Vibe Seaghost 130 - upgrades.

[Tom Burgee]

hey all - had the yak for a year-ish and just now considering putting something powered on it. I am a big fella - 287lbs/6'2" and the kayak is rated to 550lbs. I travel very light typically - a crate with plano 3400's, and two rods.

 

I am not really concerned with all the fancy stuff everyone does, looks great but not sure I have the skill to run wires, lights and all that. I do want to add some sort of trolling motor, and a fish finder. I am considering the Bixby kit (with the battery and motor) along with the vibe gravity rudder and such.  And adding a simple fish finder, nothing too crazy. then I'll just add a battery in the center console to power that. 

 

I am about as handy as a dead rat,  so this is the easiest option. However, it's also a very expensive option. 

 

I considered a regular trolling motor mount on the back, but then I have the weight of the batteries in back, and find the cost of Lipo batteries off putting. as well as buying certain mounts for the kayak, drilling holes, and so on.  which is why I came here.... what have you guys done? seems like kayakers are creative in the ways they get stuff done... so show me what ya got. if you could give an estimate of what you spent on the project that'd be great.... thank you. 

 

[Tom Burgee]

can't figure out how to edit the orignal post. I dont typically go for long runs and usually launch where I fish... that being said I'd love the option to shoot to the other side of a large lake.. I live in central florida and will be fishing some pretty large lakes...stick marsh, lake Washington, pointsett and the like. but also whatever canals I can get into. 

[schplurg]

You could put the battery for the motor toward the front. I see you said you don't like running wires but if going lead acid it's what I would try to do.

 

There also many good (depending on how good you want) LiFePO4 batteries available now that are pretty much the same price as AGM when you figure amount of actual hours you can use.

 

This guy tears apart, inspects, tests and reviews these batteries, it's a great Youtube channel.

 

DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse - YouTube

 

I made some of my own mounts with Starboard and scraps of aluminum.

 

Transducer. Aluminum scrap cuts and drills like wood, pretty much.

 

Starboard FF mount. I painted it black later. I can swivel it out over the water or slide it along the rail wherever I need. Stole the ball mount from a track mountable rod holder.

 

Crate. made the lid and holders.

 

Homemade battery box for fish finder, light, cameras, whatever.

 

 

I don't have a trolling motor, may do that too. I'd get a 100ah LiFePO4 from Amazon for $350. Lasts as long as a 200ah lead acid, same price, and is many times lighter. Something like 25 pounds vs 130.

[Koz]

I have a lithium battery on my kayak for my Lowrance and I don't have a trolling motor or anything else that needs to be powered.

 

But if I ever did add a trolling motor, I would most certainly go with LiPo batteries. The main reason for that is unless with the weight of lead acid batteries and a trolling motor on a small and light craft like a kayak I would want to make sure I did not alter the center of gravity to a point where it made it easier for the kayak to roll over.

[Dens228]

I'm on my third year with my Bixby.  Started it on a Vibe, half way through the first year switched to a SS127 that I put a Bixby rudder on..  

I love it.  Every so often I get an itch for a spot lock trolling motor but just can't justify giving up a power system where the motor and battery weight about 10 pounds total.  

[Bankc]

I used a math equation to determine the best place to place my battery, as it's a heavy lead acid type.  It's pretty easy to do.  Just figure out a couple of places that you're willing to put the battery and measure their distances from a set point, preferably at the end of the kayak.  I chose the front.  Figure out the weight of everything (close approximation is fine), and measure the distance of where everything goes from one end.  From there, the formula is:

 

(W1D1 + W2D2 + W3D3....)

 Total Weight of Everything

 

The answer will give you distance from your original starting point where your center of gravity is.  W1 is the weight of the first object, and D1 is the distance from your starting point of the first object.  W2 and D2 are the second object, and so on.  Put your kayak's weight in there as well, and put it's distance as the center.  You can ignore light stuff like the fish finder.  Everything will stay the same in this case, except your battery distance.  When you come up with a number that is close to, or just slightly aft of the center of the kayak, then you're good.  

 

Or you can experiment on the water.  That works too, but it's more difficult and time consuming.  

[Bass Junke]

On 3/28/2022 at 10:10 PM, Tom Burgee said:

hey all - had the yak for a year-ish and just now considering putting something powered on it. I am a big fella - 287lbs/6'2" and the kayak is rated to 550lbs. I travel very light typically - a crate with plano 3400's, and two rods.

 

I am not really concerned with all the fancy stuff everyone does, looks great but not sure I have the skill to run wires, lights and all that. I do want to add some sort of trolling motor, and a fish finder. I am considering the Bixby kit (with the battery and motor) along with the vibe gravity rudder and such.  And adding a simple fish finder, nothing too crazy. then I'll just add a battery in the center console to power that. 

 

I am about as handy as a dead rat,  so this is the easiest option. However, it's also a very expensive option. 

 

I considered a regular trolling motor mount on the back, but then I have the weight of the batteries in back, and find the cost of Lipo batteries off putting. as well as buying certain mounts for the kayak, drilling holes, and so on.  which is why I came here.... what have you guys done? seems like kayakers are creative in the ways they get stuff done... so show me what ya got. if you could give an estimate of what you spent on the project that'd be great.... thank you. 

 

I have a Seaghost  110. I have done many mods and have lots of pics. PM me if you like I will send via email. Much easier than posting pics here.