Quarantine Kayak Build - Blue Fin 15-29 w/ Mirage Drive

[jem]

Looking great!

And yes, it's tedious but luckily you only have to do it once!

[Cowbro]

More progress. Floor is all glassed. Front and rear decks are glassed on the underside. Rudder is on. Rudder control cables and rudder up/down cables are in. Rod tube is in so i can store my 1 piece 7.5' rod flat on the deck. My backup rod is a 2 piece 7' rod that fits in the front compartment. i am super stoked to have well thought out rod storage and i won't have to have them flying like flag poles up behind me when launching/landing.

Hopefully i'll get the decks on by the end of the weekend, then i get to sand the outside!

[jem]

VERY nice work. Each post leaves me wanting more.

The drivewell ... it's plastic? Looks like you did a sandwich clamping type method to secure it?

[Cowbro]

VERY nice work. Each post leaves me wanting more.

The drivewell ... it's plastic? Looks like you did a sandwich clamping type method to secure it?

Thanks. Yeah, I have been meaning to draw up a schematic of how I have the drive well attached. It is PVC and I did a ton of research of gluing to PVC. My hope is that I have sufficient surface area that even though the bond is not as strong as epoxy to epoxy that it is still "strong enough". But yes it is fully bedded with glass on the top and bottom of the flange. It would have to be a pretty spectacular failure to create a leak... I hope.

[Cowbro]

Well, it was a good holiday weekend for the Kayak. I got the entire underside glassed on Thursday afternoon, then glassed the decks on Friday. random bits on Saturday and Sunday, then today the Wife and I took the day off just because and I talked her into going for a drive to the lake to test it out. it is far from done, but i wanted to make sure that i didn't need to change things like my seat placement or steering controls and to get a feel for how i wanted to layout the cockpit for the fish finder, rod holders, etc. Overall i am super happy. it is crazy fast with the mirage drive. it paddles quick too. Tracks super straight. The Bixpy rudder control handle doesn't have enough throw in the control cables for the hobie rudder so i only had about 20* of steering left and right as opposed to ~45*. i'll have to build my own steering control. Seat placement is a little further back than i thought it was going to be, but worked out just fine once i adjusted the pedals.

Anyway, thanks again Matt for the awesome plans. i can't wait to get this thing faired and finished!

[OnkaBob]

Trim looks good and that means you put the drive well in the right place. It would have been very difficult to sort out if wrong so job well done.

Looking forward to seeing photos with all the accessories fitted.

[jem]

Looking GREAT! So very pleased you like it.

[Cowbro]

Whose ready to go fishin?

I had to take about a month off after the 2 month marathon to get it splashed, did some work around the house and went camping/4wheeling/fishing. I went to the ocean last saturday in my Hobie and that fully reignited the spark to get this thing done. I spent all week fairing the hull to what i could consider a "Sonoma Coast Finish" being as i hardly ever get the luxury of launching from a sandy beach, it is always sliding down some rocks, so i didnt want to make it too perfect. Paint is all rustoleum, rolled and brushed on.

I bought a new Mirage drive, so i don't have to steal the one from my other kayak and i also upgaded to the larger "sailing" rudder that Hobie offers. You can't have too much rudder, right?

I took some pictures next to my Moken14 which is very nearly the same size in almost all dimensions, including weight. lol.

Now i just need to finish rigging it all up and we'll be good to go.

[bbgobie2]

Surprised how similar the weights are with the Moken

The blue turbo fins look great with the paint scheme

[jem]

Very nice work!!