A rotting dock inspired this unique type of boat.
Lon Cameron and Tyler Kidder needed to replace the rapidly deteriorating dock at their year-round home built on the site of an old camp in Winthrop. While dismantling it to make room for the new one, Cameron noticed that the floating dock boxes from the old structure were still in good condition.
That inspired a new watercraft. Cameron decided to build a picnic table on the floats. A family member gave him a trolling motor, and the prototype of the picnic table boat became reality in 2019.
The couple launched Maine Float — their picnic table boat business — in 2021. Cameron’s patent was approved in the fall of 2023. The business has one part-time staff member to help build the boats in its Winthrop shop.
The boats are a perfect example of Maine ingenuity. Cameron and Kidder have sold 45 boats around Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and one in Canada. They say they have taken their production rate as high as they can in their family-operated business and are looking for a partner to help them expand their reach.
“We can’t easily move them around the state,” Kidder said, pointing out that regular boat trailers don’t work and that the market they reach is limited. They hope a partnership would fill those needs.
The boats, built out of stained and sealed Aroostook County cedar, are propelled by an electric motor run off a lithium ion battery pack, and are registered — including a lake and river protection sticker that funds efforts to keep invasive species out of clean bodies of water — in accordance with Maine law.
Each boat sports a shade umbrella, built-in cup holders, a USB port and a solar panel. Just imagine sitting at your picnic table in your backyard while you have lunch and a cool beverage, only it’s moving through a pond or lake and has more technology.
Seated on what is actually the boat decking on the 12-foot model, you can either dangle your feet in the water or keep them dry. That model can easily hold eight adults, according to the company’s website.
The electric motor helps keep costs, maintenance, noise and environmental risks low, Kidder said. The boat has five speeds forward and three backward, and a phone app lets the operator monitor how much power remains in the battery. It’s strong enough to tow a raft behind it.
The boat comes in two sizes, 8-foot and 12-foot, which range from $3,500 to nearly $5,000 including motors and batteries, according to the company’s website. It has accommodation for personal flotation devices and emergency paddles are mounted underneath the flat table top. It complies with all state laws for operating on inland waters, Kidder said.
The couple continues to improve their unique watercraft. Kidder said the couple upgrades to the latest model when improvements are made, just to make sure it functions better than the earlier versions.
Kidder, who uses the picnic table boat for aquatic invasive species patrol on their pond, is a Maine Master Naturalist by hobby and a strategic planning consultant for nonprofit organizations by trade. Cameron, a Bangor native, is a physician’s assistant who has a passion for the outdoors.
The boat business is a side venture for both of them.
Cameron and Kidder especially enjoy entertaining family and friends on their private pond and giving them tours of the special wildlife features there. The boat is easy to board, so it can accommodate more body types and abilities than conventional watercraft, she said.
The picnic table boat is stable and especially good on Maine’s many small ponds and calm lakes, but Cameron and Kidder cautioned operators to be careful on lakes that might have rougher conditions.
It is also a fun place for snacks or meals while it’s tied to your dock, Kidder said.
“It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends,” she said.
