T13 Shortcomings

So there I am, a mile from the beach, 5 gallons of water in the hull  and a gaping hole in my yak where my flush mount had been...... 

Headed out in big blue today cause the girlfriend wanted to grill some fresh fish on the beach.  This was the 1st salt for my T13.....
It was a perfect day for ocean fishing.  Light/variable winds, small swell and sunny.  What could go wrong?

Let me tell you: 
For starters, after busting thru the knee high surf, I noticed that my foot wells were full of water?!?  Turns out that the Sonar Shield clips are perfectly positioned to plug scupper holes when not clipped.  No biggie, just paddle the extra ~24 lbs beyond the waves and clear the scuppers...
Next, pop the rod pod to begin setup and notice that a lot of water got in thru the hatches over the course of 10 or 12 little waves.  Yes they were cinched.  No, I didn't have a bilge pump.  Now I know why I should carry one though.....
~1 mile offshore, snagged in 90' of water in the lee of a seastack.  Pop the rod in the left flush mount and paddle up current to try a different angle.  Get a little bend on the rod and *Pop* The compression doughnuts used by the factory for installation pull thru the holes.    Did I mention that I'm already riding low, dragging around an extra 40lbs of water weight from the hatch leaks?  On a rough day, this could have been an extremely bad situation. 



On a positive note: The T13 was a dream to paddle even with all the extra weight.  I had no problem maintaining 4MPH for the push back to the beach.  Also, it rode the waves very comfortably.  Even without knee straps the drops were controlled and the side slips were smooth as silk. 

 

 

Sorry to hear about that Spot, but I appreciate you sharing it with the rest of us.

Hmm, I think I need to get myself a bilge pump and some washers to reinforce my rod holders.

Brian

  Yowzers!   

BSteves, how do you plan to add washers back there,  or are you talking about owner installed mounts?

Would rivets normally used for blind mounting of kayak accessories work better in this situation?

BSteves, how do you plan to add washers back there,  or are you talking about owner installed mounts?

If you have long arms, you can reach the bolts from the rod pod.

notice the fish in the background...he obviously wasn't going back in just because of a little water 

its a good thing that all happened on a calm day...now you can fix it and hopefully not have to worry about it again...at least the flush mount problem...

is there any way the flush mount was actually the original cause of the leak somehow?

First, get thee a Scotty bilge pump and don't leave home w/o it!!

Man, sounds like quite an ordeal. Glad you made it through it all and really great to hear how the yak handled under the pressure. Hydrodynamically, that yak has arguably the best paddling hull out there. It paddles efficiently, punches through surf like a champ, and rides waves like no fishing kayaks I've seen. Bummer about the fittings popping but w/ some tlc sure it'll do just fine. Plus it's not like you paid for it!!

Z

how long have you had your T-13 and if the rod holders were factory installed.. Does that mean it was under warranty of some and OK will replace it?

Sorry to hear your luck.., At least you were in calm waters and looks like you got a fish.

Yikes.

If you don't mind, I'm going to send that pic into the factory.

There's also got to be something going on with the hatch seal design.  I've had a few "leaks" now too (and heard of even more), and I don't think I'm doing anything wrong with tightening the hatches.  Gonna have to check that out more ...

-Allen

My rod pod lid was a leaker as well.  I think I have resolved this with a few upgrades.

After I removed the rod pod buckle hardware and installed the "Bungee" I was just asking for water entry during a huli event.  So, I went ahead and reinstalled the buckle hardware under the "Bungee" hardware so I can still take full advantage of quick in/outs while sitting still in the water.   I also added a center strap over the rod pod lid.  One more thing that I think made it more water tight is that I added a 3/4" wide, by 1/4" thick layer of black stick on weather strip to the lid where it mates the horizontal surface of the opening (the lip).   So, going through the surf, or crashing in a huli, that lid is not a leaker no more!

Glad you were able to get out and have a some fun, and get back safely.  I hate it when gear fails and cuts into my enjoyment of the trip.  See what happens when you "cheat" on your Fish and Dive..

My Rod Pod cover seems leaky as well, particularly at the ends.  One problem is, I think, the cover is actually too big for the hatch.  Maybe about 1/2" shorter and 1/2" narrower would make a better fit.
 

Glad you were able to get out and have a some fun, and get back safely.  I hate it when gear fails and cuts into my enjoyment of the trip.  See what happens when you "cheat" on your Fish and Dive..

I still consider the T13 "The other kayak".  It's a tough trade off for the salt.  The T13 is so fast and responsive but the Cobra is an awesome workhorse.  Maybe I'll have to sell them both and get a Tarpon. 

My Rod Pod cover seems leaky as well, particularly at the ends.  

I've noticed that if you cinch the rodpod too tightly, the cover will bow, leaving the ends gapped.

The hatch design has lots of room for improvement!

That sucks!  Good thing you were able to deal with the situation though.  Those Rod Pods always feel cheap and look warped on the sales floor IMO, interesting to hear others complaining about the fit.

and get a Tarpon.   
    

Add the center strap and the ends stay down just fine.