How to Reconfigure a Fiberglass Paddle Boat

A fiberglass paddle boat is a pedal boat that uses the foot pedals to turn the larger paddle that is located in the middle of the boat. While pedaling the paddles propels the boat forward and is an excellent form of exercise, your distance is limited by how far you can pedal. As an alternative to all that manual labor, you may want to consider attaching a small electric trolling motor to the boat to extend its range for fishing or swimming, or even to get back to shore in leisure without manual effort. While some paddle boats come with their electric motors installed, many boat owners need to reconfigure their fiberglass paddle boats from manual to motorized.

Things You'll Need

  • Motor mount bracket
  • Nuts, bolts, washers
  • Screwdriver (optional)
  • Pliers (optional)
  • Drill with bits
  • Trolling motor with propeller
  • 12-volt battery
  • Controller
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Place the fiberglass paddle boat on dry land, being careful to keep the rudder from bending under the boat. Never install a motor while the boat is in the water. Clean all debris, water and foreign objects from the area where the motor will be mounted. Some modern paddle boats have a designated motor mount area at the stern of the boat, near the rudder, already recessed from the seat area.

    • 2

      Attach the motor mounting bracket with the drill, and fasten with nuts, bolts and washers as needed to the motor mount area, or where you’ve decided it will go on the rear of the paddle boat. Just remember that since the motor is not integral to the boat’s design, you need to determine its location in relation to how easily you can reach it, and the 12-volt battery that operates the motor.

    • 3

      Secure the trolling motor to the mount and make sure it fits over the side. Attach the motor on land, and when launching the boat always make sure the motor is in the "up" position until you are in the water.

    • 4

      Attach the propeller and ensure that it does not interfere with the positioning of the rudder, otherwise your steering may be skewed. When you consider reconfiguring your paddle boat from manual to motorized, be certain to take into account that you’ll be adding an additional weight to your boat, so adjust for that when locating the motor, battery and propeller.

    • 5

      Charge the battery on land before installing into your boat. Attach the battery leads when just about to launch. This makes sure you have a sure charge in the battery and that it has not drained into the motor while stationary. You may be able to attach controllers to the motor and channel them to the driver’s position, however in order to not compromise the integrity of the fiberglass, you will most likely have to manually engage the motor by reaching back and starting it.