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Mirage Drive in Kelp?
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=40102		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  lakejumper [ Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:28 am ]
Post subject:  Mirage Drive in Kelp?
I'm in Monterey, CA for Thanksgiving week and want to kayak by Cannery Row. Will the kelp beds be a problem for the mirage drive? I'm a newb and don't want to mess it up. I really don't want to use the paddle unless I have to.
Thanks
Author:  fusioneng [ Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mirage Drive in Kelp?
lakejumper:
We have a similar problem in south Florida with sea grass. What I do is pull the mirage drive out and put back in to clear the grass off every once in a while. Same with the rudder, I just raise it and lower it when I feel it is all jammed up with grass. Sometimes you can clear the stuff by just stopping for a moment and it drifts off. We sometimes Kayak on the Sana Fe river (in north Florida) where the weeds get very thick, we typically remove the mirage drives, lift the rudder and just paddle through the thick areas. One nice thing with the Hobies is you can easily do either (peddle or paddle), really extends your distance by using different muscle groups alternately. We also always have a Hobie sail along, you never know when you will have wind in your favor, and it only takes a couple seconds to set up and take down.
Bob
Author:  Roadrunner [ Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mirage Drive in Kelp?
The Mirage Drive does have a tendency to snag kelp. Usually you can see it and steer around it if not too dense.

As Bob says, it's easy to pull the Drive momentarily to clear the kelp, and is often best to paddle over the dense stuff with Drive out and rudder up. Just remember to keep your Drive tethered or tied up to the boat in case it accidentally goes overboard; it's an expensive replacement. 8)
Author:  lakejumper [ Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mirage Drive in Kelp?
Thank you for the responses. I think that I will pull the drive up. These are fairly dense areas but worth the paddling!

Lakejumper
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