Well, here was the next big leap of faith after cutting out the hull panels. Cutting a hole for the Hobie Mirage Drive!
Worked up enough guts to get this done, while you’re at it, you might as well cut a hole for the Hobie Guardian.
For those not familiar with Hobies, the Mirage drive basically started the pedal kayak revolution. Yes there might have been others first, but Hobie definitely popularized it. You don’t pedal them like a bike, instead you push back and forth. Underwater there are 2 wings that flap back and forth propelling you foward.
They are really efficient and fast. Its perfect for things like fishing as I can cruise around with leg power leaving my hands free to fish. It also makes for a really large scupper hole for a sit on top kayak. I’m not planning to put any more scuppers in other than the Mirage hole. Unlike most other wood kayaks I’ve seen with a Mirage drive I’ve mounted my drive lower as on our Hobie its really meant that water drains back out of it. Others I’ve seen have had water come in and needed to put a dam around the drive trapping water in the kayak. We’ll see if my rough estimation works out.
The Hobie Guardian is again for helping me fish. Instead of having some really draggy mount over the side of the kayak to hold my side imaging transducer, I’m planning to mount my transducer under the hull. The guardian allows the transducer to move up into the kayak in case you run over anything (I mean I’d hit the mirage drive first) or when beaching, car topping etc.
