Quarantine Kayak Build

Wow, that looks like it's going to be one fast ride!

More progress. Floor is all glassed. Front and rear decks are glassed on the underside. Rudder is on. Rudder control cables and rudder up/down cables are in. Rod tube is in so i can store my 1 piece 7.5' rod flat on the deck. My backup rod is a 2 piece 7' rod that fits in the front compartment. i am super stoked to have well thought out rod storage and i won't have to have them flying like flag poles up behind me when launching/landing.

Hopefully i'll get the decks on by the end of the weekend, then i get to sand the outside!

This is really bad ass and looking great!

Are you just going to use one of those regular kayak carts instead of the ones that go through scupper holes?

This is really bad ass and looking great!

Are you just going to use one of those regular kayak carts instead of the ones that go through scupper holes?

I have a few options for carts, i haven't figure out what i want to do yet.

1. Regular kayak cart and strap the kayak to it. I am not crazy about this. I have been spoiled with my nice hobie cart for my Outback.
2. The inflatable Mirage drive kayaks use a cart that plugs into two small holes next to the drive well. Since i used the complete drive well from an inflatable i have the option to use the factory cart, or build one that fit in those holes.
3. Built a cart that fits into the front scupper holes (the rear scupper is my transducer mount location, similar to the hobie transducer scupper hole in the middle) I am not sure i want to put that kind of stress on these scuppers.

Currently I am leaning toward building my own cart that will fit into the factory hobie cart holes.

This is really bad ass and looking great!

Are you just going to use one of those regular kayak carts instead of the ones that go through scupper holes?

I have a few options for carts, i haven't figure out what i want to do yet.

1. Regular kayak cart and strap the kayak to it. I am not crazy about this. I have been spoiled with my nice hobie cart for my Outback.
2. The inflatable Mirage drive kayaks use a cart that plugs into two small holes next to the drive well. Since i used the complete drive well from an inflatable i have the option to use the factory cart, or build one that fit in those holes.
3. Built a cart that fits into the front scupper holes (the rear scupper is my transducer mount location, similar to the hobie transducer scupper hole in the middle) I am not sure i want to put that kind of stress on these scuppers.

Currently I am leaning toward building my own cart that will fit into the factory hobie cart holes.

that's interesting...I actually own a Hobie i12s inflatable and definitely know about those two small holes in the drive well. I made my own cart a while back using some rods and PVC, but I didnt feel that confident about it. But if you have a welder w/ SS rods to do it right, go that route 

This is such a cool project.

Just curious why you chose to use the inflatable drive well.

Just curious why you chose to use the inflatable drive well.

1. It was $50
2. It comes with a good simple version of the click-n-go drive retention system, (which is $100 to buy the CnG parts for a regular drive well
3. It fits perfectly with the drive.
4. I didn't have to spend time trying to make one out of wood.

The downside is that it is PVC, which is not ideal to try to bond with epoxy, but I have it sandwiched between layers of glass/epoxy and used some epoxy made for plastic to join it at the critical spots.

Well, it was a good holiday weekend for the Kayak. I got the entire underside glassed on Thursday afternoon, then glassed the decks on Friday. random bits on Saturday and Sunday, then today the Wife and I took the day off just because and I talked her into going for a drive to the lake to test it out. it is far from done, but i wanted to make sure that i didn't need to change things like my seat placement or steering controls and to get a feel for how i wanted to layout the cockpit for the fish finder, rod holders, etc. Overall i am super happy. it is crazy fast with the mirage drive. it paddles quick too. Tracks super straight. The Bixpy rudder control handle doesn't have enough throw in the control cables for the hobie rudder so i only had about 20* of steering left and right as opposed to ~45*. i'll have to build my own steering control. Seat placement is a little further back than i thought it was going to be, but worked out just fine once i adjusted the pedals.

Next step is to get this thing faired and finished!

Dude this is so cool. One badass project turning into one badass yak. Congrats on the maiden voyage. Sounds like  a sucesss

Very  cool.  No rod holers?

Very  cool.  No rod holers?

None yet. This was simply a trip to make sure it floats and to let the dog swim for a bit.

The cockpit is super narrow on this thing compared to my outback so I am having a hard time figuring out how I want to rig it. The logical place is to put gear track/ram balls on the outside of the gunnels, but it looks so sleek I am trying to figure out a better way. I may make a jig and route out the top of the tunnels for some gear track and try to hide them so that it keeps the same look when all the accessories are pulled off.

 I really am not a fan of kayaks that look like they have everything including the kitchen sink thrown on there. I have my usual fishing gear trimmed down to just the bare essentials, so I am trying to plan this one out really well. So far it will have my lowarance hook5 on the left just forward of the steering control. Then one scotty rod holder on the right side. Tackle will go in the hatch right in front of the seat, spare rod goes in the front hatch. I am thinking I'll probably end up with something like a scotty cup holder on the right side for my red bull and that is about it.

Very  cool.  No rod holers?

None yet. This was simply a trip to make sure it floats and to let the dog swim for a bit.

The cockpit is super narrow on this thing compared to my outback so I am having a hard time figuring out how I want to rig it. The logical place is to put gear track/ram balls on the outside of the gunnels, but it looks so sleek I am trying to figure out a better way. I may make a jig and route out the top of the tunnels for some gear track and try to hide them so that it keeps the same look when all the accessories are pulled off.

 I really am not a fan of kayaks that look like they have everything including the kitchen sink thrown on there. I have my usual fishing gear trimmed down to just the bare essentials, so I am trying to plan this one out really well. So far it will have my lowarance hook5 on the left just forward of the steering control. Then one scotty rod holder on the right side. Tackle will go in the hatch right in front of the seat, spare rod goes in the front hatch. I am thinking I'll probably end up with something like a scotty cup holder on the right side for my red bull and that is about it.

Maybe glass some threaded inserts into the gunnels so you can mount tracks/ram mounts and take them off easily. 

Wow! thanks for taking us along for the ride in this project.

I'd imagine you'd have to rig it similarly to a Revo where space is limited and you have to be creative.

Holy shit this is amazing!