MICRONAUTICAL BOAT DESIGN

It’s almost here, the 700 series from Wavewalk.

People who fish out of a W500 or W570 would tell you that it’s the best fishing kayak out there, or the best one-person fishing boat. Soon (in July), Wavewalk will started shipping boats from its new 700 series, and its goal is to have people who fish from it say that it’s the world’s best two-person fishing boat.

What attributes will this new craft have that could turn it into the world’s best two-person fishing boat, according to its future users?

Well, to begin with, it’s roomy enough for two large size anglers to stay in and fish. Its 7’8″ long and 31″ wide cockpit allows for this. Its patented twinhull form provides the stability for such a crew both when fishing (seated or standing) and motorizing.

With its 580″ load capacity, it couldn’t take more than two large-size anglers and their gear, plus an outboard motor, but we’re looking for the best two-person fishing boat, aren’t we? It is true that most fishing boats out there have a bigger load capacity, and can take a crew of more than two anglers, but the reality is that in most cases, the crew is comprised of one to two passengers, and seldom more.

The basic 700 model weigh 80 lbs without the motor attached to it. This means that it’s a car top boat even if one person has to transport it.

So what benefits does the 700 come with, and what problems does it solve?

To begin with, the W700 solves the problem of boat transportation. It’s a trailer-free boat, and this means it takes less storage room at home, it doesn’t require a trailer… and it enables its users to launch and beach anywhere they want, without having to start their fishing trip at a boat ramp, and waste so much time there, on the way there, and on the way from there…

The W700 is also easy and effective to paddle, either with a crew of one or two. This is a significant advantage for those who like to fish in shallow water, where motorboats are prevented from going, as well as in water where vegetation abounds, which is also not a good place for motorboats to go. And last but not least, this boat will allow you and your fishing buddy to fish in no-motor zones (NMZ), which typically have a good reputation as bountiful fisheries.  And by the way, the W700 will be equally suitable for kayaking and canoeing, that is propelled with dual-blade (I.E. ‘kayak’) or single-blade (canoe) paddles.

The W700 would be a perfect microskiff for flats fishing, as being both stable and lightweight it would also work great as a poling boat.

 

 

Read more about this new catamaran fishing boat »

When you think of a color for a “Fishing Kayak” you typically tend to associate the word Fishing with colors such as dark green or a camo (camouflage) pattern. Color has always been an important consideration in kayak design, and surprisingly there are hardly any white fishing kayaks out there, although most offshore fishing boats (namely motorboats), microskiff and flats fishing boats are white…
Intriguing, isn’t it?
The reason why so few fishing kayaks are offered in white is that most of these small craft are rotationally molded from Polyethylene, and producing a clean white color in this technology is harder than producing other colors.
As for the bigger boats, those are often made from fiberglass and painted white, a color commonly associated with leisure and offshore pleasure boating – You won’t find a camo yacht out there!

So far for the theoretical aspect of fishing kayaks’ colors, and practically, our readers may be interested to know that Wavewalk now offers boats from its 500 and 570 series in white. And since these small craft can be easily and effectively motorized, you can call them by a name other than ‘Kayak’, such as microskiff, catamaran, boat, etc.

More on the white Wavewalk TM fishing kayak »

Aside from legal considerations, there are good reasons why you shouldn’t overpower your fishing kayak, and they all boil down to one word: Safety. Simply, overpowering any boat, including a kayak, is hazardous, weather because the extra torque and speed make the boat harder to control to a point where the driver could lose control and capsize it, or because a powerful motor can overstress the part of the hull to which it’s attached (typically the stern), and make it develop cracks that could cause the boat to sink.

When common fishing kayaks are concerned, most online videos that show such a vessel driven while outfitted with a gas outboard motor reveal an overpowered setup – Those SOT kayaks are hard to drive mainly due to poor stability, unsuitable ergonomics and insufficient access to the motor’s controls. In some cases the kayak’s stern is dangerously low to a point  where it’s partially submerged.
As for Wavewalk kayaks, they work perfectly with small outboard motors, but in some cases their owners outfit them with an outboard gas engine that’s too powerful (I.E. exceeds 3 hp), mainly because these boats work better with outboards that feature a long propeller shaft (20″), and such motors are hard to find in the range of small-size motors.

This video demonstrates an ‘overpowered by far’ configuration – A 6 horsepower Tohatsu outboard that fits boats up to 3,000 lbs mounted on a 60 lbs Wavewalk:

Needless to say that such outfit is hard to drive, and requires extreme caution. Inexperienced drivers should not drive overpowered boats, especially such small ones.

While it is strongly recommended not to overpower your Wavewalk kayak, if you’re determined to do so, here are some tips you may want to remember –
First, make sure the boat is properly outfitted with enough flotation. This may turn out to be critical in case of an accident. Remember that the more powerful the motor the heavier it is, and that in case of an accident, the amount of flotation you use should suffice to keep the boat afloat with the motor attached to it.
Second, make sure the motor mount you use is sturdy enough – Remember that the motor mounts offered by Wavewalk are rated for 2.5 hp to 3 hp, and they won’t withstand the torque generated by more powerful motors. Note that the TMM 20-15 mount featuring in the above video was reinforced with a double mounting plate. Reinforcing the knobs under the deck with wide plates is recommended as well.
While a spray shield isn’t required for driving your motorized Wavewalk on flat water at regular speed, it’s pretty useful when you drive in choppy water and at higher speeds. The same is true for a cockpit cover.

More on this subject »

The current trend in fishing kayak design is to produce kayaks that are increasingly wide and heavy, and no longer qualify as car-top boats but rather as microskiffs or small boats that require a trailer. This defies the purpose of kayak fishing, but some anglers opt to purchase and use these boats.
The question is, how practical is it to motorize these excessively big kayaks?
It turns out that most large-size fishing kayaks can be outfitted with electric trolling motors that are mounted either on the side or in the middle of the kayak – right in front of the user. It’s not the most practical setup, but some anglers need this extra propulsion power to get where they want to fish, or get back from there, since paddling long distances isn’t for everyone. Some are outfitted with an electric motor mounted in the back, at a big distance from the driver, which isn’t very practical when you go in shallow water where weed and grass are commonly found, and these tend to get entangled in the propeller.
As for outboard gas motors, we haven’t found a single fishing kayak that offers an acceptable solution for an outboard gas motor, as such motors must be stern mounted due to their weight, and mounting a motor that far behind the driver doesn’t work well, for various reasons related to steering, convenience and safety.
The only fishing kayak that can be flawlessly motorized is the Wavewalk, as we’ve already mentioned here.

Wavewalk has recently introduced a set of accessories that enhance the performance of its patented catamaran kayaks in terms of motorizing, and turn them into high performance car-top motorboats, or in other words – personal microskiffs. The difference is not just in the improved performance, but in the looks as well –
With its new, black, inflatable side flotation modules, the new W570 INF 20-15 looks like a rigid-inflatable boat (RIB), which is a type of boat commonly associated with high speed and rescue operations.
The new transparent spray shield makes this little boat look like a marine motorbike, or a twin-hull personal watercraft.

This movie shows this new model in action in the ocean, in choppy water:

Being able to drive this microskiff while standing is not just a useful feature – it’s a lot of fun.  Being able to launch it almost anywhere, without needing to use a boat ramp is a huge plus, and its light weight makes it easy to car top – There’s absolutely no need for a trailer for this craft.

Interestingly, the spray shield is detachable, and it can be removed within seconds if you find that it’s in your way when you fish – After all, this boat offers its user to fish from the front, and not from its sides.

In sum, we see a noticeable upgrade in what Wavewalk offers in the market for portable fishing motorboats.

Kenny “One-Shot” Tracy, a W kayak angler from Maryland, broke the speed record for a motorized kayak of the W500 series. He outfitted his W fishing kayak with a 6hp outboard gas motor from Tohatsu.
This powerful engine weighing 57 lbs empty propelled Kenny’s kayak at 13 mph in Chesapeake bay, at 1/3 throttle:

The kayak was stable and its driver stayed dry, and Kenny reported neither tracking nor steering problems.
Before starting his speed tests, Kenny outfitted his W kayak with side flotation.
The motor is mounted on a TMM 20 Wavewalk transom motor mount.

This successful test further reinforces the notion that when motorized, the patented catamaran kayak from Wavewalk can serve as a personal motorboat, or car top microskiff.