“Green” Boating

We all LOVE the power and speed of our ski boats, wakeboard boats, jet skis, pontoon boats, and so on, there’s no arguing that. But there’s a time for slow and steady too, and more and more, there’s an interest in “green” everything. So…how about “green” boating?

Peddle Power…

Peddle (or paddle) boats are typically the small, low-in-the-water kind of boat pictured at the left. They usually seat two or three people. They have a small paddle wheel for propulsion, powered by the peddling of the passengers, and a small rudder attached to a lever of some sort for steering.

There are alternatives to the traditional paddle boats. One is the Aqua Cycle, a pontoon paddle boat. There are various configurations available, but the one pictured is the Aqua Cycle II. It has seating for two facing forward and two facing backward. Steering and peddling is done by the front seat passengers. There are two large paddle wheels between the front and rear seats.

Steering is accomplished by turning the steering “stick”, which operates the two opposing rudders, one in the front and one in the rear. (When the operator steers to the left, the front rudder turns toward the left and the rear rudder turns toward the right.) The Aqua Cycle II is 13 feet long, 70 inches wide and 47 inches high. It weighs in at 286 pounds and has 15 inch diameter pontoons.

The manufacturer’s website is http://www.aquacycleusa.com/. There are two dealers listed in Texas, but one is a resort that only rents the Aqua Cycles. The only sales dealer in Texas is David Nester at Quality Paddle Boat Sales, LLC, The Woodlands, TX. Dave’s number is 281-995-7175 and he delivers to Lake Athens. (If you talk to Dave, tell him the Reeders sent you. I can’t guarantee it’ll get you a discount, but who knows? 🙂 )

Another alternative to the traditional paddle boat (as well as to the traditional sailboat, catamaran and kayak) is a hybrid boat in the Hobie line called the Hobie Mirage Adventure Island. Hobie classifies it as a trimaran sailing kayak. It offers a unique sail/pedal combination using the patented Hobie MirageDrive system.

The Mirage Adventure Island can be configured as a kayak and paddled or peddled. One ama and akas can be added to make it a single outrigger configuration, or both amas and akas, and the sail can be added to make it a full sailing trimaran. A gentleman named Jeremy Hockin from Halifax, Nova Scotia has written a very concise review of the Mirage AI and its various configurations. You can read it here.

---

Electric Power…

Perhaps one of the more unusual boats seen on Lake Athens is the Duffy 21 Sun Cruiser. It is a 21 foot, totally electric boat driven by a 48-volt DC motor. The power is provided by eight 6-volt, deep cycle marine batteries. The manufacturer claims a top speed of 6.0 MPH for up to 3-1/2 hours, or 7-1/2 hours at cruising speed. It has a capacity of 12 adults.

Want to know more about the Duffy 21 Sun Cruiser or any of the other electric boats in the Duffy line? Go to http://www.duffyboats.com/.

---

Wind Power…

We’ve seen a steady increase in the number of sailboats in use on Lake Athens. This can be attributed in no small part to Commodore Marc Abadie and Judy Blaising of the Lake Athens Sailing Club. Together they have organized several sailing regattas that have been wonderful successes. In years past, it was uncommon to see sailboats on Lake Athens, but since the inception of the sailing club, it has become a much more common sight. There are actually quite a number of sailboats in yards around the lake, and many of them are being re-launched and can now be seen sailing on the lake.

In early 2013, Jim Nichols, a great friend of LAPOA President Todd Garrett and his wife, Rita, gave them two Hobie 16’s and one Sunfish. Todd and Rita made them available to be used by sailing club members. Todd, Marc, and Dave Davis restored them and they are frequently seen plying the waters of Lake Athens along with their other sailboats.

If you are interested in joining the sailing club, or learning to sail, please contact Marc Abadie at 903 288-3001.

---

Paddle Power…

Much like the Sailing Club has increased the presence of sailboats on Lake Athens, the Lake Athens Rowing Club has increased the presence of oared and paddled boats on Lake Athens. And not just the occasional canoe.

We have all watched Larry Julian for years rowing across the lake in his sleek white rowing scull. At the suggestion of the LAPOA Board of Directors, Larry gladly accepted the role of Coxman of the Rowing Club and has organized several wonderful rowing regattas since the club’s inception.

Dave Davis, Marc Abadie, and Todd Garrett were inspired by watching Larry and decided to join in. The three of them built identical wooden rowing sculls and can now be frequently seen rowing on the lake as well. Soon Charlie Young purchased one of Larry’s sculls and is now rowing on the lake.

To our knowledge, there are now 5 rowing sculls on Lake Athens, a 500% increase in one year!

The club is open to scullers, kayakers, canoers, paddle boarders and any other type of rower.  Scullers, kayakers and paddle boarders have all been present at the regattas.

If you would like more information on the rowing club, or would like to learn to scull, kayak, or paddle board, please contact Larry Julian at 903 677-1255.