Kayak Maintenance

So I've rearranged the living room and made some space for the Outback.  I need to get it cleaned up and get any maintenance done before the season kicks off for me.

What yearly maintenance should I be doing?
I noticed the color is a little dull, what products are best to shine it back up?
The mirage drive probably needs checked up as well.

For the hull, pick up some 303.

Your drive might need some marine grease, but that depends on how much you used it and it didn't see much salt either right?

You should also check all the fastenings/nuts/bolts/etc.

Check youtube for "mirage drive maintenance"

As far as the mirage drive goes, it looks like i just need to tighten the set screws and lube the chain.  Anything else?

I looked up 303 products and they have quite a few.  Do you have a specific 303 that you use?

Thanks!

I watched a youtube video by Ty 30 miles out, he uses WD-40 on his yak. WD -40 has natural fish oils and also protects the yaks color. I have not heard of the marine grease? wounder what kind of scent that leaves in the water? I have met guys that use WD-40 for fishing due to the fish oils in it.

I usually wipe mine down occasionally and the drive I rinse off and WD-40 it every 3-4 trips or when I rense it and the water does not bead up.

If I can find the 30 miles out video I will post it here.

Hope this helps.

First off there is no fish oil  in WD40 http://wd40.com/about-us/myths-legends-fun-facts/

I wipe down my kayaks with 303 http://www.303products.com/303r-aerospace-protectant.html 2-3 times a year.
 
I also disassemble my mirage drive once a year and grease all the shafts/pivot points etc with blue marine grease (like you would use on boat trailer bearings etc) http://www.hardwareandtools.com/CRC-Industries-SL3121-Sta-Lube-Marine-Grease-14-Ounce-6106215.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=COm04_j9jbUCFQ_hQgodNh0AyQ 

After each use I wash the mirage drive with plenty of fresh water,  and spray with Corrosion X spray. http://www.corrosionx.com/corrosionx.html

I picked up a bottle of salt away, and have started rinsing my gear in it after use.  I've only used it twice, but has anyone else used this product, and does it have any negative affect on gear?  I figured it wouldn't harm mirage drive or reels since you can run it through a boat engine, but that doesn't mean it's true.  http://www.saltawayproducts.com/index.htm

I picked up a bottle of salt away, and have started rinsing my gear in it after use.  I've only used it twice, but has anyone else used this product, and does it have any negative affect on gear?  I figured it wouldn't harm mirage drive or reels since you can run it through a boat engine, but that doesn't mean it's true.  http://www.saltawayproducts.com/index.htm

I used it by the ton when I owned my 28ft sportfisher.  It never hurt anything I could find.  I've never used it on my yak gear as its so quick and easy to flush with just a hose.  It was a huge help in washing down a big boat after a day on the salt. I used a hose end garden sprayer.

+1 on the marine grease!  I bought a tube of marine engine grease about 3 years ago from a boat shop in Salem and have used it on my mirage drives, reels, and plenty of other things around the garage for kayaking and I finally need to run out and grab another tube.  Every time I make an installation with stainless hardware for a rod holder or whatever on a kayak I coat each piece of stainless with that engine grease.  This way, when you need to take a bolt out after it's been mounted for a few years and has seen plenty of salt water, you have a better chance of actually getting the bolt out instead of stripping it because it won't be seized up with corrosion. 

Rinsing after every trip to the salt water and regular inspections and greasing of your mirage drive are a must if you want it to last a long time and not break while you're on the water.  Do everything that Pelagic said but also grease up the points where the cable material meets the threaded section of your cables and chains. 

This part is really important that many people, including myself, overlook: Take the fins off to expose the metal posts.  Bend them backwards slightly and look at the leading edge of each post to see if you can spot any fractures.  Replace them right away if you see anything.  This happens when your fins get bent for some reason and a very fine fracture develops.  Then, water will work its way into those fractures and form oxidation deeper and deeper into the post as you use the mirage drive.  Eventually, the post will snap and you'll be left with one flipper dangling from your drive. 

Thank you. Great info guys.

Kayak maintaince?  Oh.. I see, this is a Hobie discussion.   

Kayak maintaince?  Oh.. I see, this is a Hobie discussion.   

 

A little birdie told me NDog was putting together a presentation on Mirage Drive maintenance.

We've been meaning to have a clinic or something on gear maintenance, but I guess we keep forgetting about it.  We'll get something put together someday.   

Put it on video please.

For my Trident 13 I hose it off ... try to get all the fish blood off. I'm not always success full. Fish blood has natural fish smell in it and works great to cover the smell of beer in the kayak.

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