Motorized swimming aid

Claim 1

A motorized swimming aid including: a boat shaped hull comprising: a bottom skin defining the outer shape of said hull and an open top cavity therein; a liner assembly positioned to close said cavity and defining an open top battery receiving recess therein; a pair of spaced apart handles at the rear end of said hull, said bottom skin and liner assembly defining a cutout just forward of each of said handles to allow said handles to be grasped, one of said handles including a power switch positioned in said handle adapted to be actuated when said handle is grasped; a buoyant foamed plastic material filling said cavity between said bottom skin and said liner assembly; and, a hatch selectively closing said battery receiving recess; drive means comprising: an electric trolling unit having a propeller operatively associated therewith; a support member positioned in said hull and projecting therebelow at the forward end thereof, said support member mounting said trolling unit under the forward end of said hull so that the centerline of said unit is substantially vertically aligned with, spaced below, and generally parallel to the longitudinal certerline of said hull for moving said aid through the water; and electrical storage battery means carried within said battery receiving recess, said aid having a center of gravity and center of buoyancy, the center of gravity and center of buoyance longitudinally spaced and laterally aligned to generate a first moment of force on said hull when said hull is placed in the water to cause said handle means to be lifted from the water, said trolling unit exerting a second moment of force on said hull opposite to the first moment of force to lower said handles toward the water when said trolling unit is operating, and said power switch selectively and operatively connecting said battery means to said trolling unit to operate same when said handle is grasped.