The Garmin Force Kraken Black 63-inch Trolling Motor is Garmin’s saltwater flagship trolling motor in the long-shaft 63-inch variant – the right answer for high-freeboard bay boats, center consoles, and offshore fishing platforms where the standard-length Force motors would deploy the prop too shallow for proper bite. 100 pounds of thrust from a brushless motor architecture delivers serious power with significantly longer runtime per battery charge than equivalent brushed motors. 24 or 36 volt operation matches typical serious-fishing electrical systems. The pivot-style mount installs cleanly on boats with limited bow space – the motor pivots to stow rather than sliding back like a rail-style mount, so you don’t need clear deck behind the mount for the stow position. Wireless integration with Garmin chartplotters lets the chartplotter command the trolling motor (Spot-Lock to chartplotter coordinates, follow-a-path navigation, steering commands via the chartplotter remote). Multi-band GPS signal reception keeps the anchor lock accurate even in challenging GPS environments (under bridges, in marinas, near buildings). Sturdy composite shaft and saltwater-engineered components throughout – sealed bearings, corrosion-resistant fasteners, marine-grade housings – built for years of offshore service. The shaft routes LiveScope transducer cable internally (accessory purchase required) keeping the cable protected from snags. Black finish for boats with dark hull colors or contemporary black-themed aesthetics. The trolling motor of choice for serious saltwater anglers on high-freeboard fishing platforms.
The Garmin Force Kraken in the Black 63-inch variant is the long-shaft saltwater flagship trolling motor from Garmin’s Force lineup – engineered specifically for boats whose bow rides high above the waterline (bay boats with center consoles, offshore center consoles, sportfish boats with high freeboard). Standard 50-inch or 57-inch trolling motors deploy their props only a few inches below the surface on these high-freeboard hulls, which wastes thrust on splashing instead of moving the boat. The 63-inch shaft puts the prop properly submerged where it can do useful work even on a 50-inch-freeboard hull.
Why shaft length matters more than fishermen often realize. A trolling motor’s prop needs to operate fully submerged in solid water – typically 12 to 18 inches below the waterline – to produce its rated thrust. If the prop only sits 4 inches under the surface (because the boat’s bow is high above the water and the shaft is too short), the prop entrains air with every revolution and produces a fraction of its rated output while making a lot of splashing noise that spooks fish. Boats with 30 to 50-inch freeboards need long-shaft trolling motors for the same reason offshore boats need long outboard shafts: the prop has to reach down to where the water actually is. The Force Kraken 63-inch is sized for these high-freeboard scenarios.
100 pounds of thrust from brushless motor architecture. The Force Kraken delivers 100 pounds of thrust – serious power for moving high-freeboard sportfish and bay boats against wind, current, and tide. The motor uses brushless DC architecture (the same technology used in high-end drones and electric vehicles) which has two meaningful advantages over older brushed motors: (1) Significantly longer runtime per battery charge – brushless motors are 15 to 25% more efficient than brushed motors, so you get more fishing time from the same battery bank. (2) Quieter operation – no brushes contacting the commutator means no electrical noise transmitted through the water that spooks fish. For serious fishermen, the brushless advantage translates directly into more fish per trip.
24 or 36 volt operation. The Force Kraken operates on either 24V (two 12V batteries in series) or 36V (three 12V batteries in series). 24V is appropriate for typical bay boats with limited battery space. 36V is preferred for larger sportfish boats where battery space allows the third battery and the extra voltage provides slightly better motor efficiency and longer runtime. The motor auto-detects the supply voltage and adjusts internally – no part-number split between voltage variants.
Pivot-style mount for tight bow installations. The Kraken uses a pivot-style mount where the motor pivots up to stow rather than sliding back on rails like older trolling motors. The practical difference: rail-style mounts need clear deck space BEHIND the mount where the stowed motor slides back into. Bay boats and center consoles often don’t have that clear behind-mount space because of bow casting platforms, lockers, or cleats. The pivot mount stows the motor by tilting it up vertically – no rearward clearance required. So the Kraken installs cleanly on boats where rail-style motors don’t fit.
Wireless integration with Garmin chartplotters. The Force Kraken pairs wirelessly with compatible Garmin chartplotters – the chartplotter touchscreen can command the trolling motor directly. Set a Spot-Lock by tapping a location on the chart, the Kraken navigates to that GPS coordinate and holds position. Follow a recorded track by tapping the track on the chart, the Kraken steers the boat along the track. Get steering, speed, and mode controls from the chartplotter without needing to find and operate a separate trolling motor remote. For boats already running Garmin chartplotters at the helm, this is meaningful workflow simplification.
Anchor lock with multi-band GPS. The anchor lock feature holds the boat at a GPS coordinate against wind and current – critical for fishing structure where you need to stay precisely on a spot. The Force Kraken uses multi-band GPS signal reception (multiple satellite frequencies vs. single-band on entry-level GPS) which provides significantly more accurate positioning and stays locked in challenging GPS environments: under bridges, in marinas with overhead structure, near tall buildings, or in heavy tree cover. Single-band GPS systems lose lock in those environments and the anchor lock drifts.
Saltwater-engineered components. The Kraken is specifically built for permanent saltwater service – sealed bearings throughout, corrosion-resistant stainless and composite fasteners, marine-grade housings with proper UV resistance, and Garmin’s advanced corrosion protection on the motor housing and electronics. Compared to a freshwater-rated trolling motor used in saltwater (which corrodes internally within a season), the Kraken handles years of offshore service.
Sturdy composite shaft. The 63-inch shaft is composite construction – strong enough to handle the demanding loads of moving a 25 to 30-foot sportfish boat against current, flexible enough to absorb shock without breaking on impact with rocks or oyster bars, and lighter than equivalent aluminum shafts which reduces use on the mount and minimizes heeling moment on the boat.
LiveScope cable management. The Kraken’s shaft includes an internal cable routing path for LiveScope transducer cable (the live-imaging sonar transducer that runs on the trolling motor for forward-looking sonar). The transducer cable runs inside the shaft rather than along the outside, keeping it protected from snags, weed wrap, and accidental damage. This is meaningfully useful for LiveScope owners because the transducer cable is expensive to replace and external routing exposes it to wear. The internal routing requires an accessory cable kit (separate purchase).
For bay boats and center consoles specifically. The Force Kraken’s design priorities – long shaft, pivot mount, brushless efficiency, saltwater-grade construction – target bay boats and center consoles operating in tidal waters, near-shore offshore, and high-tide inshore. For low-freeboard bass boats, the standard-length Force motors are more appropriate. For ultra-large offshore platforms beyond 30 feet, even longer Garmin trolling motors may be needed. The Kraken sweet spot is bay and offshore boats in the 22 to 30-foot range with significant freeboard.
Black finish for aesthetic matching. Many premium center consoles and bay boats run black hulls with light bow casting platforms – the black Kraken visually integrates with those boats rather than standing out as a dark contrasting element. For boats with dark hulls or graphite-themed aesthetics, the matching Black Kraken variant (separate part number) provides the alternative color match.
Garmin’s standard product warranty applies. Garmin’s authorized dealer service network handles warranty and parts. The Force series has been refined through multiple generations and the Kraken specifically represents Garmin’s most mature offshore trolling motor engineering. Field reliability across the Force lineup is strong – the brushless motor architecture, sealed bearings, and corrosion-resistant construction prevent the failure modes that limit cheaper trolling motors in saltwater service.
Built-in GT56UHD-TR transducer. This Kraken variant ships with the GT56UHD-TR Ultra High-Definition all-in-one transducer integrated into the lower unit – no external transducer to mount, no cable to snag or damage. The GT56UHD-TR provides Ultra HD ClearVu down-imaging, Ultra HD SideVu side-imaging, and high-wide CHIRP traditional sonar. So this Kraken delivers fishfinding capability out of the box. For boats running LiveScope, you can still add a separate LiveScope transducer through the shaft’s internal cable routing path.
