Auto Canoe

You’ve seen the struggle; a man on boat ramp untying straps, bracing for impact, trying to control the slide of the unwieldy canoe that is precariously close to falling off the roof of his undersized car. If he doesn’t hurt himself in the offloading process, there’s still the reloading to look forward to.

But wait, what is this? A canoe speeding down the bike lane, descending the boat launch and slipping into the water with the owner never getting out of the canoe, or even slowing down?

A small splash and he canoes across the bay and out of sight.

Too good to be true, you say?

John Montgomery from Port Townsend has designed just such a craft. The Autocanoe is a recumbent bicycle dropped into the body of the canoe. The driver sits back in relative luxury with tiller in hand for navigation on both land and water.

The wheels have a clever paddlewheel adaptation that provides enough forward thrust in the water, leaving other hand-paddled canoes in his wake.

A backyard engineer, Montgomery has experimented with several versions of the vehicle and has completed a DIY manual for those inclined in the area of boatbuilding, woodworking or just plain hobbying. The Autocanoe’s friendly design allows even the novice tinkerer to successfully put together a smart looking vessel in the comfort of his own shop. Montgomery uses thin plywood, epoxy and rivets to provide the strong yet lightweight body of the boat. He then takes parts and pieces from two or three bicycles along with some custom machined parts to create the drivetrain and wheels. To keep the splash to a minimum, generously flared fenders drop over the wheels and lend a classic-car-meets-paddlewheel- riverboat feel to the whole design.

Appealing to both the wooden boat crowd as well as the bicycle community, the Autocanoe is a real crowd pleaser.

Montgomery has been recognized for this contribution to the alternative transportation world by the Lane Motor Museum who bought a model for their collection in Nashville, Tennessee.

With the renewed enthusiasm for the outdoors and pedaled vehicles in general, the Autocanoe allows people to get some exercise and look good doing it. The fact that the Autocanoe functions just as well or better on land gives the driver confidence to take it through town, and on local bike paths. With plenty of room to stow gear and the ability to pull in and out of the water at any boat ramp, this piece of engineering is revolutionary. No fuel, no paddling—just pedal power. (For those who prefer a little assist, Montgomery now has an electric version in the works.)

If you’d like to see the Autocanoe in action, there is a video on YouTube showing the craft being run through its paces (search “Autocanoe”.)And if you’re interested in further study, or would like to build your own Autocanoe, plans are available at www.duckworks.com •SCA•

First appeared in issue #130