Vintage Electric BoatService and RepairElectric Repowernew and used, 5hp to 20hpSolar-charging biminidesign and installation
We repair vintage electric boats, rebuild Ray outboards and Duffy systems, and convert suitable boats to electric propulsion from 5 hp to 20 hp. We work on the motor, controller, throttle, battery, charging system, and wiring.
Controller programmingThrottle, torque, and current
Electric repowers5 hp to 20 hp propulsion
Charging systemsShore power, batteries, and solar
Marine electrical service
Diagnose the system before replacing parts
Older electric boats often contain several generations of wiring, controllers, chargers, and controls. We identify what is installed, test the system under load, and determine which parts can be repaired.
For a repower, we match the motor, controller, battery, wiring, charger, and propeller to the boat and its intended use.
What we work on
Repair and installation from throttle to propeller
Component repair and complete propulsion upgrades for vintage electric boats and boats being converted to electric power.
01
Vintage electric boat repair
Troubleshooting and repair for Duffy boats, Ray systems, and other vintage electric boats. Work can include wiring, contactors, throttles, chargers, controllers, motors, and intermittent faults.
Diagnosis and repair
02
Wig-wag throttle rebuilding
Rebuilding worn mechanical and electrical throttle assemblies to restore smooth, predictable forward and reverse control.
Throttle service
03
Ray outboard rebuilding
We diagnose and rebuild Ray electric outboards, including motors, contactors, controllers, wiring, connectors, and throttle circuits.
Outboard repair
04
Inboard motors and controls
Testing, repair, replacement, and controller integration for BLDC, permanent magnet DC, SepEx, and shunt motor systems.
Motor systems
05
Solar charging
Custom solar panel mounts, charge controllers, and dock-independent charging systems designed around the boat and its battery bank.
Off-grid charging
06
Electric repowering, 5 hp to 20 hp
We convert suitable boats to electric propulsion and replace obsolete electric drives. Options include battery systems, Golden Motor EZ-X, ePropulsion, and Torqeedo outboards, and custom inboard systems.
Conversion and propulsion
Completed boat on the water
Featured project
Solar charging for a vintage electric cruiser
This project combined a custom stainless solar structure, roof-mounted panels, charge management, and onboard wiring sized for the boat's battery system and operating schedule.
01 Mounting designed around the existing canopy
02 Charging sized for the boat's actual use
03 Electrical components installed for service access
We match the controller to the motor winding, battery voltage, throttle, direction hardware, and current needed to turn the propeller.
01
BLDC
Brushless DC motors with electronic commutation, phase wiring, and position or speed feedback matched to the controller.
02
Permanent magnet
Brushed PM DC motors with armature current control, direction switching, brush inspection, and thermal checks.
03
SepEx
Separately excited motors with armature and field current programmed for the required torque and speed range.
04
Shunt
Shunt-wound DC systems tested for armature, field, contactor, and controller operation under marine load.
05
Series
Series-wound DC motors with armature and field in one current path, matched to the controller and external forward/reverse contactor.
Controller programming
Boats are not golf carts
Golf cart controllers are often adapted to older electric boats because the motor types and battery voltages overlap, and many Curtis, Alltrax, and Kelly units can be programmed. A cart accelerates and stops; a boat may hold its throttle against a propeller load for hours. The helm also needs dependable neutral and reverse control.
We check the motor winding, voltage, continuous current rating, throttle signal, and direction method. Then we fit the wiring, fuse, contactor or solid-state reverse control, and cooling to the boat before testing under sustained load on the water.
Throttle and directionMatch the input type, measure neutral and endpoints, set deadband, and verify forward/reverse interlocks
Motor and battery limitsSet motor and battery current, torque, speed, low-voltage protection, and thermal limits for the installed system
On-water responseTune low-speed control, acceleration and deceleration ramps, reverse speed, and sustained-load behavior
Alltrax XCTSeparately excited (shunt-wound) motor with solid-state forward/reverse controlCurtis SepEx / ShuntExternal forward/reverse contactorCurtis SeriesSeries motor controller with external forward/reverse contactorKelly Motor ControllerPermanent magnet motor with solid-state forward/reverse control
Helm throttle signals
Throttle types we match
A helm lever may send resistance or voltage. We measure its neutral and full-travel signals, then configure the controller and direction hardware to match.
20k-ohm center-tap wig-wag
A 5k-0-5k ohm sweep across lever travel, with separate forward/reverse switches for an external F/R contactor. We verify the neutral reading and each end of travel before programming.
0-5k or 5k-0 ohm
Two-wire resistive and three-wire potentiometer throttles use rising or falling resistance for speed. Direction may use a separate switch and contactor.
0-5V analog
Three-wire potentiometer and Hall-effect throttles send a voltage signal. Some Hall throttles use a narrower range, such as 1-4V, so the endpoints and fault limits must match the sensor.
0-5V center-neutral wig-wag
About 2.5V is neutral, with a programmed deadband. Voltage on either side requests forward or reverse when the controller supports electronic direction control.
Other controller-dependent inputs include 0-1k ohm resistance, inductive ITS, and digital or CAN throttles.
Custom fabrication
3D-printed parts and custom electronics
When an original part is unavailable or an installation needs a specific fit, we can measure, design, prototype, print, wire, and test a solution in the shop.
Sovol ZeroIn-shop prototyping and short-run partsPrinted clamp setRepeatable geometry for stainless mounting hardwareInstalled partCustom fit at the solar-panel tubing
Battery, solar, and estimated runtime displays
Compass and MPH gauges, plus e-paper trip monitors
Throttle interfaces and harness adapters
Custom enclosures, mounts, and sensor integration
Electronics and interfaces
Custom displays and boat electronics
See battery capacity remaining in Ah, current draw, solar input, and estimated runtime at a glance. We build and modify low-voltage control electronics and interfaces for existing boat systems, with custom display concepts built around the information you need at the helm.
Electronic Forward Reverse Throttle
ChromeWood
Project details
Controller, motor, and charging work
These project photos show a Ray motor before refurbishment of its controller, contactor, and wiring; new controller wiring; and solar charge equipment.
Ray outboard rebuildLegacy propulsionCharge managementSolar and battery integrationController installationWiring and programming
Electric repowering
Golden Motor EZ-X repowers
Three sizes on a 48 V platform, with tiller or remote controls. We match the motor, battery, and charging system to your boat, then install and test it.
EZ-X20 on the waterTwin-motor pontoon installation. Inset: tiller model; remote controls are also available.
5 hp
EZ-X05
Dinghies, tenders, light jonboats, and small sailboat auxiliary power
48 V, 65 A rated
20 kg (44 lb)
Natural cooling
10 hp
EZ-X10
Small fishing boats, larger tenders and RIBs, and sailboat auxiliary power
48 V, 135 A rated
26 kg (57 lb)
Liquid cooling
20 hp
EZ-X20
Heavier fishing boats, full-size pontoons, and larger sailboat auxiliary power
48 V, 220 A rated
29 kg (64 lb)
Liquid cooling
MagProp drive
No propeller shaft seal to fail
MagProp transfers torque across a magnetic gap in the closed motor housing, eliminating the rotating propeller shaft seal.
No gear oilThe lower shaft carries cables only, with no gears or oil to service
Controller above the waterIt sits in the top housing, with the motor in the propulsion unit below
Routine careRinse after salt water use and check the propeller and anode.
Horsepower figures are Golden Motor equivalent ratings. Some electric-only waters limit voltage or thrust, so we check the lake's rules before recommending a motor.
Service area
Boat service within about one hour of Greenwood Lake
Our service area includes nearby electric-only lakes, larger recreational lakes, and the Hudson River.
Operating base
Our home base is ACE Auto and Marine
The shop is at 722 Jersey Ave in Greenwood Lake. We work on boats within about an hour of the shop, including Tuxedo Lake, Highland Lakes, Upper Greenwood Lake, the Harriman lakes, Lake Hopatcong, Lake Mohawk, and the Hudson River from Peekskill to Newburgh. Motors, controllers, and parts are shipped globally.
Electric-powered boats are the rule at Tuxedo Park and Highland Lakes. Harriman and Sterling Forest prohibit gas engines and require park permits. Check current lake, registration, permit, and launch rules before boating.
Tuxedo Lake in summer
Tuxedo Park, New York
Tuxedo Lake
Pierre Lorillard IV began developing Tuxedo Park in 1885 as a private hunting and fishing reserve in the Ramapo Mountains. Bruce Price designed its original clubhouse, built in 1886. The men's dinner jacket known as the tuxedo later took its name from the community.
Tuxedo Lake is the largest of the village's three lakes and serves as its reservoir. That close relationship between boating and water quality makes careful electric propulsion work especially relevant here.
Greenwood Lake is about seven miles long, covers 1,920 acres, and crosses the New York-New Jersey border. The Munsee called it Quampium. Dams first expanded it for ironworks water power and, in 1837, to supply the Morris Canal.
The railway reached the lake in the 1870s, and steamboats carried passengers from trains to lakeside resorts. One was the two-deck side-wheeler Montclair, built in 1876. Hudson River School painter Jasper Francis Cropsey began painting Greenwood Lake in 1843 and returned to it for decades.