The Overloaded Kayak

Kayakless

2011-10-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

I just sold the Stealth. As much as I hate getting rid of it, it had to be done. I've been having some problems with the fingers on my right hand and haven't been able to paddle for some time now. I figured it would be best to sell it while the weather is still good and I could get a decent price for it. Nothing sucks quite so bad as trying to sell a kayak in the dead of winter. By the time next spring rolls around I should be living in another state, hopefully my fingers will have healed and I can start working on a new kayak. Where we move to is going to determine what type of kayak I get. If we are anywhere near the Gulf Coast I'll get another Malibu X-Factor. If we go inland and have only lakes or rivers in the vicinity, I'll go with an OK Trident or a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160T. Either way, it will be a long couple of months. Can't wait to get back on the water.

Back in drydock

2010-09-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

The yak came off the truck today; pretty much signalling the end of kayak fishing this summer. The new job has ruled out weekday fishing and I'm travelling too much to keep the yak on the rack. I used almost a full tank of gas driving to and from L.A. this week. With more frequent trips ahead, driving with the giant yellow wind sock is not going to happen. The kayak is going to be exiled to the patio for the next month or so. That is guaranteed to end kayak usage for that period of time as well. It is just much of a pain in the a$$ to get the kayak out through the front door to make taking the yak out for the weekend a reality. The only thing that is going to get that thing off the patio is some sort of massive yellowtail bite that is going to happen on a weekend. I was thinking of getting a storage locker where I could keep the yak and all my fishing gear. When I thought we would be here in San Diego through May, the storage locker made sense. Now it looks like we'll be relocating by November or December, so I'll probably just skip getting the locker. We'll need to get a place with a garage when we move to L.A. I'm never going to permanently store the yak on the truck again.

So that's basically the end of fishing for me for the rest of the year. Most of my weekends will be occupied by hunting through November and then we will be moving. I just don't see much time for fishing. That's too bad. I was really hoping to do a little hooping this season. Oh well. If I don't kill some deer or pigs this season I'm really going to regret putting the yak away early.

So long.......

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Hello.........

From Hunting & Shooting

Bilge Pump!!!

2010-09-03T02:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got off my butt and installed the bilge pump. I’ve been thinking of doing this for years, but there were always some issues that made me decide against it. For one thing, I never found a bilge pump that would fit where I wanted it. Most have a round base which would make it difficult to mount along the keel in either the X-Factor or the Stealth 14. The Whale Supersub 500GPH pump is the perfect solution. It is very narrow and can be mounted horizontally. It is a nearly perfect fit for the keel of the Stealth 14 or X-Factor. Another thing holding me back was the necessity for a check valve. Most check valves that I had seen at boating supply stores were large, heavy and expensive. The Whale check valve is lightweight plastic and is relatively inexpensive. After seeing ful-rac’s beautiful bilge pump installation on BWE, I decided that I would finally install one myself.

After test-fitting the pump and discharge line in various locations and attitudes, I settled on a spot just behind the seat in the keel channel. In order to get to this I had to remove my custom drop-in hatch/storage module.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

That was a pain in the ass. I stubbornly refused to take my kayak off of the truck rack, so I couldn’t put any pressure on the well nuts as I was unbolting the tank. The damn well nuts just spun and spun as I tried unscrewing them. I finally got enough out to make the last one easy. I just pulled the whole thing up until the rubber body tore out. No harm, no foul. I was planning on replacing all the hardware anyway.

The pump is just held down with Marine Goop. I roughed-up the hull and the pump mounting plate before applying the Goop. This has worked well for me with transducer installations. I’ve had to pry some transducers up with a hammer and screwdriver. I’m sure the pump won’t go anywhere once the Goop cures.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I carefully used a 1" spade bit to bore the hole in the hull for the overboard discharge. I’m always a little nervous when making large holes in the hull. My first thru-hull for a Kayatank was a pretty ugly sight. The bit wobbled and I ended up with a triangular hole on the bottom of my X-Factor. No such problems this time. I threaded the thru-hull fitting in the hole and applied 5200 on the flanges.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

After the Goop had a day to cure, I installed the overboard discharge line.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I was thinking about doing the anti-backflow bend that Jim Day had recommended. Unfortunately, the drop-in tank prevents me from doing this. I’ll monitor it closely on my first few trips to see how much water makes it through the check valve. I’ll probably just use a plug in the overboard discharge. I’m not too worried about going that route. I’m not using an automatic bilge pump, so I don’t have to worry about it inadvertently blocking the discharge. Pumping the bilge will require my action and this will just be part of the procedure. I think Jim’s idea for preventing backflow makes sense; I just didn’t have room to make it work. I also like the idea of a nearly straight discharge line. There is no way the Tygon tube will kink with the setup I’m using.

The inside of my hull is looking a little busy now. We’ll see how this works out.

Getting back in the game

2010-08-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

The brief paddling session at La Jolla, where my sister and I spread our mother's ashes, has rekindled the kayak bug in me. In spite of the back spasms, I felt pretty good. Just getting out on the water after taking three months off was very cool. Every time my back problems force a kayaking hiatus I go into some serious withdrawal symptoms. This time wasn't as bad, because I got totally wrapped up with getting ready for hunting. All the working out to get ready for hunting hasn't really helped the back. I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone, but I haven't killed anything except my back. I might need another epidural to get through deer season and winter yellowtails.

In preparation for future kayaking, I've pulled the old power distribution unit/battery box and replaced it with a new one. The new battery box uses the same Underwater Kinetics waterproof case that I used for the old one. Amazingly, even though I added another battery, I simplified things a little. I've done away with all the lights. The only time I'll ever use anything other than a headlamp is for lobster hooping. For that activity, I think that having a mast-mounted light would be essential. When I need to use the mast light, I'll just make a mast with an integral battery and come up with some sort of temporary mount.

So, here are some pictures showing the construction of the new PDU.

I started out by soldering leads to the switches that I'd be using and then coating the switches in Plastisol. The Plastisol does a great job of waterproofing the switches. After receiving several coats of Plastisol and getting some time to dry, I drilled holes in the case lid and installed the switches.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I decided right from the start that I was not going to use crimped butt splices inside the case. I wanted better electrical connections and more flexibility than crimped connectors would provide. This meant more work, but the final product was worth it. This time I had my handy-dandy Pan-a-Vise, which made the soldering much easier.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I tried to make this as clean and orderly as possible. Again, all connectors had wire markers which were protected with clear heat shrink. I also got to try out the new, programmable bait tank timer from OEX. This is better than having to buy and install a new switch if the water flow needs to be tweaked a little.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

As always, I stuck to the schematic when doing the assembly. I have a tendency to screw things up when I ad lib. This new PDU features two batteries and two separate circuits. The bait tank pump will run off of a 6V 12a-Hr. battery. The 12V system supplies the FF/GPS and the bilge pump. As the bilge pump is only for emergencies, I should get several days of usage from each charge of the 12V battery. This will make extended outings or mothership trips doable without having to take a charger. I've found from experience that the battery will run the pump long after I've reached the 10.2VDC low-voltage shut down point on the FF/GPS. There is no chance that just the FF/GPS will run down the battery to the point that the bilge pump can't do its job.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

With this project, I tried a new assembly approach. Rather than wiring up the system and then installing the parts, I did things in a more logical order. I installed the switches and external cables and then soldered all the wires together. This method is a little more difficult and time consuming, but it made the final routing of wires much easier. The previous PDU was a pain in the butt to wire up. I had already installed the terminal block and I had to attach the connectors to it inside the box. I think I dropped those damned tiny screws a dozen times while installing each connector. This time I made up all the soldered connections and then attached the wires to the terminal block outside the box. With the mounting holes already drilled in the box, mounting the terminal board once it was all wired up was a breeze.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

After all the electrical connections were made, I broke out the multi-meter to do the pre-install testing. I learned my lesson on the last PDU.....never blindly trust my own work. As Ronald Regan said; "Trust, but verify." I made sure that everything worked properly before I installed the terminal board and dressed the wiring. Better safe than sorry.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I could have dressed this out a little neater, but there just wasn't a lot of room in the PDU once the two batteries were installed. My main objective was to ensure that the lid could be opened and closed without crimping wires or pressing on any components or connectors.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The finished product is pretty nice. It sealed up well, so I don't think I'll have to add desiccant packs. All exposed metal and connector pins got a coating of Fluid Film for corrosion prevention. I am going to leave this PDU in the kayak all the time. I will just remove the batteries for charging. I don't like leaving the connectors laying, exposed in the bilge anymore. The Stealth takes on too much water for this to be a good practice. I've already seen some corrosion on the original connectors inside the hull. From now on, I'm only going to pull out the PDU if I have to remove all weight from the yak. I'll just spray the connectors with Fluid Film, plug them in and leave them in place.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Next step is installing the bilge pump and overboard discharge line. I think I'll do that when it cools down a little.

Ask and ye shall receive

2010-08-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

Somebody wants to see some views of the La Jolla shoreline. Here ya' go

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

A view of The Jewell from Torrey Pines

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The La Jolla Shores launch site

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

A big swell at Blacks

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Big surf at Scripps Pier

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Sunrise at La Jolla

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Quiet morning at the point

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The surf picks up

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The sea caves at La Jolla

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Not a good day for paddling

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

This is what kayak fishing is all about

Last trip on the kayak

2010-08-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

My sister, Lori, and I paddled out from La Jolla Shores today to carry out our mother's final request. For years, she used to joke about having me scatter her ashes at the bait barge. She didn't really mean for me to do it at one of the bait receivers; she just liked that term. She was, however, serious about having me scatter her ashes from my kayak. She passed away last September, and ever since I have been planning on carrying out her wishes. Lori and I haven't been able to work it out until now. She was down here to help her daughter move and had some extra time built into the schedule. Things worked out perfectly and we were able to get out to La Jolla this morning. We paddled out to a spot, past the reserve marker buoys, where I usually make bait. I thought this would be fitting and would fulfill Mom's wishes without me having to break state law or annoy the guys at the Everingham Brothers receiver.

Every time I make bait I'll remember this day. I'm sure every mac I catch will have a strong, independent spirit.

Farewell

New kayak plans

2010-04-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

I'm actually thinking about going back to an X-Factor. The Stealth 14 is a nice yak with some very good features, but it does take on a lot of water. I haven't figured out exactly what the cause is. All evidence points to the bow hatch and the center hatches. I don't know if it is one or both. I need to launch from the bay to verify the culprit. If I don't take on any water during the launch, but I come back in wet, I'll know it is the side hatches. I don't mind pumping out the hull occasionally, but this is a little much. I've never had a yak take on this much water before. The X used to get some on surf launches, but after I modified the bow hatch it was significantly reduced. I can mod the bow hatch on the stealth to make it a little more watertight, but I can't do much about those side hatches.

Most of my reasons for going with the Stealth don't seem to make much sense now. The reduction in fabrication and installation time didn't pan out. Now that I have the rear hatch tank storage, I could just drop it into an X-factor with no problems. I could get CJ to make me a Kayatank. The installation would be easy enough as long as I start with a bare yak. Actually, starting with a bare yak would make make a lot of things easier. The rudder installation would definitely be easier. It is ironic, but I overcame most of the issues with the X when I was working on the Stealth. I could apply all of those fixes to a new X. The only concerns I still have about the X-Factor are:
1. Hull thickness and flex. I would go with another heavy layup to help with this problem. I can also reinforce the seat posts and use inflatable fenders or foam in the hull to support the seat.
2. Bow hatch waterproofing. I would need to cut the bow hatch myself to make it a little drier. That should be easy enough
3. Cost. I don't want to lose too much on a replacement. I need to sell the Stealth for at least $500-$600 to make this doable. I don't want to leave the RAM rod holders, FF/GPS, storage box and rudder on it when I sell it. The cost of replacing those would be more than the yak. I'm just hoping I can cobble together enough parts to make the stripped yak worth selling. I can easily add flush-mount rod holders and I think I still have the foot rests and tracks. I would even include the seat and cart with it to get a decent price.

The biggest concern is that it will cost me another couple of weeks of time and effort to make the switch. If I'm going to do it, I've got to make a decision quickly.

Kayaking with Sistah Soujah (actually-Sistah Sailah)

2010-03-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Lori came down for the weekend and we did a little paddling. Lupe, Lori and I hit Mission Bay for a quick paddle sesh on Saturday. Not the best day for paddling; very blustery. Wind and Kayak are not friends. We made the best of it and had some fun.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Bad day on the water

2010-03-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Somebody stole my waders. Got really wet going out. Cold, windy and big swell outside. Nine hours on a broken seat=sore back. No fish, but, on the bright side, I caught a lobster trap. Big surf landing (but dry). Lost my rod carry strap. Came to the realization that my kayak takes on water like a cheap colander.

I've got until Saturday to try and fix the seat, or get another. At least Lori gave me a gift certificate to OEX.

Protecting the hull of my kayak

2010-03-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dragging a plastic kayak around takes a toll on the hull. The wear is especially bad if you drag it on concrete or asphalt. With the height of my truck rack I'm forced to rest the kayak on the stern when I take it down. While I try to put a mat down on which to rest the stern, there is always some amount of dragging. This has started to wear down my stern. There was actually enough wear that it had really started to concern me. At this rate I would have a hole in the stern before my yak was 6 months old. I started looking for solutions almost as soon as I noticed the wear. I had looked into some likely options, but all had some drawbacks; not durable, too much effort to fabricate, etc. When I was at the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach I discussed the problem with Mark Olsen, a sales manager for Ocean Kayak. He told me that some people were making skid pads from JB Weld. Having just reinforced my new kayak cart with JB Weld, I could see how this might work. Mark assured me that the JB Weld would bond well to the hull if the plastic was roughed up with sandpaper. Sounded good to me.

I went out and bought 4 packs of JB Weld. I used some 100 grit sandpaper to rough the hull along the keel and then masked it off with electrical tape. I mixed up three packs of the JB Weld and got to work with a putty knife. The epoxy went on easily enough, but soon started dripping. I had to quickly flip the kayak over to keep it from dripping all over my tailgate. I think I should have applied it a little bit thinner. There was just too much epoxy to set quickly. I had to flip the kayak twice to try and control the running. In the end, I had to remove the tape and smooth it out with a putty knife. That's when it went from looking kind of professionally done to looking like a typical Gax job. Oh well. It isn't there for looks; it is there to protect the kayak.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

In addition to the JB Weld, I also stuck a piece of aluminum strip into the JB Weld at the very tip of the stern. I coated the strip in JB Weld as well. If it works as envisioned, the aluminum strip will take the majority of the wear as I load and unload my kayak.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

This detail view shows the aluminum strip embedded in the JB Weld. It needs another coat of the JB Weld to fill the gaps.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

We'll see how this works. I think it should be effective.

Personal best white seabass

2010-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Posted March 12th

We have had a lot of rain and windy weather over the last week, with the prime fishing days being washed out. Thursday was the first good window of opportunity. Based on the weather reports, it looked like the wind and swell had dropped off enough to be fishable. Well, the wind had calmed, but the surf at the launch was a little hairy. Not South Africa hairy, but hairy for us. I'm used to paddling out through gentle little ankle-slappers, not fast-period, thumping breakers. I have some sort of mental impairment that prevents me from identifying and timing sets, so this was quite a challenge. After watching two or three folks charge out ahead of me, I thought that I had the sets timed. I saw a gap and jumped onto the yak. Just as I started paddling, three close-stacked waves started to hump up out of nowhere. Nothing to do but grit my teeth and dig in. Three to the chest and now my yak seems really heavy. I'm just not moving very fast. One after another, I get pummeled by these beasts. Just when I think I'm clear, the big one rears up ahead of me. I can't get up enough speed to meet it before it breaks. Just as it reaches me, the lip curls over into a beautiful tube. I look up at it and cringe. Blam! The bow of my Stealth 14 cut cleanly into the face of the wave just as the curl dumped on my head. So much for my hopes of getting out dry. I popped out on the back side and I notice that my bow hatch is a little tweaked. I put the hammer down and got clear of the breakers before the next big one came through. Quite the roller coaster ride. As I moved away from shore I started to notice just how big the swells were. The depth readings on my FF were oscillating by 10ft as I rode from peak to trough. Fortunately, I stayed out long enough for the swell to die down.

The first three hours were unproductive and then I started to see some bird activity. I made the 2 mile paddle over to the birds to see what was shakin'. At first I thought that I had just wasted an hour of paddling. When I got to the birds, most of them were just sitting on the water. It looked like the bite had died out. There were no meter marks and no diving birds. After trolling through the birds for a while, I realized that they were just sitting on the water eating bait. There was an enormous amount of krill on the surface and the birds were just picking at them. Soon, the bait fish (Pacific chub mackerel) started rippling the surface; feeding on the krill. Still no meter marks on bigger predators. I trolled through about 5 miles of birds without seeing anything.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I made a wide, slow turn back to the north and came back in slightly shallower water (80'-90'). Jackpot. I started seeing meter marks everywhere; bait balls and strong arches. I trolled back through this very fishy area for over an hour with no success. I had a few baits taken, but nothing stuck.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

A little after noon, the clicker on my port troll rod starts screaming. I put away my jig stick and got ready for the fight. I wanted to reel in my other trolled mac, but I was losing line on the other so fast I decided not to. The fish fought extremely hard and had me a little confused. It seemed to be stronger than the 75lb thresher shark that I had C&R a few days earlier, but I couldn't feel the tail beats. Eventually, it ended up in a vertical battle under the yak. I would take some line and the fish would head back down. It was a stalemate for while and then the fish began to tire. I quickly got it to the surface and saw a nice sized white sea bass. I gaffed it and dragged it onto my lap.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

It was little too big to fit in the insulated fish bag.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I did the 'happy paddle' in with this beast between my legs. I'm glad the surf had died down, as I might have had some difficulty landing with it in my lap.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

46.5lbs on the certified scale at OEX

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Lots of meat on this pig. The vacuum sealer was busy into the wee hours of the morning.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Paddling the Stealth 14

2010-03-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

I took the Stealth 14 out for a few shakedown cruises before I got serious about fishing. There were no big surprises. The hull is nearly the same as that of the X-Factor, so performance is nearly the same. There is no doubt about it; it is a big kayak.

Handling ashore.
This is really where you notice the size of a kayak like the Stealth 14 or X-Factor. There is just no getting around the size and weight. If you are a little guy, have to carry the yak inside every day, load it on an SUV alone, or cart it a long way to the launch, this yak might be a little too much. If you don't mind a little effort to enjoy your sport then this is going to be right up your alley. The Stealth 14 is wide (33") and a little heavy (64lbs), but this is relative. Most fishing kayaks weigh between 58 and 64lbs, are between 29"-34" wide and 12-15 feet in length. There isn't actually much difference between most fishing kayaks. How easy a kayak is to move on land is often not as much a function of size and weight as it is......more on this later. Need to prepare for tomorrow's trip.

Finishing work on the Stealth 14

2010-03-17T12:24:00.001-07:00

When I last reported on my progress I had just finished plumbing the bait tank and was working on the rudder. The rudder installation went well, but I was forced to use some hardware that I wouldn't normally have chosen. The rudder kit is a Wilderness systems model that is designed for their kayaks. While it works well on the Stealth, the Stealth wasn't really designed with a rudder in mind. As such, I've had to make some modifications. I was forced to use well nuts to attach the rudder lift lines guides to the side of the hull. The Stealth cockpit design also leaves few decent options for routing the rudder cables. In fact, you really can't even use the cables. I opted for 1.8mm Dyneema dinghy line instead of the stainless cable. I prefer the line over the cable and would have used it anyways. The real stumbling block is the cockpit rail cutout for the side hatches. while these hatches are convenient, they preclude the option of internally routing the rudder cables for their full length.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

As you can see from the photo, at least 12 inches of the rudder lines are exposed on each side. Not only is this a little unsightly, the lines get in the way of the hatch covers and they tend to get caught on things. I understand that Malibu is working up a fix for this; some sort of conformal plastic tube guide. That doesn't do me much good, but I will deal with it. On the subject of rudders; some will say that they aren't even necessary. I agree with this only to a point. The Stealth 14 tracks well enough without the rudder; maybe not quite as well as a Prowler Trident, but well enough for a large yak. I can say definitively that it tracks better than my old Ocean Kayak Drifter. That being said, there are many (if not all) situations where having the rudder is a distinct advantage. I don't buy the argument that the rudder installation or maintenance outweigh the benefit. Maintenance is practically nil and you only have to install it once. You will reap the benefits of using the rudder ever time you paddle. For me, with a bad back and a shoulder that seems on the verge of going south, the benefit of having a rudder is enormous. I can concentrate on maintaining a smooth, symmetrical paddle stroke, regardless of wind conditions. That alone probably adds hours to my endurance. As way of example, I spent 11 hours on the water Monday in breezy conditions. If I had to constantly correct my drift with paddle strokes, I doubt I could have lasted more than 5 or 6 hours. So enough of that. The Stealth 14 isn't a rudder-friendly design, but you can easily make it work. The rudder pedal rails went on with only a little drama. The hole pattern on the rails doesn't quite line up with the nut inserts on my Stealth. I should have checked both before drilling. I checked one and it fit, so I expected the other to fit, as well. Wrong. Not a problem. I just milled some oval holes in place of the round. I also added a third attachment point for a through-hull bolt. No way these are coming off, even if I do a lot of stomping on them in the surf. I had to attach an eyelet at the front of the footwell for a bungee pedal retention system. There is no stop on the foot pedal rails, so the pedal slide will fall out when lifting the yak onto the truck. The retention bungees were a piece of cake. I was even thinking about routing the bungee through the hull to connect the two pedals. This would allow feedback from one pedal to the other. I might do that in the future, but I wanted to keep things as simple and light as possible. The supplied rudder mount is a little long for the Stealth hull. This isn't much of a problem unless you are going to carry the kayak on a truck rack. The angle of the kayak when you lift the bow up to the rack pretty much assures that you will be resting on the rudder mount and not the hull. This isn't a huge issue. I just need to be careful when taking the kayak off the rack. I also had to cut the rudder post down to fit the mount.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The fish finder mount was a bit of a quandary. I've always had the FF head unit mounted on the centerline of the kayak. This has always been problematic. If it is mounted far enough forward to be out of the way, it isn't easily accessible while fishing. Mounting it closer makes it easy to operate, but it gets in the way when getting on the kayak and when trying to land a big fish. I decided to go with a cockpit rail mount this time. I always mount the kayak from the port side, so it would have to go on the starboard cockpit rail. This position makes it a little difficult to straddle the kayak, but it is the best overall position.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The FF head unit is mounted on a 6" RAM mount. The articulated RAM mount allows for a great deal of positioning flexibility. I can move it so that it is close enough to easily operate without having to lean forward and also rotate it completely out of the way for surf landings.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The transducer installation was an absolute cluster-frak from the very beginning. I started with the notion of doing a wet well transducer installation. The theory behind this is that there is no layer of Goop or 5200 to interfere with the signal. You make a little well, attach it to the hull and then set the transducer in the well. Many have tried this mounting method and it works well. I have done over a half dozen Goop/5200 installs with very good success, so why did I want to try this? I don't know. I am always looking at different options for the yak. I thought I should give this one a try. Experience told me that this was going to be a problem, but I didn't listen to the smart voices in my head. The 'try something new' voices in my head prevailed. The only smart thing that I did was to publicly make the statement that if it didn't work right the first time, I was going to rip it out and go back to the Goop.

The first obstacle to overcome is the giant skimmer transducer that came with my Lowrance LMS-527. Did I mention that the transducer is huge? Too big for the traditional wet well made from 3" or 4" PVC pipe. As the LMS-527 is no longer in production, there aren't many transducer options from Lowrance. Most of the compatible transducers are large or ungodly expensive. I almost wish I still had the Humminbird with its huge selection of cheap transducers. I would have said screw the wet mount and gone with a a thru-hull mount if they weren't so damned expensive. The thru-hull dual frequency transducer was $869. That's just crazy. That's nearly what I paid for my kayak. Cost was going to force me to stick with my current transducer; and that meant a big wet well. When the PVC pipe wouldn't work I started thinking of other materials. I had used clear Lexan for other projects and it seemed like a good bet. I bought several Lexan sheets from Lowes and commenced to make a wet well. The most difficult part was cutting the hull contour on the front and back walls. I got a contour gauge and managed to get a pretty good representation of the hull contour cut into the Lexan.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I reinforced the corners and edges with thin aluminum angle. I even cut a small fill port with a fill plug. As I was putting this together I realized that it was an all-or-nothing proposition. If it didn't work once it was glued into the hull, there was no real remedy.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I used 3M 5200 for the seal to the hull. 5200 is more flexible than Goop and you need that to maintain a good bond to the hull. I added a layer of Marine Goop over the side angle to get more mechanical strength.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

It worked well enough on the shakedown cruise, but there wasn't a huge performance difference between the wet well and previous Goop-to-hull mounts. The second time out it dropped the kayak as I was getting it off the truck. The shock evidently cracked the Goop that was used to seal the corners. The water slowly leaked out over the course of the first few hours on the water. I probably could have Gooped all the seams again and solved the problem, but I was in no mood to do that. As soon as I got home I tore the well out. I Gooped the transducer down on a flat portion of the hull outboard of the bait tank. I don't know if it was the good Goop job or the position, but I've never had such good sonar performance. I can easily track jigs and even sibiki rigs down at least 100'. Should have just gone with that from the start. I could have saved myself quite a bit of time and effort. Damnit. I should learn which voices in my head to listen to.

After clipping in my new GTS Expedition seat I realized that it overhung the bait tank hatch. The hatch is pretty big and probably any seat would have clearance issues.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

The answer was to cut out the existing small screw-in hatch and replace it with a larger one. after a failed attempt to mount an 8" Beckson deck plate-style hatch, I ended up using a 10" hinged hatch.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

One of my big gripes with the X-Factor was that the rear hatch was so close to the water line it was unsafe to open in choppy conditions. The Stealth 14 design has addressed this problem by raising the lower lip of the hatch by about an inch. In spite of this, I wanted a little bit more margin when accessing the rear hatch. When I had the X, I had come up with an idea to solve with problem and give me a little extra storage space. I really wanted to do away with the milk crate in the tank well and move that storage volume to the rear hatch. My solution was to convert a drop-in bait tank to a hatch extension/storage box. The idea was to bolt the tank directly to the hull. The plan went a little astray when my kayak arrived. I meant to have the factory install only the forward and center hatches. I wanted to cut out the rear to get the closest fit with the drop-in tank. Well, I didn't tell them and the kayak arrived with all the hatches already installed. Bummer. The tank doesn't fit close enough to the hatch rim to allow through-bolts to be used. I was forced to attach 1" aluminum angle to the forward and aft sides of the tank and bolt through this to mounts on the hull.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I bolted some aluminum box beam to the hull and then used 1/4-20 well nuts as the attachment points. It took a bit of work, but it is very light and seems like it is bomb-proof. I cut the bottom out of the tank, flipped it over and reattached with straps.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

A couple of pieces of aluminum angle on the sides act as stops, to prevent the inner hatch from falling through. This allows me to put the battery box/PDU underneath and still use the top part of the tank for storage.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

To complete the hatch extension/storage box I added some rod holders. To attach these I had to remove the threaded fittings that were installed in the tank. I cut these out with a Dremmel tool, cut discs out of a spare piece of hull and then plastic welded the discs in place. With the rod holders in place you can hardly see the weld marks.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Adding the rod holders seemed to double the weight of the whole assembly. I might replace the PVC tubes that I am currently using with a lighter plastic type. I might just eliminate them altogether. I'm going to give it a few more trips before I decide.

The electrical system was fairly straight-forward, if somewhat time consuming to put together. I used nearly the same setup as I had on the X-Factor. I just simplified things a little on the schematic and started wiring.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I tried to be as methodical as possible as I started assembly.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I used wire markers for everything.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

I didn't solder most of the wire connections this time. I had access to plenty of marine-grade butt connectors with adhesive heat shrink. These are a little chunkier than soldered splices, but take much less time.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Here is the finished product.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

All the wiring was dressed as neatly as possible for such a small unit. The 'Curious George' LED lights on the front of the battery box/PDU are meant to light up the hull from within.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

This is mostly for show, as they will kill my battery life. Still; it is very cool to see the entire hull glow from within. I can use that when I'm hooping for lobster in the bay. I won't need the bait tank pump, so I won't have to worry about battery consumption. It should make me a little more visible than a single white lite on a pole.

Rod holders were the last step. I had intended to use all RAM tubes instead of flush mounts. The rods sit too low in the flush mounts and the reels get splashed quite a bit. The RAM tubes get the reels out of the splash zone. My only concern with the RAM tubes is that they are heavier than other rod holders. I've used the aluminum tubes in the past. They were heavy enough and I didn't even want to think about how much the stainless steel tubes weighed. Fortunately, OEX now carries the new composite RAM tubes. These are much lighter than the aluminum tubes and they have a flared lip and leash attachment points.

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Now, after having spent over forty hours on the water fishing with them, I realize that they are not perfect. They just don't grip the ball as well as the aluminum rod holders. I even tried scuffing the inner surface of the clamp with some coarse-grit sandpaper to no avail. My last time out I couldn't keep them in position. After fighting a fish for a while, I noticed that two of the rods holders had slipped down and the reels were underwater. Now that's some bad juju. The next step is to grind some shallow groves in the clamp face with a Dremmel tool. If that doesn't work I'm replacing them with the aluminum tubes. It sucks that I just sold the three old aluminum tubes that I had left over from my Prowler.

Here is the end product

From The Overloaded Kayak Images

Next post I'll give my impressions of how she paddles.

No name for her yet, but I'll come up with one soon.

Catching up on the blogging

2010-03-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

It has only been three weeks. I've got nothing to apologize for. Well......actually, I've been somewhat remiss with my blogging duties. That is just the life of a serious procrastinator. I have all sorts of time to write when I'm not doing anything interesting, but no time to blog when I'm actually doing something blog-worthy. Oh well; I'll break this down into a bunch of little chunks and knock 'em out one at a time.

Done!!!

2010-02-14T00:12:00.000-08:00

Nuff said. Pictures later. I'm going to sleep now.

I'm So Slooooooooooow

2010-02-10T01:14:00.000-08:00

Back when I used to do all my kayak work alone in the man-cave (my office at NAVSEA Balboa), nobody ever knew just how much time I take when outfitting a kayak. I think I took a month on my first Prowler and nobody realized. Nobody knew just what a slug I can be. Nobody ever watched me spend an hour laying out the exact positions for the switches on the power distribution unit. Nobody was around to time me as I pondered just what the best position would be for my fish finder. Nobody ever checked the clock as I applied three coats of Starbright to seal a switch. Nobody until now. And it's not like my wife is timing me. She knows that I waste a lot of time; in fact, she expects me to waste time. No, this is worse. I've chosen to do all the work on my yak in plain view of a bunch of kayak professionals. That's right; people who can outfit a kayak in an afternoon. As I work on my yak over at OEX, I have put myself on display. My slow-ass thought/work processes on display for all to see....and comment on. Bets are being made on how many more days it will take me to finish. I've only been working on it since last Tuesday. That's blazing progress by my standards, but, sadly, not by the pros. Oh well; at least I entertain them with the crazy crap that I do with a kayak. I should probably finish this week, or Brent is going to start charging me rent.

In all honesty, I'm getting close to finishing up. I've got most of the cutting, drilling, welding, bolting and bashing done, and I'm now working on the electrical system. I'll see if I can finish up on Wednesday (I think I said that last Tuesday as well). I need to wrap things up so I can start doing some real work.

Gettin' to work

2010-02-01T22:58:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went to OEX to do the leak check on my new kayak. This was my first 'hands-on' with the new yak and, I must admit, I was giddy as a schoolgirl. The long wait was well worth it, as this is one helluva kayak. Obviously, the first thing I noticed was the weight. I had been second guessing getting the heavy layup. Worries about the weight being too much for my back to handle had been my primary concern. Well, she is a bit of a hefty gal, but not excessively so. They only added an extra seven pounds to the mold, so it really isn't that bad. You can tell the difference between the heavy layup and standard models, but it isn't like she's made of concrete. Honestly, I was expecting worse. There is no denying that she is mighty unwieldy on dry land; however, I'm used to that. The X-Factor was a beast to wrestle around the house. If she is anything like the X, the weight and bulk will not be a factor once in the water. I've got a good truck rack and good set of wheels, so I should be all right. I am even going to improve the truck rack with an extended, lower hull roller to make loading easier. I think that should negate the issues with my back. Paddling never aggravated the back problem; only loading the yak on the truck. In fact, paddling helped increase my core muscle strength and actually helped alleviate some of the pain.

Other than the weight, my first impression is that this is one sturdy yak. All the new Stealth models seem to be much more rigid than the old X-Factor. This one is even more so. I did some very advanced QC and materials checks on the hull; I thumped it all over with my knuckles. All that thumping was rewarded with a very satisfying dull thud of a thick, rigid hull. She feels much like my old Ocean Kayak Drifter; very tank-like. Many yakkers are always looking for the lightest possible yak; not me. I want a solid, durable hull that I can have confidence in. I've always thought that if you are going to paddle a little plastic boat several miles offshore, you should have the strongest, most durable hull you can get. Fishing on Tupperware has some inherent risks; so you might as well stack the odds in you favor whenever possible.

Two things really stood out when examining the Stealth 14; all the improvements in design and the fit and finish. Malibu has quite clearly been listening to the feedback from dealers and customers. There have been many modifications since the first Stealth hit the market. Hatch closures have been made more watertight, and are easier to operate on the water. There is now a flat spot on the underside of the hull where the bait tank pump thru-hull fitting is located. The seat attachment points are stronger; using a threaded plug instead of the old riveted eyelets. Most importantly, the scuppers have been strengthened. The scupper design is much more robust than that on the old X-Factor. Overall, the fit and finish on the Stealth is excellent. I was very impressed on my first inspection. The deck fittings are neat and clean, with no burrs or stray plastic. The hull seam is clean and smooth everywhere, even in the scuppers.

The leak check went quickly. I didn't expect any leaks, but I always want to be sure before heading out on the water. We put the yak on the back porch and I stuffed a bunch of PFD under each side of the hull to keep her level and well supported. I filled her up to the hatch frame and had no leakage. With that done, I dropped in the bait tank pump to empty the hull. The 500GPH Tsunami pump made relatively quick work of all that water. Satisfied with the hull, we carried her back to the storage area. It was too late to start any mods. I made plans to come back on Monday to start work.

I came back today and got started with plumbing the bait tank. Installation of the bait tank pump and associated plumbing was very straight-forward, with no surprises. It definitely is easier and quicker than installing a Kayatank. All access for the pump install is through the port side hatch. The hatch is a little small and some things need to be done with one hand, but it didn't present any real problems. I bought a 1" hole saw bit for this install. When I did the Kayatank on my X-Factor, I used a paddle blade drill bit and was less than thrilled with the results. I didn't hold the drill steady enough and wound up with a slightly triangular hole. I used a ton of 5200 on that one to make sure that it wouldn't be a problem. This time the hole saw worked a treat. I got a perfectly circular hole that the pump threaded onto. After a dry fit to check placement, I measured and cut the Tygon supply tube for the bait tank. Once I was satisfied with the placement and alignment, I removed everything and broke out the 3M 5200. I haven't used 5200 since I did my first Prowler back in 2005. I was much more careful with it this time and didn't make quite as much mess. I put a bead on the inside hull flange and threaded the pump back into the hull. Once properly aligned I ran a bead on the flanged side of the thru-hull nut. I used a Marelon nut for durability. I had previously cut about a quarter inch off the threaded suction. This makes it just the right length to add a strainer. Rather than use a slotted plastic strainer that butts up to the thru-hull nut, I bought a SS mesh strainer. The mesh strainer is raised about a quarter inch higher than the slotted type. I'm not Gooping the strainer in place until I check the effectiveness of each type. The adjustable sprayer nozzle for the tank went in without a hitch. Even though the spray nozzle is adjustable, I'm going to use a 7-14 timer on the pump. I figure I might as well save some of that battery juice.

I ran into a few snags with the rudder installation. OEX has been using the new Wilderness Systems rudder package on Malibu yaks. This rudder is a significant improvement over the old plastic CoD rudders that Malibu was using for a couple of years. The Wilderness Systems rudder is metal and has metal tracks for the foot pedals. This is the first rudder system that I have seen that compares to the Feathercraft rudder that I had on my X-Factor. If anything, the Wilderness Systems rudder is better than the Feathercraft. I'm glad that OEX had the Wilderness rudder available. After the recent, sudden demise of Kayak Fishing Stuff, there is no single source for Feathercraft rudders, foot pedals and mounting hardware. Unfortunately. due to recent design changes, the hole pattern on the metal foot pedal tracks no longer matches the threaded inserts on the Stealth. After enlarging one of the holes, I was able to get the tracks installed on the middle and aft threaded inserts. I marked and drilled out a hole for the forward screw. The forward attachment point will have a thru-bolt into the hull. That is the only location that you can reach to put on the nut. With that work done, the sun setting and my wife calling for me, I decided to call it quits for the day. I'll be back tomorrow to finish the rudder installation and start on the rod holders and FF mount. Making a wet well for the transducer is going to take some time, ingenuity and good old-fashioned trial and error. I'll probably be at OEX most of the day. Brent was generous enough to offer use of the shop to work on my yak. He knows that I have no room at home and that I need to have the yak up on a rack to work on it. Without use of his kayak racks I don't think there is any way I would be able to get this work done. My back just wouldn't be able to take all that bending and lifting. One more reason that OEX is the best kayak shop ever......EVER!

Stealth 14 mods

2010-01-22T00:40:00.000-08:00

I stopped by OEX today to buy a few things and take some measurements on a Stealth 14. I'm just getting ready for the modifications that I need to make on the new yak. I've got just about everything I'll need to get the job done. Aside from the electrical system, the biggest headache will be fabricating a wet well for the sonar transducer. I am going to make the well out of clear Lexan and aluminum angle. Trying to get the bottom contour for the well is going to be the most challenging part of the process. Without a belt sander this process will take some time.

With any luck, the rain will clear out this weekend and I can get the kayak leak checked. I should be able to get the rest of the work done next week. I hope to get everything done in time for the next full moon (1-30-10). Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to start fishing then.

I swung by La Jolla today to have a look. Glad I wasn't fishing in this. Total 'Victory at Sea' out there today.

The Stealth 14 has arrived

2010-01-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

At the Paul Lebowitz appreciation BBQ on Saturday, Brent Torgeson informed me that my Stealth 14 had arrived with the last shipment of Malibu kayaks. They haven't even unwrapped it yet, but they could tell that it was mine. They heavy layup is 7lbs heavier than a standard Stealth. I think I'll go over to check it out on Tuesday, but I will probably have to wait until the rain ends before I can properly leak check and accept it. That will be Friday, if the forecasts are correct. I can't wait to get out for a test paddle. More updates to come.

Getting closer to the launch of the Stealth 14

2010-01-12T23:11:00.000-08:00

I went back to OEX Mission Bay today and spoke to Brent and C.J. about the new yak. Brent said that it was possible that I might get it on Thursday of this week. That was a pleasant surprise. Another nice surprise was the price. Brent gave me a great deal on the kayak and the rudder kit. I almost saved enough on the yak to convince myself to go get a new fish finder/GPS. I actually went to West Marine to look at a Lowrance HDS-5. Ay, chihuahua; $799! I didn't save that much on the yak. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be happy with my 527.

While at West Marine I started getting some of the things that I'll need for the new yak. I picked up an 8" clear Beckson deckplate hatch that I'm going to put in the live well hatch. I want a clear hatch so I can keep an eye on my bait and the level in the well. I also got a Marelon 3/4" flange nut for the livewell pump intake. I wanted to use a Marelon nut instead of the cheap nylon fittings that come with the pump. I figure that with a lot of 3M 5200 and a flange nut on both sides of the hull, the through hull connection should be pretty strong.

The only thing that I'm still debating is the Malibu drop-in bait tank for the rear hatch. I was going to use one with the X-Factor, but I dropped the idea when I switched to the Stealth 14. Malibu re-designed the rear deck to raise the hatch lip by an inch. This keeps it a little higher out of the water. My first idea was to permanently bolt the tank into hatch rim and use it for additional storage and access to the hull. I planned on cutting the bottom out of the tank and adding a little net basket. This would allow me to store some things in the tank and still have access to the hull. After more discussions with C.J., I am leaning back towards getting the tank. Having the tank permanently installed might make it difficult to stow flat upside-down, but it will make it much more fishable. Having the tank permanently installed will also give me a good place to put all the switches for the electrical components.

I plan on installing foam blocks under the seat and near the scuppers to take the load off the scupper posts. I'm also going to reinforce the scuppers with PVC pipe. I am hoping that the heavy layup and supports under the cockpit will make this a very sturdy kayak. The foam blocks won't add much weight and they will spread the load away from the scupper posts.

Fortunately, I don't have much more that I need to buy for the new yak. I've got three boxes of various pieces and parts left over from the seven previous kayaks I've worked on. The only things I still need are a RAM rod holder, plastic rudder cable tube and possibly the drop-in bait tank. I may go with just two RAM rod holders for the trolling rods and then make a rocket launcher from SS handrail. I still haven't made up my mind on that one. It will be very effective and look nice, but the weight is an issue. I am still trying to keep this as simple and lightweight as possible.

Changed my mind

2010-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was dead set on getting a new Malibu X-Factor. I had been planning on doing this for most of the last year and my mind was made up. I had rejected the idea of getting a Malibu Stealth 14 before because of two factors; the load capacity of the Stealth was 50lbs less than the X-Factor and they had a crappy layout for a rudder installation. I had completely dismissed the Stealth for those reasons. After spending an hour or so talking to C.J. at OEX, my rational for choosing the X-Factor seemed somewhat flawed. It was going to take quite a lot of work and a good bit of money to get the X-Factor modified to suit my needs.

The more we talked about the options on the Stealth, the more I realized that it was a better choice. C.J. pointed out that the 50lb difference in load capacity was likely due to the molded-in bait tank. Since I had planned on installing a Kayatank internal bait tank in the X it is likely that I would have reduced the capacity by a similar amount. As OEX has terminated production of the Kayatank, I would have had to go with a salvaged tank. The cost difference between the Stealth and X with the Kayatank wasn't significant and the Kayatank would require more time and effort to install.

The installation of a Kayatank on an X limits on-the-water access to the hull. You can only use the bow and stern hatches. If you are taking on water and need to pump out the hull on an X you have some problems. The rear hatch lip is too close to the waterline to open it in rough seas or if you have taken on water. The bow hatch is the only pump-out option, but crawling up to get to the forward hatch straps might be dicey if you have a significant amount of water in the hull. The Stealth has a small hatch outboard of the bait tank for access to the hull. It would be easy to pump out the hull from this hatch. I was planning on installing the drop in bait tank on the X to serve as a hatch extender/additional storage/hull access. With the Stealth I won't have to do that. Advantage - Stealth

The only real design flaw on the Stealth is the cockpit rail outboard of the two small hatches. In making room for the small hatch lids to open, Malibu forgot that the rudder cable normally runs through this area. With the current Stealth design, the rudder cables will be exposed at this point. Your thighs/knees will be resting on the cables. I really don't like this, but I'll bite the bullet and deal with it. I'm definitely not using the stainless steel cables that come with the rudder. I already picked up a spool of 1.8mm diameter Dyneema Spiderline. I used that for the rudder cables on my X-Factor, so I think it will work. At least it won't be pulling the hairs off the side of my leg the way the SS cable would.

So now things will be much, much easier. Plumbing the bait tank in the Stealth only requires drilling two hull penetrations. I am going to install an 8" circular hatch in the middle of the bait tank hatch. The bait tank hatch is just too large to easily open while on the water. Installing the circular hatch should be a breeze. I think I'll route the electrical up to a waterproof enclosure behind the seat. The only things that I'll have to install myself will be the electrical system, fish finder and rod holders. This is a major advantage over the X-Factor. Modifying the X would have taken quite a bit of work. Since my back is still AFU, anything that I can do to limit the amount of bending and kneeling that I have to do is a benefit. As I don't have a proper workspace anymore, any work that I have to do on my new yak will be on the living room floor and will necessitate a lot of kneeling and bending at the waist. If I have to do too much of that, I won't be able paddle for six months after I finish the work.

Brent, from OEX, placed the order with Malibu last week. I'm getting a yellow Stealth 14 heavy layup (7lbs of extra plastic used in the mold). Brent should be giving me the quote sometime this week. If all goes well, I'll get it before the end of the month. I'm almost giddy in anticipation. This is a bit of a gamble for me. I haven't paddled in a while and I have now idea how my back will respond. I am hoping that the paddling will strengthen my core and help with my back problems. As long as I can get the yak on and off my truck without F'n up my back I'll be OK. I seem to have overcome the dehydration issues that caused the muscle cramping and back spasms when I was paddling last year. As I said, it is a big gamble. If I jack up my back again, I'm giving up kayaking altogether. I just have to do this to prove to myself that I can. Its been an obsession of mine for a while now. Ever since I hurt my back I've felt like all the fun things that I enjoyed in life had been taken from me. However crazy and ill-advised, I need to try kayaking again. It will be one little triumph over my stupid spine. One thing in life that I can get back. Or maybe I'm just OCD.......I don't know. All I know is that I miss being out on the water.

New kayak in the works

2009-12-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

I went to OEX yesterday to start the ball rolling on the new yak. They are checking with Malibu to find out just how much extra material is added to the rental yak molds. The Impression that I get is that it is a set amount and I won't have much choice. That's fine with me. I don't need a tank; just a sturdy yak. I might not be able to get started on the new yak for a while. Brent informed me that they don't do many X-Factor production runs anymore. I don't know what the schedule looks like, but I imagine it will be sometime in January before I see the new yak. I also found out that OEX isn't making Kayatanks anymore. I'll have to get CJ to make me one from the left-over material. No major delays to worry about. I'm starting to gather the bits and pieces that will be installed. Between the four different parts boxes in my office, I already have most of what I need.

I'm getting psyched. The latest YT reports have me more determined than ever to get this show on the road.

Is it in my genes?

2009-12-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

From Family photos for web

Is it possible that I got my love of unstable watercraft from my Dad? That is my dad, paddling a canoe on Lake Washington circa 1960. Dad also taught me to fish.

From Family photos for web

Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a fisherman.

From Family photos for web

That's him on the left; holding the well-at-least-I-didn't-get-skunked fish.

Time for the new kayak

2009-12-16T01:13:00.000-08:00

The time has finally come - I'm going to buy a new kayak. I am paying off my truck and the rest of my bills this week and I'll have enough spare change to get the yak. It has taken me a few months more than I expected, but the time has come. I will be heading over to the OEX Mission Bay store soon to order a custom Malibu X-Factor. I've already talked to Brent, the owner of OEX, about what I want. This X-Factor is going to be molded with additional material to make the hull a little thicker and more durable. The manufacturers sometimes do this with kayaks that are made for use with rental fleets. I'm not sure exactly how much more material they will use, but Brent thinks it will be about 5lbs. heavier. This might be my first non-yellow kayak. All of my Ocean Kayaks were yellow, as was my old X-Factor. The yellow used on the Malibu kayaks is a little dull and pale for my liking. I think I'll go with the mango instead. I still haven't decided yet. I am ordering this yak without any rod holders installed. The only flush mount rod holder that is going on this yak will be on the ridge, forward of the cup holder. I only need that one holder forward of the seat. I will also order the kayak without the hatches installed. I want to cut my own hatches, so I can do some special modifications. I will cut the forward hatch small and then roll the lip up. Doing this and adding whether seal tape to the underside of the forward hatch should keep a lot of the water out on those surf launches. I will also cut the center hatch and install my own Kayatank. The rear hatch will be modified to accept a converted X-Factor bait tank. I am going to permanently install the tank and seal the seam where it meets the hatch rim. The bottom of the tank will be removed to allow acess to the hull. The purpose of this mod is to keep the rear hatch well above the waterline. When my previous X-Factor was fully loaded, the bottom of the rear hatch was only an inch or two above the water. I never felt comfortable opening that hatch in choppy seas. I still need to work out the routing of cables and switch placement, but all of that will likely be on the side of the tank. The CoD rudders that Malibu sells are too flimsy, so I'll be installing a Feathercraft rudder system from Kayak Fishing Stuff. The only deck hardware will be a few nylon eyelets for leashes, bow and stern SS U-bolts for towing and lifting and two cleats on the starboard side. This yak will have far fewer rodholders that my previous. I'll have one 'assist' flush mount between my legs, two RAM tubes just behind the seat and three fixed tubes on the tank. I will also have one fixed gaff holder on the tank. I am trying to keep the weight and complexity to a minimum on this yak. The Lowrance 527c FF/GPS is going on a 6" RAM mount on the forward end of the center ridge.

This should be a pretty straight-forward installation. It is a little more work than I have done in the past, but I think it will go well. I've done most of these mods before. This mods for this new yak will address all the issues I had with the last X-Factor. It should be a cleaner, stripped-down version of the last. I will document the steps as I go through the installations and mods. It should be fun. You'll get to watch as I ruin my back and make a mess of the house over the next few months.

Fond Memories: San Carlos Mothership Trip

2009-07-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

The following trip report was posted on BWE after I returned from an epic mothership trip on the Sea of Cortez.

Part 1

Ten of us went to San Carlos last week for an OEX sponsored mothership trip aboard the El Duque. The weather and fishing were a little challenging, but we had a good group of anglers who made the best of what Baja had to offer.

We loaded up our kayaks and gear on the trailer at OEX on Tuesday and left for San Carlos early Wednesday morning. The plan was to get to Tucson Airport at 1pm to meet up with Seamus, co-owner of the dive boat El Duque. We got a good start, but Tyler and his peanut-sized bladder had us stopping at every rest stop and gas station. Just when we got past El Centro, Adi had a client emergency and had to stop to talk him down off the ledge. So what do nine guys do while standing in the middle of the desert waiting for somebody to get off the phone? That's right; throw rocks at a metal road sign (right in front of the Caltrans service yard). After several hundred rocks were chucked in the general vicinity of the sign some lucky bastard finally hit it. Hooray; buy that man a beer. After Adi finished his call, nine guys with sore shoulders climbed back into the vehicles and we're off again. Passing through El Centro we see a promising sight.....lots of lamb

That's got to be a sign. We've already heard several hours of Adi telling us about the Mother Of All Lamb that he caught down in Baja. Maybe we'll all get some lamb.
We get to Tuscon a couple of hours late and meet Seamus at the long-term parking. My peanut-size bladder caused the last couple of stops, so Tyler was off the hook for making us late. We quickly shift the trailer over to the van and were off.

The trip to the border goes quickly, but the crossing takes a little time due to....who knows. Seamus knows how to drive the f**k out of the van/trailer combo. He gets to demonstrate his turning and backing skills multiple times at the border check point. Thanks to the dude in the hat we almost nearly don't get killed in a traffic accident. He was very helpful (I think) and it only cost a few pesos for his services.

I must have dozed off as we were crossing the border. When I woke up the van was full of drunk-ass bastards. I didn't see that coming.

Somebody put Appetite For Destruction in the CD player and that was all she wrote. Who knew that Axl Rose was sitting back in the third row? WTF? Corey knows every damn word to every song and sounds just like him too. That was some fun crap.

Once in Mexico we stopped at every taqueria and gas station that we saw. Seamus started grumbling about us losing time. It wouldn't get any better. After a long and crazy ride we finally got close to San Carlos. On the outskirts of town, we get flagged down by some guy with a badge and an FBI hat. Despite our urging Seamus to keep going (or run over him), he stops and gives him a ride. I was trying to see if he was armed (gun or sling shot). He speaks no English, but Mike acts as our translator. He starts giving driving directions. None of us think that this is going to end well. We all have visions of us getting kidnapped or being sold into white slavery. A rather well refreshed Corey makes an alcohol induced suggestion that we just kill the guy and dump the body. Now he speaks English. He perked up a little with that comment. We drop our new friend off at a hotel and proceed to the marina. Not so fast. We have to make one more stop.

We need some provisions for the trip

Ten cases should last three days, right? Only nine guys drinking. We'll see.
We get to the Marina and unload some of our gear. Hunger calls and we have to head to the nearest taco stand.

We return to the marina around midnight and continue unloading our kayaks and stowing our gear. There are a couple of problems already. The slings that the boat owner made aren't going to work for all the yaks. Adjustments need to be made. The bait tank is tits up and they only have dead mullet in the live well. Eventually everything gets sorted out. It's now almost 2am and we are starting to get some strong, gusty winds. We'll be heading out at 5am so all hit their sleeping bags for a much needed rest.....

Part 2

When we left our merry band of fishermen they were sleeping soundly aboard the El Duque in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico. They were enjoying the restful slumber know only to those who are rocked to sleep by the gentle hand of the ocean....oh yeah, drunks also sleep like this. Lots of snoring. I woke to a beautiful sky painted in subtle blues and oranges by the rising sun. Took a piss and crawled back in my sleeping bag. I was tired. The next time I woke up we were anchored up in the lee of San Pedro de Nolasco, a small island off the coast of Sonora.

Typical of the islands throughout the Sea of Cortez and Baja, San Pedro has a certain rugged beauty to it. Whitewashed with guano, it rises almost vertically out of the water. The water's edge is pocked with caves and blowholes. The only green to be found was at the top of the ridge that ran the length of the island. The upper reaches of the island are covered with a hearty grass and seemingly out of place saguaro-like cactus.

The sheer rock walls continued down below the surface, with depths of 40-50 feet found just yards away from the shore in some places.

Kayaks were already in the water and the rest of the guys were rigged up and getting ready to fish. Not being a morning person it took me a little longer to get all my gear sorted out By the time I got on my yak the early risers were already exploring the area's fishing possibilities. There were probably twenty private boats fishing our side of the island in about 150-230 feet of water. Our lack of live bait was going to make things difficult. Many of us took dead mullet to chunk.

As the morning progressed, the yak fleet dispersed to try various methods to get the fish to bite. Chunk bait, squid, trolled lures, yo-yos and butterfly jigs; all were tried. The bite was slow throughout the morning. The PBs were in deeper water jigging and trolling with about the same results. An occasional bendo rod was seen, but they were few and far between.

At the end of a less than productive morning, most were ready to head back to the El Duque for lunch. Since I got such a late start I chose to stay out and do a little exploring. I paddled around the island and ran into Kurt, who was having a little more luck than I. Actually, I think it was more about the large disparity in skill level. Kurt had already caught and released several cabrilla and gold spotted bass.

Every time I crossed paths with Kurt he seemed to be hooked up. He was a steady producer throughout the trip. It's always the quite ones. No bragging; just one fish after another.

Several guys got some diving in after lunch. Seamus had been free diving in the morning and got all of us hopeful with reports of big pargo in our cove.

Having the dive gear aboard added another dimension to the trip. The divers were able to verify that we were sitting on top of a lot of big fish. That kept the hope alive even with the slow bite. Knowing that there were some big ones down there kept me tossing the iron and doing that stupid butterfly jigging (its been a week and my arm is still sore) long after I would normally have quit. Seamus would come up and say that he had seen large pargo or yellow tail in a certain area and we would rush over there trying every technique imaginable to get their interest. The fish that Seamus had speared also got the adrenaline flowing. He brought aboard several good sized pargo and cabrilla. As the fishing continued to be slow, the divers were able to break up the long, slow day with forays below the surface. Chris, Mike, Todd and Brent all got some dive time in. Seamus spent what seemed to be the majority of the day in the water.

Later in the afternoon the bite picked up. Squid strips were the key. After the private boats took off, most of us headed out to fish a ridge line that they had been congregating on. Cabrilla, yellow snapper, trigger fish, sculpin and other bottom fish were all taking the squid.

Brent was hardly able to control his excitement when he got a nice Pacific creole fish

I was having no luck trolling so I decided to try the squid. I paddled around in vain for a half hour trying to find an 80' high spot that everybody else had successfully fished. I couldn't find it, but all that paddling put me several hundred yards north of the rest of the fleet. As the sun was getting low, I spotted some birds working the bait about a half mile away. I had chased the birds a number of time already, to no avail. They would either move away or disperse before I could catch up.The birds always seemed to be diving on very small bait that was a little below the surface. To that point, I hadn't seen any real boils on the surface. This time was different. In the flat calm water I could see the fish breaking the surface; the golden, late afternoon sun reflecting off the splashing water. This was make or break time for me. I hadn't caught a thing to this point and the skunk was really starting to smell up my little corner of the ocean. I made a frantic call on the radio and started paddling toward the birds. I soon got my massively overloaded X-Factor up to flank speed. I was in true Magnum P.I. paddling form; sprinting after the birds. I looked back to see the rest of the fleet pulling in lines and coming up to speed. It reminded me of a squadron of destroyers steaming into harm's way. This sprint was turning into a marathon. The fish were boiling along a front about fifty yards wide, moving rapidly away from me. By the time I got close my arms were burning. The fish were just out of casting range and I started to think that I wasn't going to be able to catch up. Just as I start feeling the first twinges of cramps in my arms, the bait ball takes a hard turn towards the island. I'm able to cut the corner and get within casting range as they turn away again. I can now see the green backs of yellow tail breaking the surface as they attack the bait. I grab the rod off my lap and toss a gold Spanyid Maniac spoon. ARRRHHHHH!!!! OK; I wasn't expecting the lure to take off at a ninety degree angle to the direction that I wanted it to go. I frantically retrieve the lure and make another cast toward the rapidly departing fish. This time I placed the lure just beyond the boil. Two cranks and I'm on. I was so amped up by the chase I didn't realize just how tight I had the drag. The YT went under the yak, heading south, and I almost followed it under. It circled back and as it came up on the port side I bounced it onto the yak. Not big, but fun for the first fish of the day. I put a leg over it to keep it from jumping back out. No chance of that happening; the treble had one hook in the fish, one in my dry pants and one in the back of my leg.

I got things straightened out and went after the birds again. No more luck. We had a line abreast that covered hundreds of yards and we trolled all around this side of the island until the sun started to set.

The boat started calling us back. We had a long trip over to Tortuga and they wanted to get the kayaks loaded before it got dark.

I got back aboard and hit the rack within a half hour. I guess they had a pretty good dinner with all of the fish that were caught. Three hours of sleep over two days finally caught up to me. I was knocked out until we got to Tortuga later that night. Our adventure was just getting started.....

Part 3

We had motored across the Sea of Cortez after dinner, Thursday night. I've no idea what the passage was like, as I was knocked out in my sleeping bag. I woke in the early morning hours to find us anchored close to the cliffs of Tortuga Island. The sky was clear and billions of stars shown in the darkness. Looking down into the black water was almost like looking at the starry sky. Everywhere, the flashes of bioluminescence lit the choppy surface. Whitecaps flashed all around us and the deck sparkled as waves washed through the scuppers. I fell asleep, watching the myriad stars swinging back and forth. I woke again to the sound of the GPS anchor drag alarm. A quick look off the port side revealed that we were uncomfortably close to the cliffs. Fortunately, the water is deep and there was no concern for running aground. The crew moved us back out farther into the cove.
At dawn's light, we were able to see the island that we would become so familiar with.

We were in the lee of Tortuga. We anchored in a small, roughly triangular spot where the bulk of the island protected us from the constant wind. You could see the boundaries of our little comfort zone; white caps and a 2-3 foot wind chop marking the edge. This was going to be a little more challenging than what we had at San Pedro. We were all eager to launch and find some big fish. We had heard too many stories of monster grouper, pargo and amberjack and wanted to get out on our kayaks to catch some trophies. I think that everybody had that picture of Menash and his 95# amberjack driving them. We were sure that, if such a fish was to be caught from a kayak, this was the place that it would happen. Most of us launched early, with Mike and Chris staying aboard preparing for a morning dive.

Conditions were snotty from the start. Getting your gear on the kayak was complicated by the chop and a persistent wind that wanted to push you under the swim step. We found it easier to launch and then run up to the bow, where we had our rods handed down to us one at a time.

Brad, Adi and Tyler were the most adventurous of the lot. The immediately headed for deeper water to look for the big fish. They struggled for hours with the wind and choppy conditions.

Seamus was searching the area around our anchorage. He would surface and call over to us with reports of big pargo and grouper. Time after time we would converge on these areas, offering up all manner of bait and lure. No luck. The mornings just didn't produce a bite. It became frustrating, knowing that they were down there, but not getting as much as a nibble.

Corey and Kurt were having better luck in closer to the island. Maybe it was that they could concentrate on fishing, rather than constantly having to work at staying upright.

From time to time I passed by Kurt and he always seemed to be catching something. It looked like he was throwing plastics in 30-60' feet most of the time.

I didn't want to get too close to Corey and Kurt for fear that the smell of skunk which clung to my kayak might cause them some bad luck. I worked the shallows with plastics, Gulp and Krocs. No luck. I trolled the 60-90' range with a deep diving MegaBait and a low rigged dead mullet. Still no luck. I worked deeper water with the yo-yo iron and the butterfly jig. Still no luck. Very frustrating, indeed. I headed back to the boat for lunch.
Everybody looked a little haggard. Fighting the wind and chop all morning was really taking it out of us. Diving started to look more inviting. Several of the guys came back with some nice fish. Adi got some trigger fish that Alex expertly turned into ceviche.

Tyler turned in what proved to be the big fish of the trip; a 12+ lb cabrilla.

Tyler's cabrilla was bigger than some of the pargo that Seamus had shot.

The boys were catching some fish as the day progressed; just not the "right kind"

Oh well; it all tasted good when Alex prepared it.

After lunch we lost a kayak to the wind. As we were securing yaks to the rail, Todd's Cobra got loose. The wind rapidly pushed the kayak away from the El Duque.

Todd runs back to the swim step, yelling "somebody give me a rod". I handed him one of mine that had a heavy Kroc rigged. Todd made a perfect cast just over the center of the yak. He started a slow retrieve and snagged the seat with the treble hook.

We didn't know it at the time, but Todd's free-spirited kayak would cause us more trouble.

The bite picked up significantly as the afternoon progressed. Again, squid was the key. I paddled over to Adi and begged some squid. I had been pluggin' away with the iron and butterfly all afternoon, with no success. I had to catch something, or they might not let my skunk-scented yak back on board. First drop with the squid produced a nice sized trigger. Not the right kind? Who cares...I like ceviche.

The squid continues to produce.

The rocky bottom and the propensity of all of these fish to run for cover when hooked meant lots of frayed and cut leaders. At the end of the day I was force to go with a 50# fluorocarbon leader and that still got chewed up. I was coming to the realization that even if we were able to get the big fish to bite, it was going to be difficult to get them out of the rocks.

I was the last one back to the boat again. That "just one more cast" syndrome that I suffer from was flaring up again.
Another beautiful sunset on the water.

Part 4

With reports of the wind picking up, we decided after dinner that it would be best to return to San Pedro or the mainland coast. We wanted another day to test the Tortuga waters, but crossing the Sea of Cortez when the conditions were rough was not the best idea. We thought that we could salvage the remainder of the trip with another good afternoon of fishing at San Pedro. All of the kayaks were brought back aboard that evening. After dinner several of the guys worked at making bait. The bait tank had been fixed and they managed to fill it with a couple dozen large macs.

We got underway early the next morning to make a run across to the mainland. We could tell from the start that it was going to be rough.

We had run short of Dramamine, so large quantities of beer were consumed instead. Odd; I'd never heard of this cure for sea sickness before. It seemed to work until we got out of the lee of the island. By the time we were a mile or two out we started taking some nasty rolls. I guess I neglected to mention any description of the El Duque in my previous posts. The El Duque is a 52', round-bottomed, concrete dive boat. Yes; I did say concrete....you know, that stuff that the mob encases your feet in when they want to sink your body. The Duke is about as stable as a concrete bath tub and the rocking motion is amplified when your on the upper deck. Almost everybody came up topside for the passage.

Soon, we realized that sitting on the deck was the only way to stay put. We were getting tossed around pretty good at this point. Corey lit up a smoke and that was all Mike needed to go into projectile vomit mode. He slid down to the main deck and promptly filled Chris' yak with breakfast.

The waves were getting bigger as we got away from the island. Every couple of minutes we would run into a good set that would violently throw us around. After getting hit by one of these waves we heard a sickening pounding on the hull. You know that sound when a kayak gets slammed into concrete....yeah, that was the sound. Somebody looked over the side and yelled that we were losing a kayak. Just then we got hit by another large wave and Todd's kayak was ripped away from the side.

A quick look astern and we see Todd's yak, bait tank and camera case slipping away. One of the hatches had been blown off by the wave. Amazingly, it was still upright and floating. Alex slowed the El Duque and a quick discussion took place to decide what to do. I was dreading coming about in these seas. This friggin' concrete bath tub was rocking badly enough heading into the seas. I didn't want to find out what she would do with her beam to the swell. In the end, we decided to try to retrieve the yak. Alex managed to come about between sets, but it was still pretty ugly. We heard crashing noise coming from below; everything was getting tossed about in the galley. Corey, Brent and the deckhand, Fernando, were on the stern with a gaff. We made a slow approach and they managed to gaff the yak. Todd's yak was safely on board and we could return to the island to wait out the wind. Well, at least we thought that was the plan. They asked Todd if he wanted to try to get the bait tank and the camera case. He said he didn't care about the tank, but he really wanted to get the camera back. I don't know what sort of pictures were on that camera, but they must have been juicy.

We missed on one pass and had to come around again. That pig really rolled quite a bit and we were tempting fate each time we put our beam to the seas. Fernando was going to use a net to try and catch the camera case. I couldn't believe it when I saw him holding onto the damn bait net. He was going to try to snag a 6" camera case in rough seas with a 3 foot long bait net. Unbelievable. We missed on the first attempt and had to back down on the case. That was fun. At some point, Fernando wound up on the wrong side of the stern. The camera case was coming up on them rapidly and he had Todd's kayak between him and the swim step. Corey picked him up and dropped him on the other side of the yak. He managed to scoop up the case on the next try. With the successful retrieval of the camera, ALEX got greedy and wanted to go for the bait tank. We came around again and were able to gaff it on the next pass. By this time, we were all ready to head back to the island. Fortunately, we were heading the right direction on the last pass and we just kept going. Two hours later we were back at anchor in the lee of the island.

By now, we were resigned to the prospect of staying at Tortuga for the next two days until the wind died down. Our biggest concern was getting word to our relatives that we were not going to be getting home on schedule. Tyler was able to get a signal on his cell phone. Brent got through to the shop and told Brian to make the calls to our next of kin. That was the last communications that we had until we returned to San Carlos.

With nowhere to go, we put the kayaks back in the water and did some more fishing. Conditions were the same as the previous day; windy and choppy.

Seamus went back out for a long free diving excursion. He must have covered several miles and was in the water for hours. When he returned he had an enormous pargo on his float. Chris, Mike, Todd and Brent all got some more diving in.

Fishing was pretty much as it had been the day before. Lots of trigger, cabrilla, and yellow snapper.

Once again, squid was the consistent producer. Fishing picked up again in the afternoon. More fish for the table. This evening, Alex made a fish stew with jalapenos and fish tacos.....muy bueno.

And then we had a real EMERGENCY. We ran out of beer WTF? Ten cases just wasn't enough? Holy crap. Mutinous talk filled the night air. Were we going to risk the passage across the Sea of Cortez in search of beer? Should we paddle over to the pangueros who were also stranded out here to see if they had any? Nah. We just went to sleep.

The next morning we contemplated the choppy horizon. It still looked just as bad as the previous day. Nothing to do but fish. Corey, Brent and Todd launched early; eager to troll some live bait. We hoped that the big macs would do the trick. Shortly after launching I heard Todd let out a yell, only to be followed with an anguished cry; Arrrhhhh! His mac got hit by something big, but it immediately busted him off in the rocks. Brent also got a good hit, only to lose it in the rocks after about twenty seconds. It was a good sign, but the rocky bottom was going to make catching anything very difficult. The divers came up with reports of house-sized boulders below us. Todd shifted over to wire leaders, hoping to have a chance. I had one mac that got raked and another that got hit and immediately pulled me down into the rocks. We finally had the right bait and the fish had started to bite, but it was going to take some work to get one of these big fish out of the rocks.
After three days of fighting the wind, this morning, most of us chose to fish from the boat.

We ran across a 42' Cabo that had been stuck at the island for three days. While they weren't very friendly when asked if they had extra beer, they did give us weather updates. It was nice to finally have access to some satellite and buoy weather reports, rather than anecdotal reports from the pangueros. It looked like it was going to lay down in the afternoon. The Cabo was going to make a run for it around noon. We decided that we should also make a run in the afternoon. We got all the kayaks and divers back aboard and had an early lunch. We got most of the kayaks lashed off and it was hoped that they would be out of harm's way. Only two were still in the low sling positions that had been problematic on the first crossing attempt. With all the gear stowed and lashed down, we got underway again.

It was obvious from the start that it was still going to be a rough trip. Fortunately, the wind had calmed enough to make the crossing safe. That isn't to say that we didn't take some pretty good rolls

Chris got launched across the upper deck by one good wave. He crashed into Mike, then hit his face on a bench. He learned to keep his center of gravity low to the deck

My yak took quite a beating on the way back, but it made it across with no major damage. I was worried about it the whole way across. With every big roll to port, the waves would hit it and shove it up into Brad's kayak. Neither was damaged, but they sound of my yak smacking into his every minute or two for 6 hours was somewhat distressing.

The crossing was rough, but we were all glad to see Tortuga sinking down on the horizon.

The only problem that we had was when the engine started to overheat and we had to shut it down. DIW in those sloppy conditions wasn't very fun. The crew stared at the engine for a while until Mike solved the problem. He used HP air from a scuba tank to back flush the sea water cooling intake. After that it was smooth sailing.

The trip back had a few more surprises in store for us. A huge pod of spinner dolphin spotted us and raced to intercept. They were pretty amazing; jumping 10-15 feet out of the water and doing complete flips and spins. They rapidly caught up to us and played in our bow wave for a while. They got bored with our slow speed and left us after a few minutes. Just after they departed, we had a large sperm whale pass close aboard. Another memory from a trip that had provided so many.

After 8 hours we pulled into San Carlos. It was late and we wanted to get some food. We quickly piled everybody into the van. OK, well not everybody. Corey, Todd and Kurt must not have liked the smell of ten guys who hadn't showered in four days. They chose to ride on the trailer. You gotta love Mexico. We got some food and the beer lamp was lit. After a 2-day enforced separation from the amber nectar of life, large quantities were consumed. And the people were happy.

In spite of the long night, we got up early and got all of the gear off the boat. We had the trailer packed and the kayaks loaded within two hours. A final group shot at the marina and we were on our way.

Of course, we couldn't leave Mexico without one more stop at a taco stand. Dos mas tacos carne asada, por favor.

The trip back was somewhat more subdued than our trip down to San Carlos. It had been a long trip and we were all looking forward to getting home. That and everybody needed some sleep.

All in all, it was an excellent trip. We didn't catch the fish that we had hoped for, but we still had lots of fun. About what you would expect for a trip on the the Sea of Cortez in February. I'd love to get back down there in the summer. We had a great group of anglers on this trip and I had a blast. Thanks to all who shared their fishing knowledge with me. Also a big thanks to everybody who took pictures. I have used some from Adi, Kurt and Tyler in these reports. A big thanks goes to Brent and Seamus for making this trip possible.
I can't wait for the Islander trips to start.

Starting Out

2009-07-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

First post on my blog is a little bit like the first surf launch on my kayak. I'm not quite sure what to expect, but here we go. I hope the results are better than that first kayak launch. What is the blog equivalent of getting rolled by a one foot wave and breaking half of your rod holders? Could be ugly.

For the first time in eight years I find myself without a fishing kayak. I just sold my beloved but battered X-Factor and I won't be able to buy a new one for at least a few months. Feels like selling a part of your past. Lots of good memories on that yak.

I'll post some of those memories in the future. Hopefully I'll have a new yak by September and I'll start posting in real-time again.