If you are someone who enjoys boating and you want to make sure that your equipment is properly taken care of, you might be wondering if it’s alright for you to leave your trolling motor out in the open even when it’s raining. This is a legitimate question in a lot of people’s minds because, after all, trolling motors are electric. So, in that regard, is it okay for trolling motors to get rained on?
It’s okay for your trolling motor to get rained on. In fact, trolling motors are designed such that it’s okay for them to get wet under any kind of circumstance. That’s why plenty of fishermen go out in the water to fish even when it’s raining as it’s alright for their trolling motors to get rained on.
That said, in case you are wondering whether or not you can leave your boat out in the water even when it’s raining, yes, you can. Your trolling motor was specifically designed to be used for many different conditions, which include rain. As such, you don’t have to worry about it getting rained the next time you are supposed to be out in the water but it suddenly rained.
Can trolling motors get rained on?
For those who are often out in the water because you love fishing or you simply love to spend time cruising through the waters of a lake, your trolling motor should be one of your best friends. That’s because it is basically what helps propel the boat. And, in most cases for game fishing, it serves as a secondary means of propulsion as it helps the primary outboard motor.
However, there will be times when you already have your boat out on the water with the trolling motor attached to it but it suddenly rains. There might also be instances where you just forgot to take your trolling motor in and it’s already raining outside. In such instances, would it be alright for your trolling motor to actually get rained on?
Yes, it is perfectly fine if your trolling motor gets rained on. In fact, trolling motors are actually designed to be used under any weather conditions, which naturally includes rainy conditions. That’s because fishermen and anglers will often go through different weather conditions while they are out in the water. As such, trolling motors should be made and designed to be able to withstand getting wet or rained on.
That said, don’t worry if you leave your trolling motor on your boat outside during a rainy day or if you are out on the water fishing and it suddenly rains. The rain won’t harm your trolling motor in any way because they were specifically designed to function regardless of whatever the weather conditions might be. In fact, a lot of fishermen actually still take their trolling motors out for a fishing session even when it’s raining.
What will happen if you leave your trolling motor in the rain
As we have mentioned, nothing will happen to your trolling motor if you leave it out in the rain because trolling motors are designed to withstand the rain. If anything, the rain will not have any lasting damages on your trolling motor even if you leave the motor out in the rain for a long time.
However, for safety reasons, you might still want to make sure that you do not leave your trolling motor out in the rain not because the rain will damage it but because over 4,200 boat-related thefts happened in 2019 alone. This means that leaving your trolling motor out in the rain will not damage it but it might leave it open for thieves to try to steal it because they know well enough that they can hide under the cover of the rain to try to steal your boat without you even noticing that they did.
Of course, you still have the choice to buy a trolling motor cover for your trolling motor not because the rain will damage it but just for the purpose of making sure that it really won’t get damaged by the elements. A trolling motor cover does not only protect it from the rain but also from the harmful rays of the sun. As you probably already know, anything that is exposed to the sun’s UV rays for an extended period of time can get damaged, and that is where the trolling motor cover comes in to protect your trolling motor from the elements and the possible damages that may come with them.
So, as long as you keep your trolling motor protected from the elements and not just the rain while also making sure that you maintain it properly, it will probably last for about 10 or so years. But you should know that even something as “harmless” as rainwater can accumulate small and incremental damages over time, and that is why you should still want to make sure that you keep the trolling motor protected or kept out of the rain.
Can a trolling motor battery get wet?
As we have talked about, it is okay for your trolling motor to get left out in the rain because rainwater won’t have any lasting damages to it. However, what about its battery? Is it alright for the trolling motor’s battery to get wet?
Yes, you shouldn’t be worrying about your trolling motor’s batter getting wet. These batteries were designed such that their insides are protected well enough from getting wet. So, if you were to take a boat out for a spin and it suddenly rains, don’t worry about the trolling motor’s batteries getting wet because they can withstand getting rained on for a good amount of time without getting damaged.
It would be a different story though if you actually dunked the battery underwater for an extended period of time. The water will eventually seep into it and cause damage to the battery’s insides. As such, it wouldn’t be a good idea to submerge the battery underwater, but you shouldn’t have any problems with rainwater.
Sources:
https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/index.php?topic=12692.0
