size up your options.

[@davidsorrell5344]

I just picked one up for $250.00 works wonderful 💪

[@ric572]

Boat/Hull Speed is limited by the Lenght of the water line. This is why speed boats plane to overcome hull displacement. The Hull Speed Formular is the SQ Root of the waterline length multiplied by 1.34 Therefore a 16 ft waterline Sq root is 4 times the constant of 1.34 or 5.38 mph. A 12 ft water line hull speed is 4.68 mph.

[@AlexanderGonzalez-qp4tj]

Awesome knowledge

[@typeelite9283]

Formular. Arg arg arg!

[@egilskirsteins237]

My house is by the sea. This information will be very useful to me ! ( saltwater use)

[@mikechan231]

Love that background music

[@Hahehhwgajshah72726..]

Great video as usual mate.I'm buying a minn kota i-pilot soon.Trolling motors are great but they are expensive bits of gear.The i-pilot here in Australia is $2300 + add extra for battery.😪😪

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Ooof! That's a pricy one! Thank you so much.

[@polygamous1]

Great job mate, its so refreshing to see an American video Not concentrating on boats with treble or more 300HP Plus outboard engines that cost more to run than the average family cheers

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thank you very much!

[@polygamous1]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy We thank You mate for your brilliant down to earth videos for the masses Not the super rich cheers

[@justinsane7128]

I was following pontoon boat down the road the other day and I finally got close enough to see that he had a 300 horse on the back of it

[@antonioperfectostokes8326]

What battery are you using I just picked up a minn kota 70lbs for a 14aluminum boat since the main motor is messing up but was wondering your battery set up for it

[@great0789]

I have seen folks swap the Vlad for an efficient and fast aftermarket one. I just put this exact trolling motor on order. Almost certainly going to change the prop out to that one I just mentioned since my old pedal drive kayak had something similar and no issues with weeds in my salty and brackish area. Keeping the weed less too of course. Going to add the Riptide Transom 55 to the front of my 1436 Jon… and probably add Autoboat down the road to it. It only works with the transom model without the fancy energy saver electronics. For $500 for the motor and another $650…. I can have autopilot and spot lock while fishing in ripping currents. If either fails… I can just replace that component. Bonus… I don’t have to also buy high-end fish finder equipment to get the routs feature as it runs off of a free app on my phone. For now, I will just use the tiller and stalk reds in the shallows and more.

[@davescheer5038]

I got a used minn cota 55 rip tide a while back at the goodwill store for $45 bucks works great out of the water haven’t tested it yet on an 11’ ft v hull the boat is pretty light and should cruse along , I do want to switch the handle around so I can use it on a bow mount , trying to find the right battery 🤔

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That's a score!! Your cheapest option is a deep cycle 12 volt marine battery. Look for as many "Amp Hours" (Ah) as you can afford - but don't worry about "cold cranking amps" - you don't need those. Basically a 100 Ah battery should give you more run time than a 60 Ah battery.

[@ob2064]

What kind of seat do you have in your boat?

[@Glennmc7]

Will a high-thrust transom motor jack knife a 14-foot aluminum boat even if set to the slowest speed, I need the higher trust for my river fishing, but I also need a slow speed for casting and trolling in lakes I just don't want to go born.

[@robertvanderpolii5746]

The max speed of a boat using trolling motor is a function of the weight of the boat (more weight = more drag), the pitch of the prop and the voltage of the motor. If you want to increase speed you can reduce weight but it would take a significant change in weight to decrease drag significantly. You could increase the voltage to the motor which increases how fast it spins which would increase the speed but the voltage is fixed by the supply so that's not going to happen here. Consider 2 screws, a #4 and a 1/4" diameter that both have 10 threads per inch (never happen in real life, #4 has like 32 or 40 TPI). Having the same number of threads per inch is the same as pitch on a prop. If the both turn at the 10 revolutions per minute then they will both advance 1 inch per minute. It doesn't matter that one is bigger and has more force behind it, as long at the turn with the same RPM they will advance at the same rate. Props in water are like screws in wood except the prop can slip in water. If you have a very small very light boat and put the 14lb motor and the 55lb motor on it, if the props have the same pitch the boat will go the same speed. As you add weight to the boat the motor will still push it at the same speed until the drag starts to get close to 14lb. When that happens the 14lb prop will slip more and the 55lb prop will keep pushing the boat at about the same top speed until drag gets close to 55lb then it will drop significantly with added weight. The difference is that the 1/4" screw can pinch more pounds of load in it's grip than the #4. Similarly the bigger prop can deliver more thrust to the water before it starts to slip and with a bigger motor rotational speed won't bog down. The stock prop from MinnKota has a pitch intended to accelerate a boat quickly at the cost of top speed and the blade shape is intended to shed weeds at the expense of efficiency. Kipawa produces normal looking props at a slightly higher pitch which means you can go faster for the same power or go the same speed using less energy from the batteries. Using a Kipawa prop generally voids the MinnKota warranty. Regarding throttling. Electric motors throttle the rotational speed of the prop and therefore the speed of the boat in one of 2 ways. By wasting some of the power which decreases voltage, by using a Pulse Width Modulator to control voltage and speed without wasting power. At max power there is no power wasted by either type of motor controller. At lower power both are wasting some power unless a PWM controller is used. For MinnKota these are called Digital Maximizer throttles.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Good stuff - Thank you!

[@georgewashington938]

3 to 4 MPH is a 25% difference, which isn't insignificant. As you get closer to hull speed (see Ric's post) it takes exponentially more power to increase speed when you start to approach hull speed (because your boat is pushing a wall of water in front, and the stern is sinking into a hole created by the forward movement). The primary reason why it seems like larger trolling motors do not 'give you extra speed' is that they are not powerful enough to get your boat on a plane (out of the water and breaking away from the physical constraint of hull speed). They do move you CLOSER to hull speed. Another (much smaller secondary reason) combination of reasons that might limit the trolling motor is the RPM and prop pitch. A better prop might get you 1/2 MPH closer to hull speed.

[@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850]

If you are going to use a gas motor for trolling? Add a trolling plate as well. Mine also has a cage and lift plates to protect the entire lower unit and provide lift. It's a river boat that works on lakes.

[@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850]

🪨🪨🪨🌊🌊🌊 everywhere in west coast rivers

[@richardcourisky471]

THANKS FOR THE VIDEO I ENJOYED IT IS THERE A SPECIAL KIND OF BATTERY THAT I NEED TO BUY. OR JUST ANY BATTERY WILL WORK I LEARNED THANKS TO YOU. HOW TO START THE 2.5 HP MOTOR THAT I BOUGHT A WEEK AGO.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

There's certainly lots to learn with boating! The little tricks of tweaking the choke on the carbureted gas motors and getting the deep cycle marine batteries are all things many of us haven't dealt with if we're new to boating.

[@rockerdad2]

All things being relatively equal , can I use the salt water rip tide in fresh water? What are the advantages or not? Maybe just buy the cheaper one that is available. The salt water model may be a bit heavier thou? any thoughts?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

You don't need to spend the extra for the saltwater models if you're only boating in freshwater. Minn Kota have a section on their web site to help pick out the right "size" trolling motor for different boats.

[@gm1937]

Great video and a quick question. I have a 22 foot, 5,000 pound boat (inboard/outboard) that I use to drift for fluke (flounder) but my drift is always too fast. Can this trolling motor push the weight of my boat and give me 1 to 3 mph?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

This one might be enough - but most people go with something that has over 100 lbs of thrust for larger and heavier boats which is usually a 24 or 36 volt setup.

[@gm1937]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy I appreciate the reply. I can't stomach reconfiguring the front of my boat for a bow mounted trolling motor but a small stern- mounted one with enough power could give me what I need. I fish the Long Island sound in New York and flounder are the only fish I have a terrible time catching because My drift is always too fast or too slow.

[@mihaelgjuretek5884]

Can I use black Minn kota for sea water? Will it damage it anyhow?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Technically you shouldn't use a freshwater one in the salt water. I do know people who do, but they either rinse and clean them carefully after using, or they anticipate a short life due to corrosion.

[@davescheer5038]

You showed the rip tide compared to the smaller motor and said you didn’t get mush difference in speed , but there’s gotta be a difference in prop size ? So I’ve seen some vid’s where they changed props trying to make things go faster , what happened was the motors would over heat and shut off ,so they went back to the original prop , ( not make for speed ) :)

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

It seems that all trolling motors (new/old, big thrust/little thrust etc) are designed to go roughly the same speeds. The only difference is in the size of the boat they can push.

[@leerichy6489]

I don't use electric motors but I'm interested to see you can get solar powered chargers for the batteries. You can keep the battery charged as you go? Have you seen this?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah I’ve been looking into it for some time. It seems that the ratio of panel size to charging capability doesn’t quite match up

[@jeffreyrudolph5061]

This motor can pull 50 amps at w.o.t ... so do the math .

[@dtrain1476]

Does that Trolling Motor has Spot Lock?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

No this model does not have spot lock it’s only on the higher level models.

[@floridavideosbyjeffreyscot6910]

I just bought the 55lb thrust . I’ve never owned one before I’ve never done any boating. I got an inflatable boat that I’m going to use it with. Whenever I connect it to the battery… is it OK to test it by turning it on if it’s not in water? With the area around the propeller clear of course.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Everyone seems to run them for a couple seconds dry and it doesn’t seem to hurt. They’re sealed, and the water probably cools the motor when they’re running, but a couple seconds dry shouldn’t hurt anything.

[@floridavideosbyjeffreyscot6910]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy Ty👍

[@Okinanam69]

@@floridavideosbyjeffreyscot6910 I've run mine without water for an hour. It is just like an electric fan. Gas powered motor is totally different, and it has to be immersed in water to cool the engine.

[@floridavideosbyjeffreyscot6910]

@@Okinanam69 Ty

[@larsvegas1505]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy When u put out of water the motor has basically no amp draw cause of low resistance... so it wouldnt heat up aswell.. Most important things on a trolling motor for me: it has to be reliable, quiet, also enough power.. and have ajustable speed (vario), cause when im fishing i mostly throw out a driftbag and backtroll, that way u can fish a bank/dropoff slowly and u dont have to steer as much... but precise power input is important.. or else ur going to fast or not fast enough the whole time.

[@markstiefel595]

Hey i was just wondering what the shaft length is on that motor. It looks really long

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

It's ridiculously long! I think this one is meant for a sailboat

[@markstiefel595]

Ive got the Traxxis 55lb, 36" on my 16' lund and i love it.

[@markjackson6829]

Your weed-less prop is slowing you down. Get a regular one for more top end, and yes trolling motors are generally made for low speed thrust, but you can adapt a greater pitch prop and then get a lot more speed depending upon weight and number of motors ect. New more powerful brushless ones can come with prop pitches good for 6mph, but still higher speeds can be gained through adapting higher pitch props, and multiple motors.

[@roadking813]

The bigger trolling motor is for heavier boats. The smaller motor won’t be able to move the heaviest boat the bigger motor could. It’s all about the torque. Good video still.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

It's possible!

[@ravtowson7825]

might need add a battery case to protect battery

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah that's on the list - I might relocate it up toward the bow as well.

[@harryjacob7993]

Do you use a fuse, if so what size

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I do not... yet. But the way to select one is if your trolling motor has a maximum capacity of 36 amps, use a 40 or 50 amp fuse. Also be sure to consider the gauge (size) of the wire running from the motor to the battery. Apparently using thicker (like 6 gauge) wire, the cicuit may overheat, which could damage components or cause a fire.

[@harryjacob7993]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy thanks

[@SWFL_FISHING_239]

Just fixed mine that I have on the bow

[@stormshadow5555]

Why did you want just a single battery model trolling motor? Why not a more powerful two or three battery model? Thanks

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

It seems that the more powerful trolling motors are marketed for larger/heavier boats. At the time of this video, I was only using it on a 12 foot boat and didn't want or need the extra cost and weight.

[@artsmith103]

$100 clamp on amp meter will answer your question about battery usage at different speeds and comparing the two motors.

[@markweatherall7437]

Nice video, the motor's shaft is far to long for my liking. Been told I could buy a kayak trolling motor with a 24" or 26" shaft which sounds much better than pulling soft tissue in my shoulders and upper body. Looked very uncomfortable 😬

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah it's not the right shaft length for this little boat!

[@JerseyFishing20]

I believe on some minn kota trolling motors the battery test only works while the trolling motor is on and running. Try that if that doesn’t work then I would say that feature just doesn’t work

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I honestly have never thought to re-try it while running - thanks!

[@TheNockingPoint]

I highly recommend replacing that pin with a bolt. @ 3:22 for folks that are as hard on their equipment as I am. ;-)

[@TheNockingPoint]

mine stays on the back of my boat when I am bouncing around in the LI Sound. I call it my impulse drive. I am considering labeling it "impulse drive 1" "NCC-1701" :-)

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Ahhh thanks!

[@shashaw.324]

Isn't 48 inch too long?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah that motor is too long for my boat - but the height is adjustable so other than the controls being really high it’s ok

[@baddboat]

You remind me of Mister Rogers but in a boat😂 right?😅

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I just need to always wear a cardigan!

[@baddboat]

Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood ☀️

[@arnehayn4354]

Regarding your T-Shirt: red-right-return: this is applicable to US and Philippines only.

[@markweatherall7437]

Looked a much better position on 9:22 just like a petrol outboards position would be with a short shaft but the motor doesn't need to be submerged to deep in the water. 10:23 certainly looked uncomfortable, shoulder breaker.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah this one is a VERY long shaft - I only bought it because it was available and $200 cheaper than a new one. I have considered cutting down the shaft if I keep it.

[@markweatherall7437]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy Ok fab, shortening the shaft is fairly easy to do. Go for it 😃 I purchased a pipe cutter which you turn slowly to cut the pipe. It cuts into the fibreglass pipe easy as you turn it. I took pictures of the wiring when I uncrewed the top cover off (A MUST to be sure when you put it back together) Some people I've spoke to are scared of shortening the shaft buy trust me dont be. Just take your time, do a little bit every day over the winter, took me a week doing about an hour a day. No rush.

[@markweatherall7437]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy Best thing I ever did was shortening the shaft.

[@markweatherall7437]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy And always where your buoyancy aid no matter how far you go out on the water. Seen & heard to many horror stories.

[@JOATMOFA]

You get a *70lbs trolling motor* that also *runs off 12V* !!!

[@Stooch]

a little long huh?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah it's quite tall!

[@dwaneanderson8039]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy It's possible to disassemble it and cut the shaft shorter. There are video tutorials on KZbin for it.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

@@dwaneanderson8039 That's on my list of projects!

[@PainterD54]

Speed vs how much juice you're using is a big myth. You use the same amount of power no matter what setting you're on. In the lower speeds, it's just sending some of the power thru resistors, so it's still using full power, just sending some of it some where else. So if yougo slow just to save power in your battery, you're wasting your time.

[@ronaldmills3088]

Sigh---?really you really has zip to offer