Unanticipated PA14 offshore failure

So I was headed out into Lake Michigan today for some salmon. The wind was pretty stiff and I was dragging a downrigger ball on one side and 120 feet of lead core line on the other, so consequently I was pedaling pretty hard to make my way upwind at a 2 mph trolling speed. Suddenly there was a "BANG" so I knew something important had just broken loose. Just to make things more interesting, this happened in a freighter channel as one laker was headed out and another was coming in to port! The Mirage Drive did not feel right and a quick assessment showed that the front idler cable had snapped in two. I was able to pull in all the gear, break out the backup propulsion drive (ie - the trusty Hobie paddle) and beat it upwind and out of harms way. Paddling back to shore really made me appreciate how much easier the Mirage Drive makes life for kayak anglers! Fortunately, I was able to scrounge a replacement cable from a second-hand MD unit at a dealer two-towns-away and was back in business less than 8 hrs later.

Although I do a routine MD tuneup each spring, complete with lube and re-tensioning of all cables, I had not noticed the cracking in my cable sheath that can be seen in the top picture. I hope my experience alerts others that periodic inspections and tune-ups should probably also be done mid- and late-season, as things can get out of whack and fail at the worst times!

Hi Jim_MI...I am sure your experience was a bit "as* puckering" when the idler cable broke......My 2013 PA-14 now has 788 miles on the Mirage Drive.....I did upgrade it to the GT Drive with the bearings and sprockets last January, but used the same original cables.

I downrig typically in the 25 to 50 foot depth with a 4.3# weight.....sometimes to 75 feet while trolling a K15 quickfish and flashers or equivalent at 1.8 MPH for about 8 miles and know it does add extra stress to the Mirage Drive and components.

I too have noticed the plastic cable sheath cracking, but no failures to date...good fortune/luck??....to date, I have logged over 780 miles, by GPS using the factory original cables......I noticed in your photos the number of threads exposed, past the nylock nuts are a couple of threads more than my set up....possibly more tension on the cables or maybe the cables have untwisted when the nuts were tightened???

On thing I do, when adjusting the cable tension is to make sure the crimped end is secured from truning by using a 7/32" open end "ignition wrench" as the nut is tightened so the cable can't twist.....maybe this is an issue or not....who knows???

I know at some point my cables will eventually break/fail as the number of cycles is significant, so having a spare set on hand is a good insurance policy.

Your posting is a good reminder for all of us who regularly use our PA's "to expect the unexpected"

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

I've had my PA for over 5 years and have broke at least 10 cables, 1 pedal arm and a couple of fin masts it's just something that happens. I get out about 40 days a year and probably average 12 miles a day. Now I have 3 Hobies so I carry a spare drive but I always have spare cables and can almost replace them blindfolded.

This is why I'm reluctant to only take the Hobie half-paddle with me when I'm going offshore. If I'm more than a half mile offshore when the Mirage drive breaks down, I'd rather not be goofing around with the half paddle. Depending on the conditions, that little thing may not work.

But storing the full paddle is a pita.

It occurred to me last night that it might be possible to keep the half paddle on deck and store the other half of the paddle in the hull by removing the front bin. Has anyone tried this?

Idler cable failure does not disable the drive... since it simply balances the loads on the drive chains.

I'd be concerned about cracking cable covers. Certainly an indication of wear and age.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Hi Matt,

My idler cable cover started to crack, only where it goes over the idler wheel after 18 months of use......I mentioned this to my local Hobie dealer and was told "not to worry".......so far it's not broken.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Try this one more time. Both ends of the paddle will slide under and behind the rod tubes completely out of the way and your bucket will still fit fine....hope this pic works this time...they go in with the cupped side facing down...

Sounds like I should have anticipated this failure and had a replacement cable available. But I don't recall hearing about this previously, which is why I posted my experience.
As Matt mentions, it was still possible to pedal the MD with the broken idler cable, but without knowing if this would damage the unit I didn't even try. Matt - although possible, will this damage other things in the MD and make a $20 repair into a $200 repair?
Doc - the threaded ands of the cable are flattened on 2 sides and slide into rectangular slots rather than round holes on the MD. This should effectively preclude rotation of the cable when tightening or loosening the lock nuts.
As far as the paddle goes, I always keep mine fully assembled and hanging overboard in stirrups attached to the side rail. I need it to paddle in and out from a few launches that are too shallow to deploy the MD so it has to be available anyway. I was very glad to have it close by and ready to go when the cable snapped. And based on other posts several years ago, I have stuffed all the available under-deck and around-tub space with pool noodles for additional floatation, so no room down there for a paddle anyway. I think I have about 10 noodles down there!

Any chance you have a PA14 as opposed to a PA12? I've got a feeling that makes a difference...

Dang it!

yes a 14 but give it a try and see what happens. The handle ends can run down the sides of that boat pretty far i would imagine.

BTW, the area behind the rod tubes makes for good storage space for small things. I also keep my ACK/Hobie light tucked up behind there. Hogg Toggs size 3x camo rain gear, pants , hat, jacket and shoe/boot covers flattened out in freezer bags go behind there very nicely to.

To expand on Matt's comment, you can break any one cable and still use the Drive. It may not be as smooth, but it still works better than paddling. Actually the Drive can still be used as long as you have at least one chain/cable in play (depending on which one cable you have, the Drive may have to be reversed and operated backwards). It pays to experiment with the limits of your equipment.

This is a good time to remind everyone that the Drive can be operated on one fin as well. Of course you lose power and have to suffer some boat rocking issues, but can still limp home (TIP: for best results always make sure the "clew outhaul" is loose to allow max flex with the active fin).

The bottom line is, it's truly difficult to put the Mirage Drive completely out of service. Most users stop pedaling at the first sign of trouble and break out the paddle. Nothing the matter with this, but if you've practiced and know the limits of your equipment, it is reassuring that when you're "up a creek without a paddle" you can still use that Mirage Drive to get back!

Very good to know!

I never go "offshore" in a PA without a complete back up mirage drive.

I have a repair kit on board, but if the wind and current are moving fast... I would be half way to Mexico by the time I finished the repair.

Paddle a PA? no thank you, at least not for very long!
I recommend an extra MD to all PA owners who venture very far from the launch.

Are there instructions anywhere regarding the annual Mirage Drive "tuneup?" Or is this something dealers do?

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Vegasvec
2015 Pro Angler 17t
Lowrance Elite 5 Chirp
Zieman Trailer w/ Cradles