Waterbug: A Free 1964 Plan for a Pedal Paddle Wheel Boat
Robert Woolson's tiny pedal boat from 1964 drives twin paddle wheels with bike cranks and can have a glass-bottom window.
Waterbug is a tiny, playful one-seater: about 4 ft 7 in (1.4 m) long and 28 in (0.7 m) wide. Bicycle pedal cranks drive twin paddle wheels, so you scoot across the water with your legs doing the work. Robert Woolson also drew an optional clear window in the bottom, turning the boat into a little floating viewer. It is a brilliant project for a young builder, or a parent and child working together.
Waterbug at a glance
| Detail | Waterbug |
|---|---|
| Type | Pedal boat |
| Length | About 4 ft 7 in (1.4 m) |
| Beam | 28 in (0.71 m) |
| Construction | Clear white pine side planks, tempered hardboard deck and bottom, optional clear glass-bottom window |
| Power | Bike-pedal cranks driving twin paddle wheels |
| Designer | Robert Woolson |
| First published | Popular Mechanics, May 1964 |
| Plan sheets | 6 |
Small build, big grin
The materials are refreshingly ordinary: clear white pine for the side planks and tempered hardboard for the deck and bottom. Nothing here needs boatyard skills, just careful cutting and good sealing. A careful beginner, or a parent working alongside a child, can follow the build without special tools, and the small size keeps material costs pleasantly low.
Bike-pedal cranks are a clever, familiar drive, and twin paddle wheels keep the push balanced. The optional glass-bottom window adds a reason to linger over shallow, clear water and watch what swims below. Since the rider sits low and close to the water, every turn of the pedals feels lively, and that is a big part of the charm.
The original plan sheets
These are the 6 original sheets from 1964, scanned from the magazine. For building, use the full-size PDF in the download section below.
Who designed it
Robert Woolson designed Waterbug, and it was published in Popular Mechanics in May 1964. The six sheets show the hull, the pedal drive and the optional viewing window. It is one of the smallest boats in the collection.
Before you build
- Bed the optional bottom window in a generous seal and check it for leaks in shallow water before any real outing.
- Seal the hardboard thoroughly on every face and edge, as it does not tolerate standing water the way marine plywood does.
- Keep Waterbug on small, calm, shallow water and supervise young pedallers closely.
Download the plan
Robert Woolson's 1964 Waterbug plan in one file: all six sheets, ready to print for the workshop.
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