MICRONAUTICAL BOAT DESIGN

The W720 is a successful embodiment of the Wavewalk Micronautical design.  It is the perfect blend between kayak and boat performance – The ease of paddling with the stability and control required for motorizing.
As a kayak, the W720 tracks like no other, thanks to its long waterline, and it’s more stable than any other kayak out there, including fishing kayak behemoths that are over 40 inches wide, and weigh north of 120 lbs.
As a motorboat, it is nimble and responsive, and the easiest to launch and beach.
On top of this, the W720 is comfortable to ride in, thanks to its high saddle seat that stretches along the center line of its cockpit, and allows for up to three passengers to enjoy paddling and/or motorizing on lakes, rivers, flats and estuaries.

It definitely stands apart from the crowd of electric motor kayaks that neither look nor perform well.

The W720 Kayak Skiff does not offer the amazing seaworthiness of the S4 Microskiff, not its speed, but it is the best solo and tandem kayak out there, and it works perfectly as an ultralight motorboat, including as a dinghy (boat tender).

This video shows the W720 outfitted with a 3 gallon fuel tank, This quantity is enough for a whole day of nonstop driving with an outboard motor up to 3 HP (practically 2.5 HP). This tank was too large to fit inside one of the W720 hulls, but it conveniently fits  on top of the saddle, between the motor and the driver.

Finally, a one-minute video that shows the S4 Microskiff in a “walkaround” scene, and not in action –

Better late than never!  😀

Most people don’t design their own microskiff, or portable boat, but many love to outfit it, and build accessories for it  –

Wavewalk recently published several articles on subjects related to Do It Yourself (DIY) projects.

Kurt Raimer’s from WA state outfitted his S4 microskiff for fishing salmon and trout:

Bill Seay’s report on his Easy-Load for his S4:

Terry Wilkison’s new white S4 is loaded with DIY upgrades:

Read full article: https://wavewalk.com/blog/2023/04/19/first-tandem-spearfishing-trip-in-my-white-s4-microskiff-guam/

How To Trim My S4 Microskiff For Speed? » Design, including boat design, is about choosing the formula that would best answer the requirements of the user. In the case of the S4 Microskiff, the requirements for extreme portability (easy car topping) and versatility (ability to paddle) led to a limitation on engine power, mostly due to its weight. Many boat owners care about being able to reach the maximum speed that their boat allows for, so they spend much time and money on trimming their boat, and this article offers S4 Microskiff owners information and hand-on advice on how to trim their boat for speed.

One of the fist questions that future S4 owners ask is about motorizing, and more specifically, what size motor would best fit their needs –

3.5 HP or 6 HP outboard motor for my S4 microskiff? »
Wavewalk and its dealers sell the S4 microskiff non-motorized, and it’s up to the boat owner to choose what type and size of motor they will use. Wavewalk offers plenty of info and good advice on these subjects, and this is the latest article in this series.

It’s worth mentioning here that Wavewalk’s website offers dozens of articles including on subjects related to boat design and DIY projects.
Articles Directory »

 

According to this article, the answer to this question depends on who’s asking – It’s possible for young and fit anglers who are willing to compromise substantially to fish out of kayaks, but all others are effectively prevented from doing it, because typically, kayaks are neither stable nor comfortable enough for serving in the capacity of a fishing vessel.

Stability and comfort, namely ergonomics, are related directly to boat design, and kayaks don’t necessarily have to be unstable or uncomfortable. With the same size of a typical fishing kayak, Wavewalk’s W720 and S4 provide a much higher degree of stability, seaworthiness, and comfort. People who use these boats never suffer from back pain while they travel in them, or fish from them, and neither do they experience instability when they stand up, as they would in SOT fishing kayaks, .

And by “people” we mean everyone, not just persons who are young and fit.

Speaking of Boat Design, words are not enough, and one must use numbers: The above series of images shows the W720, a patented catamaran kayak skiff that weighs 85 lbs, and is 31 inches wide. These dimensions make it easy to paddle compared to the top tier SOT fishing kayaks who are always wider and in most cases considerably heavier, while providing less stability than the W720 design does.
85 lbs and 31 inches are low figures in this field of top-tier fishing kayaks, and they also make Wavewalk’s kayaks easier to cartop, transport, and carry than other fishing kayaks, which can weigh over 100 lbs (up to 140 lbs!…), and be as wide as 42 inches, namely “barges”.