Like many of us, you like to paddle your kayak at the end of a cruising day, once you’ve dropped the hook and you just want to relax and explore a bit. But after a while your arms get tired; the next cove is just a bit too far away.
Now PacMotor, a startup company in Fort Myers, Florida, has something to help you out: A new system that lets you mount two electric-powered motors, one on either side, to the hull of your kayak. The company says the motors can power a ten-foot kayak at 5 mph for about four hours.
The PacMotor system has three parts. First is a twin-engine assembly that you strap onto the hull behind the cockpit, then a hard-wired 16.8V/39Ah lithium battery pack, and a waterproof Bluetooth remote control that floats if you drop it overboard. Two displays show how much power is left in the battery.
Each motor is at the end of a folding aluminum arm. You pull the motors up out of the water when you don’t need help, and lower them when you want a boost. You operate them independently with the remote, so you can turn the boat to either side or even spin it in place, just as you would spin your twin-screw cruiser in a forward/reverse mode.
The PacMotors work in either fresh or salt water. The motor unit weighs only 9 pounds, while the battery weighs ten.
The system is compatible with any 12V marine battery. Just clip the positive and negative ends of the cable onto the appropriate battery terminals.
PacMotor is just getting into production. The system probably will cost about $800. Read more:
