Mirage Drive V2 Fin Mast Info

I search the forums for info a lot so while this info isn't really useful 99% of the time I thought I should put it out there for anyone in the future.

I have a V2 mirage drive with turbo fins for reference and I push my drive hard, either high mile days for salmon or pushing it against the tide/wind.

For reference, I had extra battery and recorded a strava run in :

I expect to go through a pair of fin masts a season and a pair of chain assemblys a season and carry extras in the kayak. IF you break 1 fin mast you WILL break the other one soon after, bite the bullet, buy 2 and keep the other as a spare in your dry bag.

If you break a fin mast and need to get it out there are a few threads here to help you. For me if there is enough of the mast sticking out of the sprocket I will use a vise grip to try and twist out the mast. If you are cracked you can just use pliers.

Otherwise you can saw off part of the sprocket as shown in the attachment to then unscrew the remains of the mast.
Or you could drill it out, I don't have a drill press and did this once by hand and decided halfway through I rather would have paid $20 to never do that shit ever again...

If you have turbo fins and buy standard length masts it will make it easier to pedal BUT your top speed will be decreased AND they don't really last any longer.

Just putting this out there for someone searching in the future. Unrelated but if you have a v2 drive and any questions I might be able to answer some.

Thanks for the info Jremi.

Thanks for the info here.  Do you have a good source for the chains and sprockets?  I've also broken the spine rod too...  They seem to vary in availability, especially for V2 models.  Sometimes I can find them, sometimes not, both Hobie brand and aftermarket. 

Would be nice to have a totally bomb-proof solution, but not sure how that could be done given the design and environmental factors of where we fish.  Always carry a paddle, I suppose, haha.

Thanks for the info here.  Do you have a good source for the chains and sprockets?  I've also broken the spine rod too...  They seem to vary in availability, especially for V2 models.  Sometimes I can find them, sometimes not, both Hobie brand and aftermarket. 

Would be nice to have a totally bomb-proof solution, but not sure how that could be done given the design and environmental factors of where we fish.  Always carry a paddle, I suppose, haha.

I prefer west coast sailing but have bought from other vendors as well, they are all the same. The drive will still work with one fin, just wiggles back and forth and you lose about 1.5mph travel speed.

Thanks for the info here.  Do you have a good source for the chains and sprockets?  I've also broken the spine rod too...  They seem to vary in availability, especially for V2 models.  Sometimes I can find them, sometimes not, both Hobie brand and aftermarket. 

Would be nice to have a totally bomb-proof solution, but not sure how that could be done given the design and environmental factors of where we fish.  Always carry a paddle, I suppose, haha.

I prefer west coast sailing but have bought from other vendors as well, they are all the same. The drive will still work with one fin, just wiggles back and forth and you lose about 1.5mph travel speed.

Right on, thanks for that.  I haven't seen that store mentioned before, looks like they have all the parts.  Still, would be nice if they didn't break in the first place... 

Great advice, ty for posting it!  I'd also add that if you bend your shaft more than a tiny bit, you probably want to replace it too.  You can bend it back, but the next time you hit it it might break off, then you have more problems to deal with.

Thank you for the info.  After performing an otw mirage drive fix, I can absolutely say it paid to have the parts stored in a drybag in the hull.  Just ordered two spare shafts and another chain to be safe.  FYI, the idler cables are back in stock, but I am kind of sold on the bungee fix to address that future risk. 
 

West Coast Sailing is great, but these chains are as good as—if not better than—original equipment, and cheaper:

https://www.amazon.com/Mirage-Drive-Chain-Assembly-Kayaks/dp/B0BP1XKN6Y/

The red sheathing on my amazon chains has been rubbed off and now im worried about the salt water getting to them, I might try to coat them with something else to keep them a little protected still.

The red sheathing on my amazon chains has been rubbed off and now im worried about the salt water getting to them, I might try to coat them with something else to keep them a little protected still.

That’s not good. Where did the red rub off?

I think I had it a little too tight, and the entire section touching the cam got sliced.

When I had just a little nub on mine I couldn't get a grip on it so I used a lighter to heat it up and eventually that loosened the locktite so I could remove it. 

This might provide a decent temporary solution.. not too tacky if i recall correctamundo

https://maximausa.com/products/chain-wax

The same operation works on the GT drives as well -- my fin shaft snapped flush with the hub so there was nothing to grab to back it out. Cut off a 1/4" of plastic and with vice grips I was able to remove the base. It's been running fine for over a year with the trimmed down sprocket hub without an issue. There is still a lot of material there to support the base of the fin shaft.

Cheers,
Brad