Motors Outboard on Kayaks?

[Pav]

Has anyone fixed or seen an outboard on a sitontop kayak?
Each year I consider a boat, but in practice the sitontop kayak is everything we need minus a motor!

It is easy to carry some split paddles incase of motor failure so a lot safer than a small inflatable.

But.. can you fix a petrol outboard to a sitontop kayak? I would want to fit it to a Cobra Tandem sitontop kayak. I know you can fit electric motors but they don't look much fun! and expensive for what they are. I guesse they choose electric motors because they are lighter and the heavy battery can be fitted inside the kayak to keep stability.

Reckon I could pick up a cheap petrol outboard , but not sure how I would fix or what HP I could use without making the kayak tip over (I assume it has to be fitted from the side?

Anyone seen it or tired it? Thanks ;>)

[armandozx]

You are looking for something like this my friend!

[alexrom1207]

Since no one else has any Ideas I may share mine, even though it's probably not the easy solution you're looking for (in fact it is rather complicated..but it's an idea???) Anyway, mount the motor in front of you and in the middle of the kayak. You'd have to bore a hole through the hull of the kayak (a piece of PVC pipe that is sealed with resin at the bottom and the top should work to create a chase or channel (from the bottom to the top of the kayak and in the middle... this would and prevent water from entering in and give you a chase to run the shaft of the motor down) So the top of the outboard would sit on the top of the kayak and the shaft would run down that PVC pipe to the bottom of the kayak and the propeller would attach to the end of that shaft at the bottom of the kayak and under water. Your legs would go on either side of the PVC channel. Some of the old petrol outboards with low horsepower have very long and thin shafts so after you remove the hardware that is mean to mount it to the back of a boat it should be able to fit through. You could then allow the motor to sit on the top of the kayak and turn the top of the motor to turn the boat. I don't know how much this hole will affect the way the kayak floats (I imagine it wouldn't make too much of a difference. However, as Kayaks are essentially perfectly balanced this extra weight in the front may cause it to plow a little more than normal. However it would not flip over when you got out of it, but it may make it a little top heavy (adding counterweights to the bottom of the kayak or using a light motor will help this will fix this)
Okay now to the problems with this idea:
1. You could not remove the motor easily (which would make the Kayak more cumbersome and difficult to move) which is one of the best things about using a kayak.
2. The process of installing the motor is rather difficult and I'm sure isn't the simple solution you're looking for.
3. If the kayak flipped over you could flood spark plugs with water and the motor wouldn't start.

That being the case...you may want to try installing a small jet drive (housed inside the kayak) with an intake on the bottom and the jet at the back. Steering would be more complicated and in general this would be more difficult but in the end superior.

Sorry I couldn't think of a perfect solution but this was just an idea...maybe it will help you or someone else to come up with a better one or

[Pav]

thanks for that, but for the reasons said not ideal. Really don;t want to modify the kayak so it can't be used for what it was intended.

My reason for the motor is an alternative to a small inflatable / rib which I have always fancied. In practice boats are a hassle! , so reason why I guesse a lot of us use a kayak.

Just sometimes watching a rib fly by as the sun comes down and I am slogging my way back from the point in my kayak I feel a small HP engine rigged to the side of the yak would be nice! , + on lazy days I could fly around to the faraway coves with no effort!

I see in the states a lot of people fix small electric outboards but can't imagine they give much more than my own paddling. I am guessing the weight of a small HP rigged to the side of the yak would be a problem... but someone my have found otherwise.

[Magpie]

This may give you some ideas, unfortunately it doesn't detail "how":

Kayak Fishing UK_Article_10

[Marwan]

check out the sevylor site, i know one f their kayaks, you could fit a bracket to attach a small outboard

[Mr. X]

Yes, I've seen pics of inflatible kayaks with small outboards. One might have been on the Sevylor website. I think Omega3 might have posted picture of his motorized Sevylor kayak (?) -- might be worth searching for his posts.

The thought had crossed my mind too but I've been told I need the exercise & its greener, quieter & cheaper to paddle. It strikes me that sit-ok kayaks, esp. the big 2-seater OK M2 & Cobra Tandem look more like boats than canoes when turned upside down and probably could be used more like a boat. The absence on a transom to attach the motor too is perhaps the main problem. I recall years ago that small inflatible dingies often had a T-profile plywood transom that could be strapped on the back somehow. Perhaps what is needed is a sit-on kayak specifically designed to take an optional motor.

The AnglersAfloat link posted by Magpie looks very interesting:

Kayak Fishing UK_Article_10

How about one of those honking great "longtail" motors with the 12 foot prop-shafts featured in one the one bond movies (Live & Let Die or the Man with the Golden Gun?).

[Jon]

I remember seeing a dive kayak about 15 years ago that was made out of two pontoons with the seat in the middle. It allowed a small motor to be mounted behind the driver and room for gear- similar to this one here: Outfitting W Fishing Kayaks: Floatation, Accessories, Anchor

Another option can be found here for retrofitting your boat: Kayak Fishing in Southwest Florida

I'm down with the paddling- less gear more exercise.

Jon

[fcallagy]

Sorry pav no real constructive advice but it did remind me of this.

YouTube - Top Gear Tomcat super jet kayak

[alexrom1207]

Just another idea for you. If you have a motor mounted on one side of the kayak, you could simply mount a counterweight on the otherside. This would solve the problem of the boat being unstable. This way you wouldn't have to modify the kayak or permanently transform it into a boat; you could just remove the motor and counterweight and it would be a kayak again. Just another idea.

[Pav]

Thanks for all the ideas.. its great being able to throw an idea out on this forum and get some "leads". A motor mount is available for cobra kayaks but I could only find reference to it being used with an electric motor. I emailed cobra and got the reply ...

We recommend a 3HP motor for the kayak. Yes, the motor mount can be fitted to a Cobra Tandem, but you need to order it as such as the usual motor mount for the Fish N Dive won’t work.

Sounds really hopeful! I'll let you know.

Any idea how fast a 3HP will push a yak?? I don't want to waterski behind it but would like to cruise faster than I can paddle!!

[alexrom1207]

I know a 3hp will move a dinghy faster than I can paddle. It'll probably move the kayak at a decent clip. But like you said, you'll have to keep those water-skis at home.

[settingsteel]

Interesting thread, I've been throwing the idea around for some time, chopped a canoe and added some stabalizers on the side, that has served us for a few years (only problem is its heavy as hell) later got a plastic dighy (too light)...but I keep thinking about modifying a yak ....idea is to attach a square back (that's removeable) to which you attach the motor or something like that

[OregonSpearo]

Been toying with the idea of mounting my 2-stroke 31cc Ryobi weedwacker on the back of my kayak. All it takes is
- exchanging the nylon spool for an electric outboard's propeller
- packing the shaft with marine grease so that saltwater doesn't go up
- building a brace to mount it on.

It would work like the Thai "long tail" outboards pictured above.

- On the minus side, the weight distribution of this (and pretty much any) setup would make it top-heavy and prone to roll. The propeller blades length will need adjustment to allow the 2-stroke's high rpm.
- On the plus side, it costs less than $100 and is very reliable. Ryobi 2-stroke weedwacker motors are often "hacked" to fit RC planes (check EBay) because of their compact design, great price and good power/weight ratio.

... and cruising in a diving kayak wearing black neoprene with that buzzing weedwacker sound can only attract the ladies!

[settingsteel]

Originally Posted by OregonSpearo

... and cruising in a diving kayak wearing black neoprene with that buzzing weedwacker sound can only attract the ladies!

The Buzzing Ninja Yaker