Quote from: NowhereMan on January 19, 2022, 10:40:25 AM

I'm also curious if how you would right the ship in the (unlikely) event that it should turtle. On the AI, the amas fold in, which would seem to be necessary to untip it over.

Harbor patrol or Coast Guard.  I just don't see anyone righting that thing with the motor attached. 

Seen some guy at HMB that needed rescue from harbor patrol, he had a kayak with outrigger and motor that flipped and no way he was going to right that thing even with help.  I think fishcomb was there and he tried to help the guy but he insisted on waiting for harbor patrol as it has happened before.

While I'll admit I've never tried it, I see three ways:

• Use a rope attached to the ama, climb onto the overturned hull, stand up & lean back windsurf style.  I'm quite certain this would work.  This is how you right a hobie cat.
• The akas are secured with hitch pins.  Attach rope to the motor.  Pull the pins & slide the akas out.  Flip boat.  Use rope to haul motor up & reinstall
• The amas are secured with bungees. Attach rope to the end of the aka. Pull the bungees & release the ama. Let the weight turn the boat on it's side.  Floating with the ama, pull the rope to flip the boat upright.  Reinstall ama.

This is a good conversation.  I'll have to try these out. 

One thing I do know is I'm safer and way more comfortable out on the water with the ama than without.  My GF & I were in SC one time & stayed out a little too late.  Coming back into harbor we ran into a decent swell & flipped - way more easily than expected.  She wouldn't go back out on the water until I showed her how stable this setup was.  I take on the same sized waves now without a second thought.  I'll risk the turtling.

Not to be a downer but you're underestimating the power of a 2.x hp gas motor.

Ok I guess I just have a different concept of power.

Hey James,
If you're interested in alternative mounting method:  Mounting directly to the aka worked great for me.  It takes some minor fab skills but in the end is super simple & adjustable. 
The mount is 1-1/2" x 4" x 1/8" wall extruded aluminum from Alan Steel in RWS.  Held on with 3 hose clamps.  The slots in the aluminum were milled but could be dremeled if you had the patience. 
In reality, the hoseclamps provide more than enough strength as-is.  I planned the torque rod before I knew just how weak the Suzuki 2.5 was.  The torque rod is solid aluminum with ball joints meant for kicker motor steering.
Pics:

retail is $350-400. That is if you can find one in stock.

I tried to order one new ~6 months back.  It was $449 & I was told Hobie had been backordered for months & no timeline was available.  I called a bunch of places, lucked out & found a damaged TI AMA at wind toys for $100.

Looks like a neat little project.  I'd like to see how it turns out.

Those are some slick traps.  I'll get a bunch of them when I hit the lotto.  They're $160 apiece at west marine.

 

Well my man, how did you end up doing?  I hope you easily got your limit cause you deserve it for putting up with swells like that.  Way to get out there!

So I went out yesterday just to drop traps then I went out again today to pull them up.
I learned a lot today. 

• I'm pretty sure some A-hole harvested my traps this morning .  In fact I think I saw it happening when I was driving in.  Someone in an aluminum boat was hanging around about 300 yds outside the harbor, just about where my traps were.  He was gone by the time I paddled out.
  First trap was empty except for exactly one keeper dungie.  Jar full of squid pieces intact, bones of two chicken legs zip-tied to the bottom, stripped clean.
  Second trap was the same except the bones were gone.
  Third trap was empty except for two keeper dungies.
  I rebaited the traps and I'll go out again tomorrow but I'm going at o'dark thirty in the morning.
• Swell was even bigger today, but the wind is the real killer.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to go outside the harbor because paddling in the harbor was miserable.  The winds were howling.  Strangely enough when I did take a peek outside, paddling was much easier.  Swell was about 10ft but totally manageable and it seems like the peaks actually protect you from the wind.  If the wind outside the harbor was as bad as inside the harbor I'd have turned back and wouldn't have even bothered with the traps.

I considered going out again in the afternoon but noaa says the winds are getting worse.  It was 17kts when I went out, increasing to 25 kts in the afternoon.

I ended up going out.  Pretty much the same conditions as Saturday. I loaded up on ginger tea and Bonine before I went so I didn't get too queasy.

Also, I noticed there's an area just outside the jaws, along the jetty that looked somewhat protected from the surf.  There was another guy out there on a red yak.  Anyone here?  I waved to you on the way in.