My Kayak/Skiff - Wavewalk S4

Hi There to all kayak fisherman's.

I am not a pure kayaker (I use the paddle just to launch and as a second option for propulsion). I use a small outboard stinker 2.5Hp 4 stroke on my kayak, planning to upgrade to 3.5Hp this year.


This allow me to go deep on Erie, Ontario, Simcoe or G Bay.
I love trolling early in the morning alone on the big water surface of great lakes.




[YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/gjxG1EmZFy8[/YOUTUBE]

My kayak is a Wavewalk S4, it does come with a built in transom and can take up to 9.9Hp if you want to get nuts on water. Recommended power 5 to 6Hp.
I do prefer the 3.5Hp because give me the ideal trolling speed of 2mph in idle mode (throttle at minimum).

The hull of this skiff is designed as the hull of a catamaran, very stable.
In top of that it is easy to mount a fish finder in front and have the transom well placed in the back.
The saddle it is filled with air, the skiff will not sink if is filled with water.

For small rivers or lakes I use a Minkota 80Lb / 24V thrust on two AGM batteries.

Have fun and be safe.

That’s not a kayak. That’s a rocket!

Dave

I can reach easy 16, 17, 18 km/h with a 3.5Hp.
I need the speed to reach the spots on the big lakes.
After that stay on idle mode, with 1L of gas I can be trolling for 6 hours.

I know I can't reach 40-60km/h like the fancy bass boats but I also don't burn lots of gas, I don't need a trailer and I can replace the outboard anytime.
A small outboard under 4Hp 4 stroke is around $1400 new. They work like Swiss watches if you know how to handle them. Quiet and great for trolling.

The nice part is that I can fit this inside my small Dodge Caravan (not Grand).

I can launch anywhere on he lake where I can have access to the lake, I don't need a ramp. Just parking. Driving on highway with a kayak in top of a car not fun when you have strong lateral winds but inside the Dodge 100km/h on highway is a piece of cake.



The open season is around the corner.

Well I've got to admit it... That is a sweet setup..

You have it all figured out..

I was thinking of getting a canoe for ramp-less lakes and stuff.

But I like your setup better.. lol

So with the motor on it, does that mean you have it registered? Unless I am wrong but as soon as you add a motor, it needs registration. I've been tossing around the idea on my yak for a while, but likely a trolling motor.

Registration is required if and only if a motor's horsepower is over whatever, I think?

I dont think it needs to be registered until you put bigger then 9.9hp

Under 10HP you don't need to register, see details here:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/oep-v...eg-menu-728.htm

Small Vessel Register

This registry only applies to commercial (non-pleasure) vessels that are 15 gross tons or less.

This type of registration is required for:
• vessels less than or equal to 15 gross tonnes used for commercial purposes with propulsion motors of 10 horsepower (7.5kW) or more (if unsure of tonnage, check this explanation of tonnage measurements)
• commercial river rafts
• government-owned vessels with propulsion motors of 10 horsepower (7.5kW) or more

This type of registration is not required if:
• your vessel does not or will not have a mortgage
• you do not wish to register an “official” name
• you don’t intend to travel outside of Canada

How fast can you go with 2,5 HP in some waves and headwind?

This post has been edited by fish bone on Mar 22, 2019 - 09:13 pm