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New to A Kyak


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Just bought a 12' Kayak Wilderness Tarpon 120 Has everything with it Paddle, life vest, (Don't Fit) depth finder, Car to carrier Etc. I need a battery for the depth finder I was told to get a 12 volt Wheel Chair battery? What kind of batteries are available to power a Lowrance depth finder? The Kayak is in VG condition. It has no rod holders what would be the best to get? Now to wait for some warmer weather to give it a try. Always wanted one but this was just the right price couldn't pass it up. Lou


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Ok Lou...get a PFD that fits for starters.  Second a wheelchair batt. will weigh a ton!!!  Get your self a 12volt 7amp/hr battery commonly used for alarm panel backups and wildlife feeders.  The latter can be bought at local chain sporting good stores for about $30.  You will need a charger as well....don't go hooking it up to a car batt. charger.  I'm kinda partial to RAM mounts for all my rod holders and electronics, Scotty also makes very nice holders as well.  Does your Tarpon have the slide Trax system?  If so the RAM balls from Yakattack are the way to go in my opinion....lots of options with that system.


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x2 on the PFD that fits. Get a blunt-nosed dive knife and mount it on your PFD (and get a lanyard and attach it to you PFD), If you are going in the salt, get the USCG required safety/signalling gear, and consider a hand-held VHF. I'm also a firm believer in paddle leashes.

 

On getting power to your ff - I made a battery box with some AA battery holders (12 AA slots that I fill with Eneloop rechargeables).

 

I use Scotty mounts - one sealed flush mount aft of the seat on the port side for a rocket launcher and one on a Slidetrax that I put forward on the port side for a regular rod holder. The Ram mounts are more adjustable, but I like the Scotty socket.

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Gentle man thanks for all the information. If you mean foot rests that are adjustable (Slide Tr ax) Yes it has those. The fellow I bought it from had a PFD with the Kayak but didn't fit but I have a really good vest type (Stearne's) that I have for my aluminum boat. I will get the battery and charger today. The wheel chair battery that the seller showed me was only about 3"x 8" and wasn't very heavy at all? What is the life expectancy of the battery you both suggested? Would it be good for a years use? I have a lot too learn. Thanks again Lou


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ourway, the slide trax that are mentioned in the previous post are not the foot rests. They are a track system mounted on the gunwale of the yak to which you can attach accessories without drilling holes in your boat. Check out the Wilderness Systems web site.

Night time is the Right time

SOL #905

 

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You can get a 12volt 7amp hour rechargeable battery from radio shack or batteries plus stores, but don't forget the battery charger. A fully charged battery

will last a couple of days on the water..

The 5amps which we use at the shop for all installs will last well over a month with a black and white fishfinder. An 8aa holder will last a week of fishing if you don't have the backlight on.

BARRELL
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  • 2 weeks later...


Thanks got me a 12 volt 7 amp battery and charger. Good to go. Looking for some sort of box to carry it. or some sort of stainless bracket to hold it in place. Now for some warm weather before I even attempt to try my new Kyak. My wife says I'm crazy at 75 years young. But she said go and get it, but increase my life insurrance LOL.



I was lucky I bought my Jeep Commander before any surf fishing or a new kyak. It already has bunks so all I needed was cross bars., I got the thule bunks that hold the kyak. My kyak weighs approx. 50 pounds. Hope I can handle it my self? Any secrets to putting the Kyak on the roof by ones self? This is really new to me. I do have an old boat trailer I may convert it for the Kyak it really over kill but it will work. Lou


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I find it is less the weight than the awkwardness of it. I dismissed the idea of doing the clean and jerk to put on the roof of my Cube (fairly high roof height - almost as high as our minivan) pretty early on - I can lift the weight, but controlling it well, even in the absence of wind, seemed unlikely. I went with the Malone Seawings and their load assist system (forget the name of it - it has a thing that extends to the back of the roof that you use to slide/guide the yak onto the cradles). You could also use something like a boogie board or a stiff foam pad with a rug or towel on top, as long as you can find a way to keep it from sliding out of the way. I think Thule makes something that straps to the crossbar that fits this need.

 

If you take the sliding approach to loading, you only end up lifting about half the weight of the yak - I find the hard part is setting the yak down so you have enough overlap with the roof so the yak doesn't slide off (dinged my tailgate this way last week).

 

If this doesn't work for you, then the trailer approach is really easy (can complicate the parking), as you barely have to lift the yak to load it.

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Have the Thule bunks that came with the Kayak. I was thinking that maybe a heavey movers blanket to protect the roofof my jeep Commander? then slide the kayak to where they meet the Thule bunks? If it becomes more of a hassle I will improvise the trailer. Or get the system suggested on this thread. Thanks I will have to just do trial and error to start. But warm weather will have to come first,can't take the cold any more like when I was young.. Thanks Lou


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Have the Thule bunks that came with the Kayak. I was thinking that maybe a heavey movers blanket to protect the roofof my jeep Commander? then slide the kayak to where they meet the Thule bunks? If it becomes more of a hassle I will improvise the trailer. Or get the system suggested on this thread. Thanks I will have to just do trial and error to start. But warm weather will have to come first,can't take the cold any more like when I was young.. Thanks Lou

 

this is pretty much what i do to get my revo on top of my jeep except Im using a bath mat (it has little suction pads that keep the mat in place...really come in handy when the wind kicks up)

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