Rigging a Outback

[ronaultmtd]

OK, I am working on the Ugly Duckling- my Ocean Kayak Prowler had a nylon zippered suspended battery bag that they use for rigging fish finders and electronics- So where do you put the battery on a Hobie? What do you use for anchoring the battery system? The fish finder install itself is pretty straightforward with a Ram mount...and a transducer duct seal wet well system is good to go in any kayak, but the Hobie battery box or bag setup looks like it might be a challenge to do neatly and professionally.

[Sun]

I don't own a hobie, but on my kayak, i have my battery in a waterproof box from the camping section of walmart. Drilled a small hole large enough for the wire to slip in, and use commercial grade velcro from lowes to keep it on the side wall inside the hull. Doesn't move, and since it is on the side, I have no worries of getting water in the box from a leaky hull.

[CB kayak 02]

I just put my battery in a dry bag that folds and clips and clip it around to mast post right by the front hatch.

[Yak Fish]

I got a stiff piece of thick foam that I cut into a rectangle. I cut out a hole that's a little smaller than the battery pack, but I didn't punch through the other side of the foam. I zip tied the piece of foam to the sail mast tube. So all I have to do it press the battery pack into it when I'm using it and when I'm done I remove it. I also tie the battery cable in with this bundle so there's just a little free end available for plugging and unplugging the battery. I don't have it in a waterproof bag it is just elevated off the floor. It was a cheap and easy solution that's held up all this time for me.

[ronaultmtd]

That is a good idea- how thick is the foam?

[Yak Fish]

That is a good idea- how thick is the foam?

The foam is probably about 2.5" thick. The battery pack is made up of 8 AA batteries and it sticks into the foam 3/4 of the battery length. Pool noodle is the kind of foam I'm talking about.

Styrofoam may even work if it's the tougher stuff, not the stuff that crumbles.

[YakAttack]

I got a stiff piece of thick foam that I cut into a rectangle. I cut out a hole that's a little smaller than the battery pack, but I didn't punch through the other side of the foam. I zip tied the piece of foam to the sail mast tube. So all I have to do it press the battery pack into it when I'm using it and when I'm done I remove it. I also tie the battery cable in with this bundle so there's just a little free end available for plugging and unplugging the battery. I don't have it in a waterproof bag it is just elevated off the floor. It was a cheap and easy solution that's held up all this time for me.

That almost exactly how I rigged my battery box on my Outback Except I used adhesive backed Velcro to make a strap to wrap around the sail mast tube, foam, and box so it's removable.

[ronaultmtd]

Thanks for the ideas on battery storage- I ordered a Eagle Cuda 350 SMap combo and a Ram Eagle FF mount because I believe with the mirage drive the GPS map feature might be worthwhile. I didn't bother on my Prowler and went for the side scan Hummingbird DI to see more detail on what's underneath the yak- it is interesting to have that much detail but the general information that a standard fish finder gives coupled with a GPS is what I wanted for the Ugly Duckling- and I wasn't going to spend $800 on a DI GPS combo-

Another challenge is coming up with a neat and clean anchor trolley for the Outback- the hull is some what complex shaped and different than the Prowler's pretty much straight line hull that made the trolley a snap to make and install. And a anchor trolley is an "essential" accessory for any serious fishing kayak- one big advantage the Outback has is the four built in rod holders and the moulded in trays and cup holders- it has tons of storage- relatively speaking. Paddling the Outback wasn't bad- I used a 240 CM fiberglas Sting Ray paddle instead of the Hobie 230 cm paddle that comes with the yak and it worked better-

When I finish rigging it, I will post pictures- looks like a nice project for this fall and winter-

[Redfish12]

I used the dry box in the Walmart camping section for my Trident. I bought some red and black wire (can't remember the gauge but I think it may have been 12), some heat shrink terminals, some heat shrink but connectors, some heat shrink tubing, an inline fuse holder, and a marine 2 pin connector.

I drilled the box just big enough to pass the red and black (+/-) wires through and left about 2 feet of excess out of the box. Then using the heat shrink and the butt connectors I attached one side of the two pin connector to the battery box and the other to the power cord of the df. I used goop to seal the hole on my battery box and foam scraps to fill in the box to keep the battery from sliding around. I purchased another 2 pin connector for my 170 df (wanted something more compact on the hobie since my revo is pretty tight) and now I can just take the box from kayak to kayak. I do not have a need to have two df's running at the same time right now.

The battery box works great and has slots in the side for a strap. I use some 1 inch webbing with a buckle to strap the battery box around my mast tube or a scupper post in my trident. Works great and so far no corrosion! Oh one other thing, after I did the connectors for outside of the battery box (think parts that would get wet from water in your hull or turtling) I put goop down on them and then wrapped them in duct tape. I'm not sure if that's overkill or not, but it's working great so far.

[Southerly]

i had rigged a fishfinder to a little plywood carry-all for my other kayak. just a plywood frame with FF head mounted to it and a space for my battery, with strap. transducer was used in a wet well.

i've used this same carry-all on the outback by just dropping it in the front hatch, and leaving it open (flat water only). but time to get it right,...


i'm going to rig the outback a lot like this one :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Y3p...eature=related

for mine, i'm mounting the FF head to a piece of 1/2" pvc pipe that will be a 'stalk' that slides down into the mast mount. the wet well will be in same location as shown in video, though i do wonder how great a spot that is. we'll see.

i'm constructing a little plywood box/tray for the battery that will be removably installed at the same location they place their battery, but it will fit in snugly to keep the battery in place in waves or capsize. i'd like weight to stay tight to bottom of yak.

lastly, i'll mount another piece of pvc pipe to the battery box to receive the FF head/1/2" pvc pipe stalk (similar to mast tube) to once again form a stand-alone unit that can be removed from outback, stored/charged separately, and used on the other kayak without removing/making electrical connections.

otherwise, i picked up a couple wide-size milk crates from kmart, $7 ea. one is to cut up to make lid for the 'real' one. i'm mounting a (3) rod holder from west marine, $20 to the crate. i'm also interested in 'outrigger rod holders', but haven't made a move on that yet.

i'll try and post some pics here when i progress if you're interested.

[ronaultmtd]

Yes- post some pictures-
I am in the early stages of setting mine up- Got to figure out exactly where I want my fish finder/GPS combo located- right side or left side or dead in the middle? Where ever it is located, it must be accessible and easy to operate within arm's length while seated. It must also be out of the way to cast a rod and fish, so it is a balancing act. The anchor trolley system is fairly simple but the question of should I use black nylon eyes or stainless steel eyes is still bouncing around in my head. I want to set up the two front rod holders with swivel locking rocket launchers so I can set the rods parallel to the water when tolling so they will have maximum separation- I do not anticipate trolling from the back rod holders- I prefer to troll with the rods in front of me. This past fishing trip I trolled holding my rod and was able to feel the strike much better.

[Southerly]

i expect FF front and center to be difficult to operate, mpossible while pedaling. mine's a straightforward garmin 120 and i don't mess w/it much. if i change setup later, no problem since i'm not drilling holes to install it front and center.

i have outrigger rodholders i could use, but they depend on the rod holder having a crosspin inside, near the bottom; to keep them from rotating under strain of line. i'm not sure i can accomplish installing a crosspin in the bottom of the boat's existing rodholders but may look into that later.

i guess an inherent part of my plan is for the boat to look very stock.

my boat's in the garage now. i'll take a camera out with me,...

[ronaultmtd]

Looking like a completely stock Outback isn't something I am going to be worrying about with the Ugly Duckling- I want it to fit me like a glove- Figure I have a few good years left in me and I want my boat to be user friendly, comfortable and help me fish better- us old duffers need every edge we can get and figure a well equipped Ugly Duck can be the edge I need to be a successful Chesapeake Bay kayak fisherman. I wanted a GPS on the Hobie and I wasn't going to spend the money on a DI/GPS unit- found the Eagle Cuda 350 SMap on sale- I see that some of the guys on the MKF forum use this very same unit, so I bought it- I am considering getting the Hobie live bait tank with the three rod holders, but the thing is just how often do I live bait fish compared with lure fishing- the tank is pretty pricey (as is most Hobie accessories.) Really, though after a fish finder/GPS and an anchor trolley, the Outback has a lot of designed features for fishermen- that just doesn't need too much customizing-

[Southerly]

the hobie bucket's not really for me. might be good for livelining, otherwise a minnow bucket should do the trick. i want my outback fully functional but want to leave it in a sell-able condition as much as possible.

here's battery box so far. it almost snaps in to place. not easy for me to accomplish that. on the other kayak, it just sits on the unused seat, or floor. if you look inside the hatch, just behind the mast support; you'll see i'm using a piece of 3 or 4" pvc pipe, duct sealed to the floor as the transducer wet well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNvq-Qtycko

i'm remaking a set of wheels, and also need to assemble my crate. i'd like to get a chartplotter. maybe next year.
.

[ronaultmtd]

I think I have figured out my Outback cockpit layout the way I want it- I want everything I put upfront to all be on one side with the left side completely free to enter and able to have deep water re entry without anything on the yak- with that decision, I am ready to finish my rigging- all my equipment is in from my orders and ready to install- my anchor trolley will also be on the right side