More Mirage Drive blues.

You paddle guys eat this stuff up haha.

YES WE DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's funny though.  When my mirage drive malfunctions, which isn't often, I just grab my paddle and just like that, I'm back to being equal with the paddlers.   

Equal might be stretching it a little. 

Sounds like another even for the waterman series .... I'll put a 12pack on my hobie with a paddle vs your OK trident

Here is a V2 replacement
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/4859/Hobie-Mirage-Drive-V2-Replacement-Injection-Molded-Sprocket.html

Here is a V2 replacement
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/4859/Hobie-Mirage-Drive-V2-Replacement-Injection-Molded-Sprocket.html

I found that link last night. I'm going to see if our local shop has them before I place an order. I don't think I'd ever want to stop and try to replace anything on that mirage drive while on the water...

You paddle guys eat this stuff up haha.

YES WE DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's funny though.  When my mirage drive malfunctions, which isn't often, I just grab my paddle and just like that, I'm back to being equal with the paddlers.   

Equal might be stretching it a little. 

Sounds like another even for the waterman series .... I'll put a 12pack on my hobie with a paddle vs your OK trident

Sure!  I'll need it after dragging you back to the beach to pump out your hull.... again   That was a crack in the mirage drive well wasn't it? 

You paddle guys eat this stuff up haha.

YES WE DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's funny though.  When my mirage drive malfunctions, which isn't often, I just grab my paddle and just like that, I'm back to being equal with the paddlers.   

Equal might be stretching it a little. 

Sounds like another even for the waterman series .... I'll put a 12pack on my hobie with a paddle vs your OK trident

Sure!  I'll need it after dragging you back to the beach to pump out your hull.... again   That was a crack in the mirage drive well wasn't it? 

If I recall correctly .... You did not have to drag me me back. You just came along so you could take pictures of me dumping the water out of my hull. And I still caught a salmon even with the leaky hull.

It wouldn't be till almost a year later that my boat would have to get towed to shore while I swam in.....

BTW .... Anyone want a great deal on  slightly used Adventure hull? It has some great stickers on it! )

I got bored and decided to replace the bad sprocket. It was pretty simple. I've got a good idea of what caused it to split in half. I haven't used this drive since I started using my Revo. It makes sense that I wouldn't have noticed the problem sooner because my friends have been using it for the last six months or so.
A few of the teeth were stuck in the chain. The missing teeth allowed the chain to make contact with the base of the sprocket. The friction over time weakened the plastic and it eventually just "sawed" through the piece.
I think I will bring the spare drive with me when I don't have a buddy using my spare kayak. I would not want to do that repair out on the water.

What's the emergency plan when that thing breaks out a fair distance from shore? I'm not knocking you or the gear but the question is worth considering. I see quite a few guys that have had mechanical problems with those drives (the arm the gears or the hull cracking) and they have 33 inch wide boats that are not exactly easy to paddle. Get caught out in a strong current and I hope you have a rescue beacon because in some situations a paddle isn't going to be very helpful.

That's why the Addy is such a great boat. Pull the drive and it makes a pretty damn good paddle boat.

Been there, done that...fishing Toliva shoal in my Outback about 3 miles from my launch at Steilacoom, just south of the Tacoma narrows (big currents!) when a fin mast snapped...I'd hit a stump pretty hard while bass fishing a few days prior and didn't have the good sense to do an inspection afterwards.

My paddle back against the tide and wind was less than enjoyable but totally doable...The V1 drives have a machined recess where the set screw engages...a weakness that was corrected with the V2 solid threaded mast shafts. It was a good reason to upgrade and a valuable lesson in maintenance.
I still wouldn't hesitate to take that boat anywhere.

What happens when your paddle breaks in a similar situation, Ray? 

Fun with quotes:

"my boat would have to get towed to shore while I swam in....."..."That's why the Addy is such a great boat."

:-)

What happens when your paddle breaks in a similar situation, Ray?

I smoke a stogie and let you and Roger tow me in. LOL

Actually a better scenario would be if I lost my paddle. I highly doubt anything is going to break my carbon paddle. But I have two paddles and I can easily carry an extra.

Fun with quotes:

"my boat would have to get towed to shore while I swam in....."..."That's why the Addy is such a great boat."

:-)

Yup that's what happens when you try and patch a hole for a year .... Want to buy a slightly used Addy hull?

What's the emergency plan when that thing breaks out a fair distance from shore? I'm not knocking you or the gear but the question is worth considering. I see quite a few guys that have had mechanical problems with those drives (the arm the gears or the hull cracking) and they have 33 inch wide boats that are not exactly easy to paddle. Get caught out in a strong current and I hope you have a rescue beacon because in some situations a paddle isn't going to be very helpful.

I own an outback. Like ling is thinking, I carry a second drive when I can. But really despite the problems you read about, the mirage drives have been very reliable.

I see it as more reliable than a power boat with a single engine. Not quite a car with a spare tire (the paddle is the cheapo small spare tire in the analogy).  Always some risks involved. I do carry a cell phone and VHF as well. That's another reason I have no issues with having powerboats around me. Another line if defense in a catastrophic failure of some kind!

What happens when your paddle breaks in a similar situation, Ray?

I smoke a stogie and let you and Roger tow me in. LOL

Actually a better scenario would be if I lost my paddle. I highly doubt anything is going to break my carbon paddle. But I have two paddles and I can easily carry an extra.
[/quote
I give one tow a year, last year made it until August. (billy)
You had better break down early in the day, I have been known to get a little drunk on the water by the afternoon.

What happens when your paddle breaks in a similar situation, Ray?

I smoke a stogie and let you and Roger tow me in. LOL

Actually a better scenario would be if I lost my paddle. I highly doubt anything is going to break my carbon paddle. But I have two paddles and I can easily carry an extra.
[/quote
I give one tow a year, last year made it until August. (billy)

I would call it more of a salvage than a tow seeing as how I wasn't able to kick back and enjoy the ride. )