Electric Propulsion Small Homemade Boat

Hello all,

I am working on a small boat and looking for a motor/encoder to use. The boat will be about 45 lbs (total, including load). The design is a PVC frame hooked onto two inflatable life rafts.

Pololu - 6.3:1 Metal Gearmotor 37Dx65L mm 12V with 64 CPR Encoder (Helical Pinion) https://www.pololu.com/product/4757/specs

Will this motor be able to power my boat? I will need it to reach speeds of about 4ft/s, and it will be operating with a 12 V voltage source. It will only be tested in calm waters. I have not chosen a propellor to go with the motor, so pitch and diameter specifications can be adjusted.

I have tried to calculate if this will work, but there are so many variables that I am getting lost. Does anyone have experience with this type of application?

Thanks

 

12 Wats with an efficiency of ~50% plus a gearbox losses doesn't sound very powerful.

I failed to get any kind of idea what your boat is like. Can you post even a crude sketch? Also dimensions are crucial - length and weight especially.