Disclaimer

Researched, not tested

Everything on AnglerTechCalc is compiled from published engineering and regulatory figures, manufacturer specifications, and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We do not test equipment in person and we never claim to. Where a figure is a rule of thumb rather than a published standard, it is labelled that way on the page. Where no published figure exists, we say so rather than printing an estimate.

Your own ratings govern

The capacity plate on your boat, the manual for your own motor, battery, charger and transducer, and the applicable standards for your own installation are the authority. Nothing on this site overrides any of them. Our calculators work arithmetic on the numbers you enter; they do not know your boat and they cannot inspect it.

Marine electrical work

A boat is a damp, moving, vibrating, ungrounded environment, and marine electrical work is not house wiring. We reference ABYC E-11 throughout because it is the relevant standard, and we deliberately do not reproduce its ampacity tables, because ampacity depends on insulation temperature rating, engine space location and conductor bundling and a single figure by gauge would be wrong in the direction that overheats a cable.

If you are not confident with marine wiring, this is work for a qualified marine electrician. A battery can deliver enough current into a chafed cable to set fire to a boat, and the consequence of getting it wrong is not a blown fuse.

Batteries

A lithium battery needs a charger with a lithium profile. Lead acid batteries produce hydrogen when charging and their compartments need to be vented. Both chemistries can deliver very high fault currents. Follow the manufacturer instructions for your own pack rather than any general guidance here.

On the water

Never load a boat past its capacity plate. Note that federal capacity plate requirements cover monohull boats under twenty feet propelled by machinery, and that canoes and kayaks are not covered, so a kayak stated capacity is the manufacturer own figure and nothing regulates how it was arrived at.

Wear a life jacket. In early season the hazard is cold water immersion rather than depth: it takes your breath first and your hands second, long before it reaches your core. Carry a means of calling for help that works when wet, and tell somebody where you are going.

Regulations

Equipment requirements, licensing and fishing regulations vary by state, by water body and over time. Check your own state agency and the applicable federal requirements rather than relying on anything written here.

Liability

AnglerTechCalc provides this information as is, without warranty of any kind. We are not liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of anything published here. You are responsible for verifying every figure against your own equipment before acting on it.