New Guy, New Yak, and maiden voyage
 

Hey guys, I figure I'll introduce myself since I seemed to get more than a few double takes on the water this Saturday.

My name's Eric, I come from the PB'r world, but now that I have two small kids, a house without boat storage and no time to prepare my boat, fuel it, launch it, drive it, fish it, drive it, retrieve it, wash it, drop it off in storage (you get the idea), I needed to find a way to make use of all the tackle I've acquired and hoarded over the years.

Last year I spotted a Hobie Bravo hull for sale on Craigslist for $75 bucks and thought that might make an interesting fishing skiff. It's a polyethylene catamaran made for sailing. I pondered putting a motor of some sort on it, but without a pink and any form of VIN#, I figured it would be too much of a PIA to deal with the DMV trying to get it CF #'s. Plus, a little exercise might do me good. ;) I spent the last month rigging it up. When I got the hull, there was nothing on it, other than two hatches. I added handles, 8 rod holders, kayak seat, foam padding, oar locks, oars, bungee lashing cords, bait tank, pump, fish finder, gps, 12v power, 6v power, two access hatches with storage bags for tackle/vhf storage. Due to the width and best location for me to sit, I need to row rather than paddle.

As you can see, it is somewhat on the larger size, hence the moniker, "Cadiyak".


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Here's a picture of the bait tank and electronics. I found out about this site when I was looking for ideas on how to make the bait tank, thanks guys.


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So, last Saturday was the maiden voyage/shake down trip. Prior to that, I'd only been on it in the swimming pool to figure out where to position the seat and oar locks. As you can see, the conditions were treacherous :eek:

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The launch went smooth, the conditions were epic, shorts and t-shirts and I was able to cruise at 3 knots. Not bad, basically 20 minutes to "the spot". The hull is extremely stable and dry. I was able to fish standing up when my legs needed a stretch. Naturally I was out there trying to get myself a nice YT. I was able to pick them up on the meter a good half dozen times, but unfortunately for me, luck was not on my side. I did manage to catch something,..... a Sandab. :cool: At least I didn't have to wear the white stripe.

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All in all, everything went well, just need to do a couple little tweaks. I talked to quite a few guys out there curious as to what I was on. I do have to say, the yak crowd is much more civilized than the PB'r crowd. Good to meet you guys.

Looking forward to more time on the water.

-Eric
"Cadiyak"

(aka- Albiebac, pre-yak times)

Welcome to the site, thats a beautiful looking yak right there and you did some quality work on it. 3 knots cruising speed is pretty fast if you ask me. Enjoy the new ride.

Welcome Eric. That's a pretty bad ass set up. You just need a bbq and fridge on there and your golden. When I see you on the water I'll come say hi. I'd like to see your rig in person.
:cheers1:
Mike

Ps. Don't pay any attention to my avatar..... Please.

Sweet ride. Looks like room for a Bimini top for shade.

that thing is pretty cool. Sper easy to hoop net off of lots of room.

Ah thats you who owns that crazy thing. Looks like its got room for a couch. Be sure to invite us on board during the games, when the flatscreen is setup of course.. :p

I was one of those that did a double take on Sat. Nice set-up- my only question is WTF are crawling out of that sanddab???
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...9&d=1360218250

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Hey, trust me, with all the real estate available on this thing, it's hard for me to try and stay honest and loyal to minimalist philosophy of kayaking. I'd like to keep it simple, but I still have tons of parts and what-not floating around at home from years in boating. Hopefully the winter won't be too long, giving me too much time to tinker in the garage. ;) We'll see...

As to the what's crawling out of the Sanddab, yeah, I didn't notice them 'til after I took the picture, and then I quickly flicked them over the side. Kinda like overgrown bedbugs....disgusting!

To bad the weather's not looking good this weekend, maybe next weekend,
Eric

That thing looks awesome.....Would be sweet if you could use the mirage drive to propel you but whatever....very cool.

Sweet looking ride, look at all that real estate :cool:

That thing is bad *ss!!!

That would be perfect for those long days when you get sleepy.

That thing is nice.

isopods! they eat your cuticles!

Ok. ..... Someone has to ask
Hows the surf landings? ? :confused:
I do like the real estate though, room to nap:D
:c

Welcome to our forum, have a nice stay here.
P.s that looks awesome, please show us more.

I dub thee.....
 

I dub thee "Luke Skywalker". And that is a most excellent "wave speeder"!:kayak-surfer: :cheers1:

That thing is tight! I have never seen one of those before. Shoot, for $75 I would say got a hell of a deal some.

Someone has to ask

Which side is the bow of the kayak?

dude!!!
that thing is Fing swheet!! i was waiting to retire ( 18months) to build me the same basic platform. i sure would like to go for a spin to see what i like, and how i can use it to my needs.

good job bro..

Hah! The jury is still out on that one. That's the reason I went out the first time when it was 0-1 at The Shores. Honestly, it did grab an edge for a second coming in, but I was able to straighten her out. I'm thinking it could get sporty anything over 3, so I'm going to stick with 0-3 for my days. I'm hoping having two oars to work with will help keep it straight, kinda like white water rafting style. Another option will be making a "landing drogue" if it becomes an issue.

We'll see, hopefully not too many yard sales......;)

room for two?? PM, seriously i have been thinking of the same platform for a while now

PM sent

Landings
 

I think superman landings might be best when the surf is larger.

I will pay to see that!!!

Yeah man I saw you out there at the same time we were launching. that thing is badass!

That thing is sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!! Nice work :you_rock:

A friend of mine has been looking for a hull of one of those for awhile. If anyone knows where to get another cheap leme know please :luxhello:

Ps. Don't pay any attention to my avatar..... Please.[/QUOTE]


Kinda hard not to..... Thats disturbing to say the least:confused:

that is one sweet ride right there, and look what can be done with a little imagination and "get er doneness?" welcome to the, well I don't even have to say it..."the addiction"

Paddle Choices?
 

With all that leverage you can generate I was wondering if a larger paddle would be in order. Maybe a cupped version or something to minimize any slip.

Looks very cool, kinda like an Edsel but still cool,

Dwayne

That thing would be sweet with a Mirage Drive and be able to move the seat fore and aft.

Since it is a rowboat with catamaran stylings, you will face the stern with your back to the target. I like it!

If paddling backwards isn't your thing. I had a similar catamaran that I used as my fishing kayak. With the right length paddle you should be able to sit facing forward...Check out some of my old posts for reference.

75$ ?
 

are you missing a zero? can it hold yourself and any passengers? if so, that good bring many priceless memories with your children . :cheers1:

Thanks for positive feedback and replys. I was wondering if people would think I was crazy, or a poser/kook.

The whole rowing thing actually isn't that foreign to me. Back in my college days I did crew, so I'm used to whole going backwards thing. Due to the center of gravity on the hull, I'm pretty much stuck sitting towards the bow. If I sat aft, the scuppers and stern would be low. I contemplated paddling it, but that idea seemed like it would be more (physical) work. I certainly could get more torque going if I had larger cupped blades and longer shafts, but then there would be more hardware going off the back. Since I was uncertain how this would work out, I tried not to go overboard on cost and kept things relatively simple. Surprisingly, things started adding up quickly as I added on all the hardware. We'll see how long I can "keep the costs down", seeing that I can't wait to get back out on the water again. ;)

-Eric

The price was right, kinda was too good to pass up. It is made for two people, but that's sailing, rowing makes it hard to have two full grown bodies on board, but it is perfect for kids. Here's a picture I took with my son (4 1/2) on Lake Miramar, hopefully I can get him out on the big pond eventually.

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