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PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 4:07 pm 
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It's been discussed a bit before, but unfortunately for me, I didn't do enough research before installing the rectangular hatch on my 2018 Outback. I don't want a tackle management system, I wanted drier, larger, and easier-to-use catch-all compared to the round hatch tupperware, which is a pain to use and collects the water that the round hatch funnels in when you open it. Hobie, please just make a bucket that fits. At least make it clear in the product descriptions that the product does not work on the Outback. This would have been valuable to know before I cut a hole in my brand new kayak.

Here is a copy of my review of the drop-in bucket that I posted on the ACK page for the bucket:

I bought this along with the rectangular hatch/gasket kit for my 2018 Outback. The product description on the hatch kit says it fits 2013 and newer Outbacks. The product description on this bucket says that it fits the rectangular hatch kit. Logic would have it that I could use the bucket on my Outback, but that is not true. The bucket is approximately 1/4" too deep, which causes the bucket to stick up too high to allow the hatch to close. I used the existing screw holes on the circle hatch to mark a centerline for the rectangular hatch. It turns out that Hobie doesn't center the circle hatches perfectly, but it was close enough. Once I found that the bucket didn't fit, I thought maybe my rectangular hatch was off center just enough so that the bucket wouldn't fit (only one side of the bucket sticks up, but I can shift it over and the high-side settles in but the other side pops up). I removed the rectangular hatch and placed the bucket in the hole that I cut to see if it was possible for the bucket to fit without sticking up too high; it is not. The bucket is just too tall to work with the hatch. It is so close to fitting that I can actually force the hatch to close, but it deforms the bucket, and possibly prevents the hatch from sealing properly. A "post-mortem" internet search shows that lots of people have found out the hard way that these buckets don't fit Outbacks. I am learning the hard way that Hobie's products require a lot of internet research, which is disappointing given the premium prices. The whole reason I got the hatch kit was to use the bucket as a fairly-dry junk drawer after I found the stock tupperware in the round hatch pretty inconvenient to use. So now I have no junk drawer. I guess I can try ordering the tackle management system and hope that it fits, but I won't know until it gets here, and that isn't what I wanted. I use Plano dry boxes for tackle, so they ride under my seat. Given that there is no turning back from the rectangular hatch install, it is disappointing that the product descriptions on these two items does not provide more thorough information.


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PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 10:10 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:58 am
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Thats strange as I just added the square hatch and bucket and it drops in PERFECTLY in my 2018 outback.


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PostPosted: Fri May 25, 2018 4:25 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:40 pm
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Location: Orange Beach, AL
I have a 2015 and the bucket works great except when the kayak is on the work stand. I have a Hobie work stand but I think most work stands are the same where the kayak sits on two tubes with most of the pressures on the mid bottom of the kayak causing the bottom to move slightly upward. If the kayak is in the water or supported on the ends the bucket works fine. Kayaks are a big piece of plastic and they flex and shrink and expand and just move around a lot. If you haven't already you might try supporting the kayak between two chairs and see if the bucket fits then.

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Duncan


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PostPosted: Fri May 25, 2018 2:17 pm 
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Thanks for the replies. I had the kayak on a flat surface, so I can see how that could have flexed the kayak enough to cause the issue, especially given that it was pretty close to fitting. I will test it out again with no pressure beneath the hatch area and post my results here.


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 5:26 am 
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Same thing happened to my Outback after installing my rectangular hatch. The drop in bucket does not fit if there is any pressure to the bottom of the boat. If you lift the boat so the bottom can flex and stretch a bit it goes in. When I store my boat on its trailer the drop in bucket does not fit by about a 1/4 in. If I push it down and close the hatch on it once in the water its fine.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 2:47 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:55 am
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This may be your issue:
Quote:
I used the existing screw holes on the circle hatch to mark a centerline for the rectangular hatch. It turns out that Hobie doesn't center the circle hatches perfectly, but it was close enough.

I didn't use existing holes, I centered based on mirage drive and tripled checked measurements before cutting. I use the plastic shoebox and it fits fine. I even place a plano box below it before dropping in the shoebox... no problems.


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:13 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 3:35 pm
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So it took me a while to get back here...

I propped up the kayak on some 2x4s at each end, taking all of the pressure of the center of the hull. The box would still not fit. I do believe the issue was that my hatch hole is about 1/8" off center. Yes, it is just 1/8 of an inch(!) right of the center line, and this is enough to make the drop in box unusable.

This guy had the same problem:

http://www.saltwaterkayakfisherman.com/ ... hatch.html

I used his bucket fix, although I only did it on one side, and fixed the problem.

We installed the hatch on my wife's 2017 Outback, but we spent a lot of time lining up the cut to the center line before proceeding, and her bucket fits just fine. Because of the shape of the hull, there is not a precise way to easily mark a center line, so it is easy to see why so many people run into the same issue I did, while so many people don't.

We have been out in our kayaks at least once a week since we bought them, and love them. But it is really frustrating that you spend $2500 on a premium kayak and it comes with a flimsy main hatch that is hard to use, hard to seal, and dumps any water sitting on the lid right into your "dry" tray and the hull. The Outback should come with the square hatch from the factory. The interior screw-backing ring on both of the round hatches we removed were so warped they looked like lasagna noodles, and these were brand new kayaks from the dealer. Neither one of the hatches would close all the way. The square hatch is so much beefier that it forces the whole footwell area of the hull to be perfectly flat, while the flimsy circle hatch conforms to the flexibility of the hull. I won't even get into the strangely-profiled o-ring they install on the circle hatches because that has been discussed to death.

Now that I'm done complaining, I will admit that I should have gone with my instinct when I first cut the hatch hole and not trusted the circle hatch to be centered perfectly. I think it was a reasonable assumption, but I know better than to trust quality control of any company these days.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 7:15 am 
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Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 5:34 am
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2018 Outback - I had the issue where the storage bin did not fit in the rectangular hatch - it was too deep by about 1/2 inch. It is stored inside on a wooden cart sitting on 3" PVC tubes - maybe it would flex a bit on the water, but I wanted the hatch to close securely. Very irritating. I resorted to cutting about 1 1/2" of the ends off of the bin, and then gluing it back inside the bin inverted. Used Goop. Now it fits perfectly.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:19 pm 
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Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:14 pm
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I have a 2015 Outback & the drop-in bucket works great, imo, but if you want one, good luck. They are out of stock nationwide with every vendor I could find.


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