Nice!

Definitely post up some pics when you've got it set up the way you like it.

I have found a Necky Dolphin,  and been out fishing (in Puget Sound)!   It's a yak from CA that was dumped on a retired couple (by their son) near Seattle.  The Dolphin came with a seat,  a decent glass paddle by Werner,  and a rudder...all for $300 and in great shape! 


The yak is 30% faster than my Trident 13,  spins on a dime,  edges like a touring yak,  has handled the rip tides (nothing challenging yet),  and the weight reduction (about 20 lbs.) makes handling a charm. I'm still learning to rig this yak,  but it exceeds my expectations.  Sleek,  fast,  maneuverable. 

https://images.craigslist.org/00Q0Q_6lmmuF7wkil_600x450.jpg


It's quite true that it has a tight cockpit,  and that it has less primary stability,  but  I can manage the cockpit,  and the secondary stability is solid.  Next month,  I'll have her in the ocean surf at Cape Flattery, WA.  I've read that the Dolphin is a good surf yak.  I'm hoping for the best.

AWESOME!

It really is a great boat for what it does well, and I'm glad you landed one, and got a hell of a deal at that!

The only rigging I've done to mine was throw a 4" scotty rail on the right side for a rod holder right around my feet. Would have done it on the left side if I'd been thinking (I fish with the rod crossing the cockpit, and on the right side, a heavy trolling weight torques the holder counter-clockwise, trying to loosen it).

The other tip is the small rubbermaid lunch box coolers sold at home depot fit the weirdly sized 'milkcrate' cutout right between the rear hatch and tankwell nicely. I think it's the 5 QT size: http://www.rubbermaid.com/en-US/5-qt-cooler , provided Rubbermaid didn't change the dimensions since I got mine.

Depending on how old the battery is, it might be time for a new one. I've had my hx855's for around 3 years, I'd guess, and they wouldn't charge (much, they'd last for about 10 minutes). New battery solved that.

If the charger cradle light's not changing color from green to red (assuming yours is like mine), then likely a contact issue solvable by cleaning like suggested above.

Also, don't sand the contacts. I learned this the hard way on guitar and amplifier jacks. The contacts are likely plated with the metal you want on the outside, the inside metal is likely more prone to corrosion than the plating. If you want to clean the contacts, 97% isopropyl alcohol on a Qtip works well, pencil erasers can work in a pinch.

Hah, I wish. It's closer to 40, just enough to be unwieldy for a single person. It's definitely not the ideal fishing platform, although I did originally build it with fishing in mind. The biggest struggle I have is with keeping a legal sized fine-mesh net secured to the rear deck. That and squeezing a large fish into the cockpit.

This is fantastic. What's the deal with the radio antennae rod? I'd love to see the landing video if it exists!

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/spo/d/oakland-werner-carbon-fiber-kayak-paddle/6935609232.html

Not mine, but if anybody can deal with a paddle this short, they should buy it on principle. I would, but I need 230 or 240cm paddles.

Also Lewiston Lake, near were you are staying, comes right off the bottom of Trinity Lake Dam. The water is very cold and trout can be caught year round.

This is the absolute truth, if not a little bit of an understatement. Such a cold lake. On the positive side, the trout are living in a fridge, and were super clean tasting when I used to go frequently to Lewiston.

Your Necky Dolphin is the  exactly the type that I'm looking for.  I've seen a Necky Vector 14 for sale,  but  the price seemed too high for a used yak.  The topkayaker reviews of the Vector were marginal,  but they like your Dolphin.  I'm willing to accept a compromise for initial stability,  if I can get better performance. 

I don't know anything about the Vector other than online stuff, but it looks like it's from after Necky sold to Johnson Outdoor, so perhaps not one of the classic designs. Pricing on the Dolphin should be fairly modest. I've seen rudderless beaters for $100, and minty ruddered ones for ~$700. I think I got mine for around $300 in pretty good shape other than the rudder cables that snapped about a year into owning it (dead simple fix).

I've not seen one in person, but nearly jumped at a Craigslist posting for one. I recall it looking like it'd be a quick wiggly ride, which I kinda like.

If you get it, let us know how it works for you.