One Person Water Scooter

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You can further strengthen the assembly by cutting four 1 1/2-by-1 1/2-by-13-inch blocks from scrap lumber, and fastening a pair of themusing glue and No. 10-by-2 1/2-inch flathead wood screws-across from each other at a vertical joint of the bulkheads, and securing the other two horizontally along both sides of the junction of the facing wall and disk (see the accompanying diagram).

I made my seat mount from two pieces of electrical metallic tubing. To build a similar base, just clamp one section of 1 1/2-by-9 1/4-inch E.M.T. to the right side of a bulkheadimmediately above one horizontal brace and about 4 inches back from the half-lap joint-with two 1/4-by-1 3/4-by-3-inch U-bolts (you may have to slip a plywood shim between the pipe and the wall to get a tight fit). Then take a second piece of conduit, this one 1 1/4-by-8-inch in size; fasten one end of it to your junction-box connector; and thread this, in turn, to the floor flange. The completed assembly serves as a seat base and can be easily slipped into and out of the "mount" pole.

Your "captain's throne" could be either a fancy store-bought boat seat like mine, or a salvaged fiberglass or plastic "lunchroom" chair. You might also consider building a seat, out of conduit and plywood, to save money. In any case, you can secure your saddle to the floor flange with four 1/4-inch stove bolts of the necessary length (the required size may vary, since you might want to support the seat on a 1/2-inch plywood "plate" for added strength).

For safety's sake, you'll want to be able to lash the inner tube to its plywood frame. I've found that the easiest way to prepare to do so is to drill 1/4-inch holes at the top of each bulkheadthrough the "wings," and make complementary bores in the floorboard, near the outer end of each wall. Fit the four upper holes with 1/4-by-1-inch eyebolts, then cut four 48-inch lengths of 3/16-inch polypropylene rope, knot one end of each strand, and pass the lines through the holes in the disk from the top side, so the knots hold them in place. At the opposite ends, you can temporarily tie dogleash-type snap fasteners, which-once their position is adjusted to match the bulge of the inner tube-will allow quick attachment to and release from the bulkhead-mounted eyebolts.

Additionally, if you plan to use a trolling motor — as I did — you'll have to remove an approximately 4-by-9-inch section of floorboard from one of the quadrants in front of your seat, to accommodate the unit's propeller housing and shaft. (Of course, although I haven't tried doing so, it would probably be easy to mount a pair of oarlocks to the plywood walls, on either side of the seat, and rely on elbow grease to propel your craft!)

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