What to buy? Double?, peddle?, electric?

[nhunter344]

The Only thing about "electrifying" the Coosa is then having to register it,,, Not much on paying the state because I hit an age where I want to use a trolling motor.

My memory is a bit hazy on the topic, but I think if you bought your kayak in Maryland and have the receipt to show for it, you only have to pay like $2 to register your motorized kayak (this doesn't cover the aggravation of dealing with a DMV location that titles boats). If you bought it elsewhere or from a private seller, you would have to pay a registration tax of ~6%.

So if you bought it in MD, you should be good to go. Oh, I forgot to add the cost of buying some number decals at Home Depot.

[baynovice]

Sorry to add my 2 cents when it seems like you've narrowed down to a good a solution but here goes. I have a Hobie Oasis tandem foot pedal drive kayak. I believe it is a 2015 model and was the first year that the Oasis was fitted with the Vantage seat and has pedal drives for both seats. I bought it from a very nice gentleman who used it with his wife for 1 season but found it difficult to transport after an injury. My reason for buying a tandem was the same as most - my son said that he wanted to go with me consistently, but after about 3 trips, he moved onto other hobbies... C'est la vie.

The Oasis is 14.5' long and weighs 93lbs before you put anything on it so it is not going to win any light weight competitions but it does have a 550lb weight capacity so its stability is a clear strength, especially in choppy water (I'm not suggesting by any means that it won't turtle but I've yet to go in the water unplanned). I run around 180lbs and have taken friends who are probably close to 250lbs and I've never felt unstable in it. I primarily fish in the Bay between Pasadena down to North Beach and do a combination of trolling and jigging. When I'm riding alone, which is most of the time, I sit in the rear position and carry a standard 5 gallon bucket. I fill it with water and place it where the pedal drive would go in the front position to minimize the front of the kayak slapping against the waves in the water. I usually troll between 2.5 - 3mph very comfortably with the foot pedal drive and routinely cover 8-12 miles going both with and against the tide.

To be honest, I've thought about selling my Oasis and going to a single-man pedal kayak like the Slayer Propel Max 12.5 many times - not to go smaller and lighter but because I want the ability to go in reverse on demand. Based on the specs that I've seen, this Slayer actually weighs the same or a few pounds more than my Oasis. As much as I'm tempted to sell from time to time, the ability to take a second person along has really come in handy. I've kicked around the idea of adding a single-man kayak to the mix but my limited garage space takes care of that idea very quickly. There generally aren't many tandems on the used market but when they are up for sale, they seem to sell at a discount given that most people are shopping for single-man kayaks. Having lived with my Oasis for 4+ years, the tandem has been a very livable compromise. Good luck with your decision - not an easy one but definitely give the tandem idea its fair due.

In my list of options for the short run,, it is electric on the Coosa HD, towing the other 2 kayaks to the point of fishing. Hoping to get it built for ~500.00 incl a Lithium battery.

Long term would be a tandem peddle kayak for the 2 gals,, providing we can demo it and it fits us.

The Only thing about "electrifying" the Coosa is then having to register it,,, Not much on paying the state because I hit an age where I want to use a trolling motor.

We actually have a Native Ultimate tandem in our circle of friends, it has not seen water since he purchased a Jackson Big Rig. In the end the "Ultimate" is just a canoe, and layout and gear management is nowhere near the current offerings of SOT kayaks.

[J.A. Veil]

We actually have a Native Ultimate tandem in our circle of friends, it has not seen water since he purchased a Jackson Big Rig. In the end the "Ultimate" is just a canoe, and layout and gear management is nowhere near the current offerings of SOT kayaks.

Although I understand your comment about the Ultimate being "just a canoe", I agree only to the extent that it has no scupper drains. The underside of the original Ultimate is shaped much differently from a canoe, such that it is stable for standing and it tracks well while paddling. I also note that the kayak I described is the newer Ultimate FX line. It too has no scupper drains, but in other ways it is very much a fully featured kayak. It comes with two high quality padded and adjustable seats that can be used in high or low position. It has many built in gear tracks, deck padding on the floor, an anchor trolley, padded arm rests and rod tip rests, and adjustable foot braces.

If this style of boat is not of interest to you, that is fine -- the choice is fully yours. But I did want to clarify that the original Ultimate and the newer Ultimate FX kayaks are quite a bit different from canoes. I used my Ultimate FX15 in 3-foot waves last week, and it performed fine.

[clm]

I have an older hobie outback....can't beat the stability....based on the user, if you choose to fish that way...I stand and cast for snakeheads quite often...then "paddle board" it through the vegetation. My mom came up for a visit a few seasons ago. I took her out and easily towed her around after she was tired...using a short rope and also just by holding the side of the kayak she was in...getting all three together is the tough part (wife and sister, plus you). Torqueedo makes drop in units for the Hobie...so it's not always there and attached...but once again...Hobie and Torqueedo aren't cheap, but as often the case, you get what you pay for. It sounds like there really isn't a once size fits all for your situation. If they have kayaks, and like the solo aspects already (together, but separate sort of deal), an upgraded kayak for you, that allows propulsion as the tow vehicle, may be the quickest simplest solution....