Chipper motor and boat frame

[south_metro_fish]

I am planning to look for a flat boat this year, and think I am going to eventually find a chipper motor for going across the ice in late and early season. I was wondering if there was a manufacturer that makes chipper motors or if any one has any plans for one or know where I could find plans to make one? I Would assume a frame to put the boat on well you go across the ice would not be to hard to make so I am also wondering if any one has made one and if they have any suggestions or plans for one?

In case you are wondering what a chipper motor is. It is a motor you would put on the back of your flat, that usaly has a regular Briggs and Strats motor on a frame with a chain or belt running down to some sort of chipper wheel to propel your flat across the ice.

[onlydrakes4me]

wow never heard of that before but would like to see it when you are done.

[south_metro_fish]

I was looking on the net for any info on one and could only find an old post on a different forum about a guy that rode in one as a little boy and was trying to figure out the same thing I am. He talked about a company called Polar Motors and they only made them for one year in 1964. But years ago well out on the river watching the commercial fishermen make their hall a guy came up in such a device. It was really neat, and Now I have a use for one so I want to figure out how to make one. Its fun to think of all the possibility if you had one, I was thinking how cool it would be to put a folding enclosure on it that would hang off one side or both to drill holes and fish.

[timjones]

I saw a video of one of those a couple of months ago if it is the same thing. The video I think was on one of those sites like you tube where you post your own videos. It was a flat bottom boat that was mounted up off the ice on a couple of metal runners. The motor was on the back with a chain drive system that went down to like a round blade with teeth. Supposedly worked real good on good solid ice but if the ice was soft the chipper wouldn't get a good enough bite to propel the boat very well. Tried to find it for you but came up empty.

[south_metro_fish]

I know there out there I just need to find one to get a good look at the design. Then I think I could come up with some plans, its been too long to remember the design of the one on the river.

[south_metro_fish]

Well I don't have to build anything now. My dad kept his eye on the online auctions and found one here in MN and got a great deal on a 14' flat and a motor that looks like and outboard but has that wheel on the bottom for the prop. All we need to do is put some kind of light weight skids on the bottom for it to run on. The previous owner said they used plywood but we were thinking something more like Teflon strips or something. I will hopefully post some pics of it soon. I cant wait to get back in some secret back water crappie holes this winter and be able to get around the river in the winter time. I guess we are using on the river this winter.

[broken_line]

check out snow-boat.com

[Tom7227]

Looks to me as if the snow boat is just a snowmobile that has been dropped into a boat and there seems to be a outboard in back in case things go south. The promo video isn't going to do much to convince anyone to buy into it as a rescue rig.