When i got this thing i wanted to set it up as close to a boat as possible while keeping the weight to a minimum and above all i wanted something for fishing and nothing but fishing . I wanted to be sure i set everything up exactly how i wanted and get it right the first time with as many perks as possible while keeping the clutter to a bare minimum.
Right away i decided on utilizing the boat itself for as much storage as possible without adding the crate or a big plastic cooler on the back nor did i want my rods back there either .
I decided to utilize the rod tubes for what they are made for along with carrying them on the H-rails as well outside the kayak.
I did the front hatch cooler mod but added 2 layers of radiant barrier instead of one on the bucket and hatch lid ( ((this works very well btw, i tested it. Ice will last all day in it)) . I also picked up a Norchill 24 can soft cooler ( works great and high quality bag) that fits perfectly in the hatch bucket and fits nicely behind the seat on the tank well (when using the hatch cooler for fish) with my two Torqeedo battery's , dolly, Mirage drive...and my modified Scotty Stabilizers for stand up fishing .
Under the front hatch bucket i stow full set rain gear , pants, coat , hat and boot covers ( Frogg Toggs), one end of a paddle, my light behind the rod tubes and there is still plenty of room for other small stuff.
Under the center hatch you can see i stow 4 medium plano boxes, 2 homemade sidewinders , HD Stringer and two 5lb mushroom anchors under the seat...and the hatch bucket fits right in with even more goodies .
I redid the existing foam support for a firmer fit and put 1/16 neoprene under it so it wouldn't slide around and i also added foam blocks which is why the boxes stay put.
In the rear hatch i have a manual pump and my FF battery.
The Scotty Stabilizers ....I chose these knowing i would have to do some mods. If not for the mods done to reinforce this system i do not recommend using it or you will be ripping plastic. Way to much leverage without a crossbar and the scotty base, the reinforcement blocks , base platform and the H-rail and universal plates all tied together .
( This was really unnecessary anyway unless you fish a fully loaded boat and want to stand up a lot and have that bit of extra protection its not worth the trouble). The wood and epoxy support blocks while looking simple to make are very difficult to cut and get the right fit at the base while staying perfectly level up top as to keep the apposed sides and angles from stressing each other and pulling things out of line ( or worse apart) once you bolt everything down. The deck the blocks bolt down to is not level and is twisted, rolled and angled all at the same time and the blocks must conform to the shape of the deck when bolted down or you risk cracking the plastic there while at the same time the top of the blocks have to remain in their correct position to accept the Universal plates which ties in the H-Rail so the two anchor points stay aligned and do not stress each other. Cutting the bottom of these blocks to conform to the deck is sort of a freestyle carpentry if you will. The angles, roll and twist cannot be measured there so its sort of a crap shoot, it must be 'shaped' not just cut....also, one side will be nothing like the other... (just warning you better be good and have the right tools or be prepared to do them more than once ) if you choose this system....that is if you want them done correctly with no creeping damage to the Yak..
That said this system turned out to be a perfect fit, not only for my needs but for where it mounts up and specifically the way it stows as you will see in the pics...completely out of the way and it rest on the edge of the tank well so it doesn't take up any space when you aren't using them . Lightweight as well and can be taken down in seconds completely off the boat with exception to the mounting blocks....whats not to like ?
Then we have the Torqeedo... Everything said already...awesome product ....403 battery + 1003 battery= combined distance of approx 65 miles...
So thats my rig fellas. All that is missing is my light kit which i haven't got around to getting installed and my camera and mount which i forgot to bring yesterday.
Now about my real loaded down maiden. I weigh 280lbs. I weighed all my gear..(all) of it and i came up with a combined weight of 368lbs. I made sure this thing had three frozen 2 liter bottles in the soft cooler ( which rode in front) and everything possible was on this boat so i could get a good idea how it was going to perform and i was amazed !!
I cant say enough about it. Unbelievably stable even with all the weight on it. Didn't really loose any stability. I thought for sure with a full load it would be a wet ride around the Mirage well but it wasn't. No water even splashed up through there at all and the PA didn't ride near as low as i thought it would either as the water level in the Mirage well pretty much stayed the same as stripped down.
The little motor chugged the barge and me along like we weren't even there and was bumping 5.5 mph
with the prop still cavitating on top ( which i lowered in small increments at a time) but it still needs to go lower so it might even get 6 mph once i get the prop to stop cavitating ( i thing the round motor shaft is causing this) but i will figure it out.
So anyway...moral of the story, I love this boat and this is going to be one fish killing machine !
Gone Fishing
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