The Project

I've had an interest in converting a SIK to a Mirage pedal drive for several years and a few months ago I acquired two glass kayaks off Craigslist for a very good price. One was an 18 foot Eddyline the other a Current Design product called Pisces built in the mid 1980's. The Pisces is 17 foot by 24 inches and when paddle tested proved to be quite stable as well as fairly quick in the water.

Cutting into a perfectly good yak to fulfill an idea is sort of like a DIY appendectomy because you think you might want to be a doctor. This was my first foray into a major retrofit of a kayak and I knew a lot of time was going to spent in trial and error efforts. I begin by taking measuring  my Adventure and cut out the combing and drivewell slot in the Pisces to match Hobies distances. I had purchased from Hobie one of their drivewells designed for their inflatable series but alas, inflatables are flat bottomed, my kayak is vee shaped so out of 3/4 marine ply I built a box with cleats for drive guides and glassed it into the hull as well as rebuilt the front combing . Very solid and the drive goes in easier and fits tighter than in the Adventure. Wood wedges with a hold down lever keeps all in place. Steering uses a push/pull fiberglass rod system. Simple and very effective. Foam backrest and for the first water tests, I used a Hobie seat but plan on a light foam seat and backrest for the final version.

So...the water tests. I had build prototype outriggers out of foam but found the kayak really doesn't need them in flat water so removed them for the tests but will refine the concept for ocean fishing.  The SIK is 3 and a half inches narrower than the Adventure but that difference in width is compensated for by having a lower center of gravity in the SIK by four or five inches As expected, the kayak moves faster than the Adventure under pedal and  under paddle.

I am closer to an ocean test but still have a fair amount of tweaking to do and will probably use pool noodles to insure the cockpit cannot over flood should a big one wash over the side on the maiden voyage.

More to come including some planned video.

Charles

Very nice work there.

AWESOME!

Wow that's HNL stuff right there (hull nutha level)

That's awesome. Being a former surfboard builder I've thought about doing a similar project a lot but I'm just too lazy. And I don't miss dust, fiberglass and resin much either.
Cool work.

Very Nice indeed Charles.  I can gladly donate my Eddyline Caribbean 14 to see what you can make of it.   I mean if it's possibl...plausible? 

Pretty kool Charles. Nice work...

I saw this at Charles' house during art trails. The man has an incredible art talent and a real McGuiver mind.

Very Nice indeed Charles.  I can gladly donate my Eddyline Caribbean 14 to see what you can make of it.   I mean if it's possibl...plausible?

Thanks for the interest but one retrofit of paddle to pedal is about all I can afford time wise. It was one of those challenges I just had to see if I could do but doing another is probably not in the cards. I'd be happy to share what I've learned with anyone else who wishes to give it a try though.

Great work!!! I always thought it would be awesome to have pedals in a Stealth Kayak.

WayCool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could you post an upclose pic showing more detail of your work.
I'm always interested to see how things like this are done.

WayCool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could you post an upclose pic showing more detail of your work.
I'm always interested to see how things like this are done.

Will do. Any part you are particularly interested in?

Its alive. Nice job you mentioned you were building a Mirage powered yak. Thanks for showing and great job.

  epic fabrication skills. 

OK. Here are a few close up pics. Keep in mind that the surface finish will be a lot nicer but function adjustments comes first. The outriggers are prototypes made of hard foam and wrapped with tape with a wood backbone for support and even at this stage they are functional. One inch aluminum pipe runs through the guide/holders. This is fashioned out of 1/4 inch barrel plastic. Cut with jigsaw, heat with small torch, bend to shape, drill inch holes and bolt thru back combing. Fast to attach and detach even on the water. I may go with glass rod and ram mounts further aft later on. The outriggers at this  turn in the wood hole and just touch the water on the back ends. Kinda of a tap tap with no drag while underway but when the I shift weight to the yak edge their flotation power stabilizes the boat immediately. Pretty sure I could jig fish without them but given our proclivity to yank extended rods upward at times I will use them.

The SIK aluminum rudder was bolted up to with a short length of flat bar that in turn was bolted to 5/8ths glass rod from Tap Plastic. The rod runs through three guides formed in the same manner as the outrigger holders. With three guides and a deliberate bend the rudder has enough friction to hold whatever position I choose so circling  while fishing without having to adjust the rudder is quite doable. Plus, unlike Hobie, no internal string attachments. Push for right. Pull for left. Did I get that right? Takes awhile to become automatic mentally.

The up close pic of the drive well/box shows the cleats and hold downs for the drive. Hold downs work well but maybe could be better. The back hatch can be opened one handed and fish flipped in. The back bungie cord acts as a hinge and spring and the front bungie stretches to an eye hook to secure the hatch.

Next step is to buy some urethane hard insulation foam, 4x8 sheet of 1 and a 1/2 and make another version of outriggers and glass them. Urethane will accept glass resin but styrofoam melts on contact with the stuff.

More to come especially after first ocean test.