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Topic: Rigged Hobie Revolution  (Read 34237 times)

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rawkfish

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On my old kayak (Malibu X-Factor) I had installed flush-mount rod holders immediately aft of the seat well.  These were my favorite rod holders as they were positioned in just the right place for me to simply drop the rod straight down into a holder as I was lipping a fish and bringing it aboard.  I didn't have to reach back or look where I was putting the rod, they were in a very natural spot.



At first with the Revolution, I couldn't figure out a way to duplicate that setup which was only mildly frustrating.  I then came across pictures of Morgan Promnitz's Revolution, the Hobie Fishing manager.  So what I did on my boat is essentially the same thing.  I put together a system using two RAM Revolution rod holders mounted behind the seat.  These provide an amazing rod storage option as they have a pretty sweet range of motion.  They can be rotated to be right up next to the rear of your seat, or way out to the side so they are well out of the way.  Also their range of motion is in such a way that when out to the side like this, the arm on the rod holder cannot be angled any farther down than straight out.



To provide this positioning, I have two 1.5" RAM ball mounts(C size) with the diamond base(part#: RAM-238U) mounted just forward of the molded-in rod holders.  These were the tricky part of putting this together because practically no retailer carries them, even online, and you need pretty long arms(which I don't have) to mount these where I have them using stainless hardware.  I recommend mounting them with stainless hardware because of the way the Revolution rod holder will be positioned.  When they're out to the side as I have them in the pictures, they generate a torque focused about the ball mounts.  This torque is unfortunately applied to the mount in such a way that it tends to try to rotate the ball mount about it's narrower base dimension, not the wider dimension.  To give the mount some added strength, fender washers should be used on the underside.  I used stainless #10 pan head bolts with nylock nuts as mounting hardware.








I mounted the circular bases that came with the Revolution tube rod holders immediately behind the seat on the ridge that separates the seat well and the rear storage well.  Having the two round base mounts here provides some pretty cool options for rod storage.  The Revo tubes can be positioned right behind the seat in a storage mode for traveling distances.  This way, your rods aren't out over the side, getting splashed while covering distance quickly in choppy water.



The other storage mode is for punching through surf.  The tubes are straightened and laid down on the rear storage well.  Then the reels can be secured with the bungees that cross the storage well.  This allows the rods to be pointed straight off the stern so if one were to roll the kayak while trying to get out through the surf, the rods are spared from being bent and broken.







The diamond bases also provide a pretty slick rod storage position for surf launches/landings.  The rod tubes are straightened and pointed forward towards the bow.  This way, the rods are stowed the length of the boat so the tips are not hanging off the back and they do not have to be retrieved out of the front hatch after a surf launch or landing.  This has it's obvious benefits such as not having your rods and reels scratched to hell and no balancing acts have to be performed when accessing the front hatch for your rods.







I have a few of the 1" ball mounts(B size) mounted around the cockpit area for the X-shot mount and my Garmin eTrex Summit.  1" ball mount with round base is also shown here on the middle hatch



A standard Revolution Rod holder positioned up front for trolling.



Sounder is mounted up front by the hatch so no holes needed to be drilled to run wires.  Running the wires under the hatch was sort of a temporary thing at first, but I don't think I'm going to change it since I'm pretty satisfied with it.



Inside the hatch, I have the battery box which can house three different battery options.  Either a sealed gel-cell brick, an 8 AA pack, or a couple of batteries I have for my cordless drill - all work great.



Transducer is positioned with the foam-puck style transducer mount.



The 1" RAM ball just aft of the sounder mount is where I have my camera mount system most of the time.





For traversing the surf zone or just a different camera angle while pedaling around, I put a Scotty flush-mount round base(part# 444) in the storage well.  This allows me to have a camera mount behind me, but can be easily removed to allow more storage in the rear well if needed.  I used this mount so I could keep using my camera arm base I fashioned for my roll bar rod-rack on my X-factor.  This consists of a Scotty height extender(part# 259), a peg piece that comes with pretty much any Scotty rod holder, and a 1" Ram U-bolt mount(part# RAM-B-231) mounted on the peg piece.





My flag mount is simply my old flag, which is an ATV whip flag pole with the base wrapped in insulation foam and electrical tape, zip-tied to a Scotty fly-rod holder.  This too, was a temporary rigging that took about ten minutes to put together as I was frantically getting ready one evening for a trip out to the ocean the next day.  I didn't have a flag system setup so I grabbed what I had laying around and threw it together.  It has really surprised me on how well it works so it may end up being permanent.  The bungee leash was used when I had it for my old setup to hold the flag in the holster.  I left it on and use it now just in case the zip-ties fail although now is seems like that is pretty unlikely.





Hope this provides people with some ideas they can use for their kayaks.

Tight lines!
« Last Edit: September 23, 2011, 08:30:36 AM by rawkfish »
                
2011 Angler Of The Year
1st Place 2011 PDX Bass Yakin' Classic
"Fishing relaxes me.  It's like yoga except I still get to kill something."  - Ron Swanson


Flatlander

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WOW!!
what a sweet looking ride, thanks for the tutorial rawk.
I can see the rear addition rod ram's and camera add ons a major plus.


INSAYN

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I really like the layout of your rear most 1.5" RAM tubes.   How the hell did you get your stubby arms to reach far enough inside to install fender washers behind that diamond mount?  I have set of those RAM tubes, just haven't found a way to get fingers far enough back to use bolts instead of rivets.    :-\

As for online dealers for RAM mount bits, I have had really great service with "Themountdepot.com". 
You can get the 238U from them, no problem.  http://www.themountdepot.com/RAM_207U_p/RAM_238U_p/ram-238u.htm
 

"If I was ever stranded on a beach with only hand lotion...You're the guy I'd want with me!"   Polyangler, 2/27/15


rawkfish

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I really like the layout of your rear most 1.5" RAM tubes.   How the hell did you get your stubby arms to reach far enough inside to install fender washers behind that diamond mount?  I have set of those RAM tubes, just haven't found a way to get fingers far enough back to use bolts instead of rivets.    :-\

As for online dealers for RAM mount bits, I have had really great service with "Themountdepot.com". 
You can get the 238U from them, no problem.  http://www.themountdepot.com/RAM_207U_p/RAM_238U_p/ram-238u.htm

Yeah, it took about an hour, a good pair of mini vice grips and... maybe a couple of hoppy beverages... It was one tough bugger, that's for sure. 
                
2011 Angler Of The Year
1st Place 2011 PDX Bass Yakin' Classic
"Fishing relaxes me.  It's like yoga except I still get to kill something."  - Ron Swanson


Pelagic

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Looks awesome!  I see some of those revolution tubes in my future.  Like the layout of the boat!  That machine needs a serious baptism in blood! >:D

I did notice one thing that came up when I rigged my Adventure and may or may not be an issue for you..  Check where your rod (trolling rod in the front) ends up when you put it under load, as if you were trolling for salmon with a 4-8 oz weight and associated drag.  Under load the front of the rod bends down and back towards you (quite a bit depending on the rod) and my knees ended up bumping the rod as I pedaled the mirage drive.  I solved the problem by moving the base as forward as I could and still reach it comfortably and picked up one of the scotty "articulated arm mounts" Which allowed me to move the rod up and out enough that even under a heavy load trolling in strong current the rod clears my knees.


INSAYN

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Rawkfish inspired an addition to my Revo after trying to deal with my piggy Cabezon I landed at Depoe Bay a few weeks ago. 

I had the pig in my lap, as well as my pole with the big jig, and two sharp shrimp flies (soft plastic squids actually). 
I tried several times to put my rod in the holder on the left behind me, but my dry suit fabric blocked my few, and I was unsuccessful trying braille.

I knew right away why Rawfish added a rod holder off to the side.  Brilliant! 

However, there were some obstacles that plagued me from a direct copy and paste. 

1. I like to land fish on my right, and have my rod in my left. 
    Therefore a rod holder on my left is necessary.

2. I stow my paddle on my left so it isn't in the way of landing fish on the right.

3. I also like to hang my feet over the right side, so the paddle would be in my way if on that side too.

4. Mounting the rod holder on the ledge offered a few other issues that concerned me. 
    The rod holder above the paddle would block the paddle's stowage option on that side.
    The leverage on the narrow edge could be an issue without additional support.


I opted to mount the RAM ball below the paddle shaft, and forward of the rear keeper, as getting to the backs of the screws was a bit easier via the mid hatch.
Knowing that by itself the RAM mount would flex the body of the kayak with decent leverage applied to the rod holder, I had a plan.




Aluminum backer plate, gooped like crazy and bolted in 6 places.


The round mount and the contour of the kayak needed a spacer to make the surfaces mate correctly as well.
Not sure what this was in it's past life, but my son picked up this really hard rubber round thing next to the boat ramp at Hagg Lake several years ago, and I had it
laying around waiting to be put to use. 
Sliced a 3/16" sliver of it off with the band saw, and feathered down the center with an air sander wheel to match the contour of the kayak.



I can apply enough force to where the rod holder loses grip on the ball, yet no body flex on the kayak. 
The paddle can still be place on the left side, and still be deployable.



Mission accomplished.  8)

 

"If I was ever stranded on a beach with only hand lotion...You're the guy I'd want with me!"   Polyangler, 2/27/15


rawkfish

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That's pretty clever!  Nice work!
                
2011 Angler Of The Year
1st Place 2011 PDX Bass Yakin' Classic
"Fishing relaxes me.  It's like yoga except I still get to kill something."  - Ron Swanson


daveo

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Some very nice ideas. I am taking it slow rigging my new Outback until I figure exactly what I want and where to put it. So far I have put two RAM ball mounts on the gunnels. One for my FF and the other for my rod.

I wish that RAM would be design  a "wedge mount" that was sized to fit the Hobie internal rod holders. They make a wedge mount to fit the sail mast hole but not a larger wedge mount to go into the rod holders. There are many more placement opportunities in the rod holders than in a single sail mount.  I think there would be some sales opportunity here for RAM as it would provide 4 more locations on my Outback and many other kayaks to add any hardware I wished suing the existing factory rod holders. The factory internal rod mounts are a nice touch but not as functional as they could be if they would receive a larger style Ram wedge mount.  Just a thought....RAM are you watching these forums?
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rawkfish

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An option you have is to use a Scotty gimbal mount.  They are smaller than the diameter of the molded in rod holders, but you can add a bit of diameter to them with the use of peel-and-stick insulation foam and electricians tape.  This is what I used when putting together my newest edition of a camcorder system.  Simply wrap in layers: foam, tape, foam, tape... Repeat until you get a good snug fit.  Wrap the foam in a spiral.  One downside to the gimbal mount is that it may twist in the rod holder a little and there is no locking mechanism like the other Scotty bases have.  This would allow you to get a Ram fitting that fits into the Scotty bases, or go with some options Scotty has.
                
2011 Angler Of The Year
1st Place 2011 PDX Bass Yakin' Classic
"Fishing relaxes me.  It's like yoga except I still get to kill something."  - Ron Swanson


daveo

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Thanks Rawkfish. Another great idea! Dave
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kallitype

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Geez, I gotta get to work now!!  Thanks guys for great ideas
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rawkfish

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Thought I'd share the rigging and tinkering I've done on my Revo recently.  Hopefully it will provide some ideas to those who are rigging up new boats

I've modified my D.I.Y. camera extender arm a little so that it can fit into a Scotty Power Lock instead of one of the smaller rod holders I was originally using.  I did this so that I would be more likely to actually use the rod holder for its originally intended purpose when the camera extender arm isn't in it(I really don't like the smaller ones).  To make it fit into the Power Lock rod holder I did what I did with the gimbal mount so it would fit into the Hobie molded rod holders - many layers of insulation foam strips and electrical tape. 

Using the gimbal mount as a receiver for the camera arm setup became a pain because I lost a spot to store a rod since the gimbal mount sat in the molded-in rod holder.  I ended up mounting a standard Scotty mount with bolts and large fender washers right behind the seat and paired the Power Lock rod holder with an Adjustable Rod Holder Extender (No.459), a Gear Head Mount (No.428), and a Mounting Post (No.312).  They all come together as a set (No.429).  The numbers are the Scotty catalog number btw.  This setup works really well for the camera arm positioning and has minimal camera shake.  It also has a large range of motion so it can be used for storing an extra rod behind me. 

(Note: I was sponsored by Scotty during Kayak Wars 2011.)

UPDATE:  The use of the Scotty Power Lock rod holder in this location wasn't a good idea, see more recent posts.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2012, 11:08:36 PM by rawkfish »
                
2011 Angler Of The Year
1st Place 2011 PDX Bass Yakin' Classic
"Fishing relaxes me.  It's like yoga except I still get to kill something."  - Ron Swanson


rawkfish

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I found a really slick way to run the chords of a sounder through the hull.  This also allows you to easily take the sounder out and move it to a different kayak if you have another you like to use as long as they both have a foam-puck style transducer mount.  I drilled a hole with a 1 1/4" spade bit close to where the sounder is mounted.  Then I bought a couple of rubber stoppers that have a tapered diameter that goes from a little smaller to a little bigger than that of the drilled hole.  In one of the stoppers I drilled a hole just big enough to fit the chords of my sounder through but is a snug fit.  I just eye-balled it but I think it was somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4".  After I drilled the hole I cut a slit all the way through to the hole.  Now I simply run the plug through the hole in the kayak from the inside out and wrap the drilled stopper around the chord, then plug the hole with the stopper.  The drilled stopper goes with the kayak that is using the sounder and the non-drilled stopper goes with the kayak that isn't using the sounder.  Both my Mini-X and the Revolution have the same hole drilled near where the sounder is mounted.  Having the sounder on a RAM mount makes switching the sounder really easy, you just need an extra 1" ball base.  The chords also need to be wrapped up well to make switching the unit easy.
                
2011 Angler Of The Year
1st Place 2011 PDX Bass Yakin' Classic
"Fishing relaxes me.  It's like yoga except I still get to kill something."  - Ron Swanson


Pelagic

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Great Post!  I have a few hints to add to Rawk's post from when I rigged my sounders this way.  Make sure you drill the hole much smaller than the test tube plug, you want to be able to really snug it in there or it can pop out when you least want it to, a round hole is also critical DAMHIK :o.  After time and use the deck hole can also wear a bit (plastic edges fatigue etc.)  and allow the plug not seal well or even to push through . When in doubt start with a smaller plug so you can hop up to a bigger one if you need to re-cut the hole.  I cut mine (a "step bit" is more forgiving than a spade bit DAMHIK ::)) so it stopped about 1/3-1/2 of the way up the plug.   Somewhere I have a handful of these plugs already drilled if anyone wants one I can bring them to the next Oregon meet-up.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2012, 08:34:18 AM by pelagic paddler »


ConeHeadMuddler

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Thanks for sharing your spiffing ideas, gents. I like that transducer plug with the slit in it.

I had been thinking of just cutting a small notch in the inner lip of my forward hatch cover (Tarpon 140), as there is already a small warp in it on the rear side. I could make an exact fit, and maybe add a soft foam gasket of some kind (if necessary) to completely seal it.I think waves washing over the bow and hatch cover when I'm paddling wouldn't be directly hitting the warped area.

But I like the slit plug idea. I'm waiting until receive my new FF/gps before I determine how to mount it to my side plate.  I might have to install some ball mounts or Scotty mounts behind my seat, if I can find a good location. I already have the Harmony flush-mount tubes installed there.

I still need to install a base for a flag pole, and maybe a camera mount behind my seat (would want to shoot the fishing, and not the fisher). I now stick my flag pole (going to replace it with a better one with a light on top) in a pvc tube that is zip-tied to my milk crate. But I'm thinking that sometimes I'll want to ditch the crate (so i can fit a large fish bag in the rear well). Might even get rid of the crate altogether.

Thanks again for a clear explanation and pics.  A couple of additional well-placed mounts behind the seat looks very useful! I could use one for a rod holder, and the other for a camera mount. I'm trying to avoid adding anything to the cockpit area that will be a flyline hanger-upper, but I plan to use a stripping basket, anyway, especially if I'm casting a fast-sinking shooting head.
ConeHeadMuddler


 

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