Hobie Outback 2019+ Motor Mount

First of all, thank you for all who contributes to NCKA, I learned a lot from all of you and some of those shared information are worth gold IMHO!  This is all true for me on any subjects (fishing, DIY, advice, etc).

If you like this article, please pay it forward.  If you dont, well, its your problem.  My intention is to share what I have, but I dont make any guarantee on whether this will work for you and your situation.


Now we get winter out of the way, here we go.


The beauty of this motor mount is that you dont have to drill into your hull and it is very solid.  I chose to mount the motor on the side as I can pull the motor out easier in case of issues (and there has been issues) and the Outback  is stable enough to have a Torqeedo 1003 mounted there (with battery on the back deck, not on the handle).  If you want to mount a gasoline outboard like Suzuki DF2.5, I suggest you do so with at least with the Hobie Sidekick on the motor side (you should double check and make sure the inflatable part is always secure as it popped out once for me). 


This motor mount roughly cost $155 in materials but it is solid as hell plus you can use the additional h-rail for other things.  You can also shave down the cost further if you want to find alternative screws (1/4 20) and convertible knobs.  That alone will probably save you at least $30.  And if you add coupons and deals ... who knows!  As a bonus, the 36" motor mount bar will go through Bolinas gate, but with not much room to spare.  Launching from Bolinas is another problem     

***** Nudling mentioned below about the motor kick up and slice the yak.  With the 36" mount, it definitely does, so be sure to make sure the motor cannot kick up *****
 


You should carry screws and knobs for spares.  In my experience, there is enough mount points that if one or two screws fail, you should be OK (but you want to replace them asap).  Good luck to all and post where you can find alternative screws and knobs.  Please keep the hate to factual and safety related comments.



Here is the material list:



From OnlineMetals.com:

Part #     Description     Cut Size     Qty     Item Price $     Total $   

989     2" x 2" x 0.25" Aluminum Angle 6061-T6-Extruded Structural     12.0"     1     $6.01 $7.51   

7038     2" x 4" x 0.125" Aluminum Rectangle Tube 6061-T6-Extruded     36.0"     1     $29.23 $36.53     



From your Hobie & Yakattack vendor of choice:

YakAttack GearTrac Assortment Kit - HRC-1004 - 1 x $50 = $50


 H-Rail w/ Integrated Patented Ram® Hand-Track - 3 x $20 = $60

Nice project. Should work great for electric motors. Having seen reports of rod holders getting ripped out of the plastic tracks, I wouldn't trust mounting a gas motor on what you got unless I add reinforcement around the h-rail. But it's plenty good for electric motors.

Nice project. Should work great for electric motors. Having seen reports of rod holders getting ripped out of the plastic tracks, I wouldn't trust mounting a gas motor on what you got unless I add reinforcement around the h-rail. But it's plenty good for electric motors.

Yea, I thought about that.  The h-rail is solid aluminum and there is 8 secure mount points.  I've lifted the yak on the bar with full load, it's very solid.  With a gas motor, I am more worry about balance, it's 30+ lbs hanging on the side vs 15 lbs.  Even with 15 lbs, I feel like I have to lean the other way to keep balance (but the stability is very very solid without leaning).  I've gone sitting on the side of the motor closer to landing to test stability, it works great (but steering is harder).
But bottom line, an electric motor is a much better choice.  Maybe one of those 'lawn mower' type of gas motor is ok 

Very nice, and the details are a great bonus.

I'm seriously considering an electric motor for my AI so that I can reach the salmon when the wind is not cooperating.

Anyways, I'm just curious about how much the rectangular tubing with angle brackets weighs...

Might want to consider extending the mount out a little. If the motor kicks up and is too close to the yak, the blade is going to slice it up if the motor is strong enough.

Might want to consider extending the mount out a little. If the motor kicks up and is too close to the yak, the blade is going to slice it up if the motor is strong enough.

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Yes, it definitely does. I always have to make sure the motor doesnt kick up.
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Very nice, and the details are a great bonus.

I'm seriously considering an electric motor for my AI so that I can reach the salmon when the wind is not cooperating.

Anyways, I'm just curious about how much the rectangular tubing with angle brackets weighs...

Very negligible.  I wouldn't worry about it, I want to say less than a 4lbs downrigger ball, probably about 2 lbs?  Just a guesstimate, but not much at all.   Just remember, with the electric, you are only as good as your battery longevity (but I know you already knew that).