Hi there!
Well it has taken a while to get this post up, but I
thought had better show pics of my rigged up Wilderness Systems Yak.
this is the Tarpon 420 model which I acquired late last year, and spent
a productive afternoon in the garage late summer jazzing it up with
plenty of help from my Bro!
Small dry Cell battery used to power the electronics - a Lowrance X50 and a removable anchor light.
Put
the battery in a click clack container, padded it out with some foam,
and some plugs through pre drilled holes in the container. Note that
the battery can also be charged through either of these ports.
Battery
held down inside front hatch via stretchy chords around the scubber
hole tubes from the deck above. The more weight up front the better!
Removeable
anchor light - Simply unplug and stow when not is use (rubber cap goes
over the hole) - Great value accessory $50 from Burnsco Marine.
I
found the best position for the fishfinder was at the front of one of
the pedals (out of range of my foot). That allowed the installation of
the scotty rod holderwithout it obstructing the use of the fishfinder,
whilst keeping the area at the front of the deck uncluttered. I have
found this to be a good location and is nicely out of the way -can even
control buttons with my toes! ;-)
The installation of the
factory rudder has made a huge difference to both tracking and steering
of this boat - and the generous size Youvella drogue holds the kayak
station in quite windy weather. I made up my own version of the drogue
retrieval system with deck mounted pulleys with self tapping screws
(rather than the 'loose' pulleys) and spectra line.
The upgraded
rig, ready for action!! The chilly bin on the back was an afterthought,
and it hasn't been used much on the yak, but I am considering some
hinges for the lid so that there is no risk of losing it. Although I
may eventually invest in one of those PVC fish covers for the back!
Have
had some good sessions over the last few months on late summer harbour
fish, and a couple of trout fishing missions to rotorua, but has yet to
get fully 'blooded' on a real offshore mission. Keep an eye out for
some fishing reports!