Gettin' to work

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!