As some of you may gather, i like to prepare. Well let's rephrase, i'm totally anal about my preparation....
I like to make sure i remove any variables that may effect my day, like reels breaking, tieing rigs on the water, flat battery's and other silly little thing's like that. When you go out wide, a little breakdown can really ruin your day. So to minimize the chances of this, i have a thorough preparation regime that i undertake before a good trip. The peace of mind is really worth it in my opinion
Step 1
Now this may seem very minor, wanky, and a waste of time, but i wash my kayak. Give the bottom a good scrub, top, sidepockets and internal hatch areas i use when out fishing. Sure it doesn't make things any safer, but it looks sweet!!
Step 2
Now we are getting to the important stuff, hatches. I inspect and clean every hatch on my kayak.
With the front hatch i check the seals are intact, and wash and wipe them clean. The circular hatches require a bit more attention. You can see the crap that builds up around the rubber seal, and the lip of the hatch. I remove the rubber ring seals, and wash the sealing surfaces, and the area behind the rubber ring.
I then take the rubber ring seals inside, and wash them in warm soapy water before refitting. A gentle inox of all the hinges, and handles on the hatches finishes the job.
No leaks for me, and smooth opening hatches all round.
Step 3
I now run around the deck and check all the deck fittings to ensure they are all operating correctly, paying most attention to the rudder assembly.
Check the tension of all the rudder lines, make sure the retaining knots are all tight, and the pin holding the rudder assembly on the yak is okay. Also grab the blade of the rudder and ensure there is no unnecessary movement, and its all solid.
Lastly check the rudder handle is tight, central with equal movement in both directions. And double check the grub screw on the rudder lever hasnt worked loose, and lubricate the whole assemble with a dash of INOX.
Step 4
With a Hobie being predominantly pedal driven, the condition of the Mirage Drive is of the upmost importance. Firstly i run over the drive checking all the grub screws holding the assembly are tight, and locked in place.
Also check the masts are securely fastened, and adjusted for tension. Check both fins are straight down when the pedals are together, in my case they weren't, so an adjustment of the chains was nessasary. Also a great time to check chain tension and adjust if needed.
Also a good time to run over the entire Drive, and remove any corrosion that may be coming up.
A quick spray of INOX, and a wipe will remove nearly all of this.
So there you have it, a small bit of maintenance will ensure your safety on a long trip. It also removes all those little things that "could" go wrong, and helps you to enjoy your day!
Now this is only the preparation of the basic kayak. I also go over all my reels, rods, rigs and tackle. Also things like flares, bailer, PFD's etc. These things may save your life, and ensure you have an awesome day out on the water.
Cya on the water!
