Last time we checked, pedal boats hadn’t changed since the summer of ‘69: slow-going, faded-plastic aquatic clown cars with all the structural integrity of a milk carton. Still a blast, though.
But this summer, Beau Lake moseyed up dockside with the smallest Chris-Craft we’ve ever seen — wait, what’s that? That’s not a woodie, that’s the Beau Lake Pedal Boat: a 14-foot fiberglass-and-wood runabout that swaps the motor for the same pedal power your kids are using on their algae-stained Sun Dolphin.
Well, almost the same. Instead of the paddle mechanism, Beau Lake’s pedaller features a 1:6 ratio propeller on the back, with a hand-carved wooden tiller and joystick to steer.
Beau Lake (3 images)
That’s just the tip of the artfully constructed bow when it comes to details. Beau Lake, known for its sumptuous wooden stand-up paddleboards, brings that same level of care to the pedal boat.
Exhibit 1: The team brought on Steve Killing, a yacht designer whose work has raced in the America’s Cup and the World Cup, to design the hull. It’s a molded fiberglass blue beaut, topped off with an inlaid veneer deck of either mahogany or maple. Other features include a self-bilging system, one-inch thick leather seat covers that snap on and off, and a built-in cooler.
Of course, the reason people spring for the classic plastic design is you can use it as a bumper boat — ramming it into the dock, rocky shorelines, other boats — without batting an eye.
Beau Lake’s reinvention? It’ll set you back a cool $20K.
Keep the kids away from this one.
Photos via Beau Lake, h/t Uncrate
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