If you own a pedal boat as a "lake toy," you know that, on occasion, you can get tired of a pedaling. You might wish for a motor to take you back to shore at a leisurely pace, quietly. You might even want to be able to take your pedal boat out on the lake when you're too tired to pedal out. The solution to your problem may be a motor mount for an electric trolling motor, specifically designed to fit onto the hull of a pedal boat.
Items you will need
Pencil
Drill
Screwdriver
Electric trolling motor
Battery
Motor control
Nuts, bolts and washers
Set the "J" shaped part of the mount on top of the ridge that runs around the hull, at the position on the back of the boat where you wish to mount the trolling motor, so that the short part of the "J" is against the hull. Use a pencil to mark the location of the mounting holes (in the bottom of the "J" bracket) on the ridge.
Set the "J" bracket aside and use your drill to drill the two mounting holes down through the ridge around the hull, at the place you marked.
Place the "J" bracket on the ridge, drop the manufacturer-supplied bolts through the washers that came with the motor mount kit, then through the holes in the ridge around the pedal boat hull.
Raise the "S" bracket onto the bolts, where they protrude from the bottom of the ridge around the hull of the pedal boat. Slip the supplied washers onto the bolts and thread the nuts onto the bolts. Use the supplied, self-tapping metal screws to screw the front of the top part of the "S" bracket to the back part of the "J" bracket.
Lower the mounting plate of the electric trolling motor onto the mounting bracket and tighten the mounting bolts of the trolling motor to lock it onto the mounting bracket. Hook up the battery and battery control to the trolling motor.
Warnings
- Check your local lake regulations before adding a trolling motor to your pedal boat; some lakes do not permit any kind of motor.
Tips
- Have extra nuts, washers and bolts available, in case the "supplied" nuts, bolts and washers aren't supplied or are damaged.
Tips
- Have extra nuts, washers and bolts available, in case the "supplied" nuts, bolts and washers aren't supplied or are damaged.
Warnings
- Check your local lake regulations before adding a trolling motor to your pedal boat; some lakes do not permit any kind of motor.
Writer Bio
Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. He is also a certified marine technician and the author of a popular text on writing local history.
