P15 Dry Hatch Bag / Live Bait Well for the Center Hatch

One thing I wanted to replicate in my P15 from my Tarpon 140 was a convenient hatch bag.  In my Tarpon, I had found a stainless steel canister that fit the opening almost perfectly and used it for items that I wanted easy access to.  While I could use the Tarpon cover over it, in practice it didn't stay dry so only wet stuff went into it.  When I got the P15 I bought the improved cam hatch cover but I couldn't find a hatch bag that fit it.  The OK bag available is for the screw in hatch cover.  I was asking Aaron at MBK about bags and he said that the problem with the usual red material bags they have in their fleet is they stay moist and get pretty groaty in a short time.  He said he'd like to see one made out of the solid vinyl that dray bags are made from. 

I decided that I wanted to try and make a hatch bag that was waterproof so I could keep items dry and I wouldn't have to worry if I flipped over with the hatch off. Also, if it was truly sealed, it could double as a small live baitwell.  In order to maximize the volume of the bag I needed to design a bag that could be assembled within the kayak, through the hatch opening. I thought about various ways to make a firm or semi firm tank out of various material but finally decided to use Aaron's idea and got a 12.5 inch heavy duty vinyl dry bag.  Since the P15 hull is notorious for "oilcanning" deformations, I wanted to avoid a more rigid tank that would not give with flexing in the hull.

After cutting it to size I attached it to a disc of foam PVC (to keep it lightweight).  The disc was in two halves so that the bag could be folded up, slid down the kayak interior and then opened up and attached to another ring (for rigidity), a gasket and then the kayak.  On the outside, I made a 2 inch acrylic rim that encircled the opening; since the P15 rides so low, the minimal rim on the hatch easily lets water through.  The volume of the bag is about 3.5 gallons.  It easily kept the minnows alive at Mendo, but of course you almost have to work to make those golden shiners die.  I don't know if anchovies would survive though.  I could just pump new water into the bag and let it naturally flow out over the rim to refress the bag.  I can now keep a lot more tackle right in front of me and have less need to access my rear Plano box.

One thing I'd do differently is make the bag a little shallower.  I wanted to maximize the volume, especially for baitfish, but the tapered sides of the prowler raise the sides more than the center of the bag.  This results in some folds along the side, and those pesky shiners had a way of hiding in the folds.

Nice job!

Great job,
That has to be one of the cleanest tanks i've seen yet.
Thanks for the pictures.
Eric

Wow!  love the last shot.

Marmite, you've done it again. That's some serious fabrication skills you've got there. Very clean and cool idea. You sure you want to be posting those pics on the internet??

Z

I like how you think Doug

Sweeeeet!!! Nice job Marmite! You've got the best of both worlds...a convenient hatch and a dry bag. 

"Patent pending!" 
That is incredible work, Doug. Talk about creative ingenuity!
I've been pondering a similar type of bait tank for the rear hatch in my T140 (the rear one because of the extra height/space), but it might be difficult to corral the minnows behind the back LOL. Your design is perfect.
Thanks for sharing that with us.

That is majorly SWEET work!  I could see something like that fitting right into my Outback.  Great job!

Pretty ingenious and great fabrication skill. I am thinking of something modified for the rear of the rod pod on the T-15.  It would be nice for lake fishing--maybe even ocean fishing provide it didn't interfere with rod stowing. I like keeping the tank well clear as much as possible.

ey dougie...you can also use it as a "Pee - Pod"