TexasKayakFisherman.com

This guy is my new kayak rigging hero, I love the creativity.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcK_G_TCbLQ[/youtube]

He does some amazing stuff. What makes that configuration work is that the 5HP has a shift lever and a sliding seat so he can slide his seat back to start it, and up to balance himself, using extensions to shift and control the throttle and steering. I have a similar setup in my Grumman Sport Canoe (7.5HP Johnson) because sitting in the back seat forces the bow up even with a big cavitation plate. It gets squirrely at cruising speed unless I sit in the middle seat with an extender. I get 16MPH out of the 7.5 HP, which is crazy fast for a canoe- even a fat one with a square transom.

My 2HP Yamaha on my kayak in Thailand didn't have a shifter, it's 360 degree steering. So I had to set the motor within reach of me sitting in the static seatwell. From there, I could start it, steer it and reverse it. I tried hanging the motor over the side with no sponsons, but it tried to flip at rest even though the motor was only 21 pounds. So I added the boogie board sponsons, though I probably could have just added one sponson on the motor side.

If I ever decide to power a kayak here in Texas (with the accompanying registration hurdles), I'd probably do it the same way with a 2 HP Yamaha or with a lightweight 3.5HP Nissan that I already have laying around. Won't be as stealthy as a trolling motor, but it sure was fun and it had unlimited range with a few gallons of gas.

I'd also try doubling up on the boogie boards to make it even more stable for standing and casting. I'm older now and my balance isn't as good. Might work, might not.

impulse wrote: ↑Sat Aug 06, 2022 2:19 pm If I ever decide to power a kayak here in Texas (with the accompanying registration hurdles), I'd probably do it the same way with a 2 HP Yamaha or with a lightweight 3.5HP Nissan that I already have laying around. Won't be as stealthy as a trolling motor, but it sure was fun and it had unlimited range with a few gallons of gas.

Interesting you mentioned the 2 HP Yamaha as I was just at a local kayak store and they had a Jonny Boat Bass 100. The floor model had a Suzuki 2.5 HP engine on it and the rigging was well done. I'd never seen one in person before and like the concept. The kayak itself was $999.

I love this guys videos. I really want that triple outboard he did. So neat.

I've watched several of his videos. He makes me think of the saying, "Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do it." Of course, my neighbors think the same thing about me. He's really handy in a shop, even if he doesn't wear shoes. TexasJim