Stealth 14 mods

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

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

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

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.