When you ask kayak designers about the recent trend in motorized kayaks they say, “What took so long?” A few years ago, Feelfree released Jonny Boats Bass 100, an unapologetic plastic motorboat designed for a gas outboard. Then last summer, Bonafide Kayaks brought out the PWR129, a 13-foot-long rotomolded bass boat.
But, when I asked Bonafide’s Hans Nutz and Jonny Boat’s Peter Murphy about their pocket powerboats, they said they’ve been working on the idea for years.
Motorboats Made Easy: The Motorized Kayak Evolves At Last
Peter Murphy, head of product design at Feelfree recalls, “Thirty years ago, I was looking at my kayak and thinking what would happen if I added a motor?” A few holes and a couple of rolls of gaffer’s tape and Murphy was zooming around with a small outboard. “I still have that boat, it’s a blast.”
Hans Nutz, head of design at Bonafide Kayaks, has been motoring around since 2014. “Motors were expensive and there weren’t great options for batteries,” he says. Recent improvements in power and increased demand for motorized kayaks finally opened the opportunity for a plastic powerboat that can be paddled.
The road to this point has been long. Kayak designers have been pairing motors with kayaks since the evolution of the sit-on-top kayak. To maintain the boat’s paddling or pedaling performance, most of these designs use integrated motors like the Wilderness System Helix MD or the Feelfree Overdrive. While these boats provide reliable electric propulsion, they are not fast, efficient or easily maneuverable.
Meanwhile, do-it-yourself motorized kayaks are taking off. More anglers are slapping electric outboards and trolling motors onto their pedal and paddle kayaks. Murphy admits the motor trend developed slowly. “It’s almost painful to watch,” he says.
Hull Speed
Nutz illustrates the problem, “I can design a motor kayak that paddles well, but a kayak that paddles efficiently may not be great for a motor.” Paddle and pedal fishing kayaks use a displacement hull, which is stable at low speeds. Peter Murphy explains, “As a displacement hull goes faster, the bow digs into the bow wake causing it to become unstable.”
A planing hull, on the other hand, becomes more stable at speed. Nutz says, “I’m looking for shapes that become more efficient farther up the power curve.” But a planing hull and motor sacrifice stability at low speed. “These factors fight each other and it’s a balancing act with stability, speed, tracking and maneuverability.”
As a result, Nutz and Murphy created unique hybrid hulls combining the capacity of a displacement hull and the efficiency of a planing hull. The Bass 100 and PWR129 are rated for up to a 2.5-horsepower gas outboard or three-horsepower electric motor.
Topside
Not only are motor kayaks different below the water, but the new generation of power kayaks are designed to accommodate steering controls and power cables. Gone are the days of drilling holes and slopping gobs of silicone.
Modern motorized kayaks are designed to hold a heavy electric or gas motor. The Jonny Boat has a transom mount plate to fit any outboard motor. The Bonafide uses standard-pattern countersunk inserts in the stern and bow for a trolling motor, anchoring device or outboard.
From there, the boats are designed to rig steering and power. The Jonny Boat is available with an Outboard Motor Kit that is quick and easy to install and designed to tie a gas outboard into the plastic boat.
The Bonafide PWR129 takes it a step further with steering controls and a fold-down rudder. When rigging the PWR129 with a bow-mount trolling motor, the rudder keeps the kayak on course. Or, connect the rudder controls to an electric outboard and use the existing foot pedals to control the motor. The PWR129 also has through-hull ports allowing you to route control and power cables below deck without drilling into the kayak.
But Weight, There’s More
The extra weight of the motor, battery and controls not only reduces the amount of other gear an angler can bring due to the kayak’s capacity, it also affects performance. Nutz says distributing the weight is especially important with speedy motorized kayaks. “Keeping the boat trim allows the hull to properly handle the speed,” he says.
Ideally, place the battery close to the seat. The kayak is designed to carry the most weight at the seat, so adding a battery doesn’t affect trim or balance. Motor kayaks have extra space in the tankwell or under the seat for a full-size battery.
Some electric outboards are paired with a matching lithium battery shaped to fit in the tankwell or inside a hatch. Anglers are running an electric outboard in the stern and a trolling motor in the bow, so the latest motor kayaks are designed to accommodate two batteries.
With the added weight, kayak capacity becomes an issue. Motor-specific kayaks boast a 400- to 500-pound capacity. For performance, stability and safety, the total weight of the angler and gear, including motor and battery, cannot exceed the kayak’s capacity.
Back to the Future
Motorized kayaks are finally entering the age Murphy and Nutz envisioned years ago. Nutz predicts, “We’ll continue to see bass boat features transfer over to fishing kayaks.” With many anglers adding motors to their pedal and paddle kayaks, it’s about time to drop the curtain and reveal the Wizard. There isn’t much kayak left in kayak fishing. Murphy puts it this way: “There are so many possibilities, your basic kayak will no longer exist.”
Is it a kayak or a motorboat? The answer: yes. | Feature photo: Courtesy Jonny Boats
