Sunday, February 16, 2014

Big Game II Anchor Trolly

 This will be one of the few actual rigging items I put on this kayak. So I figured I would try to chronicle it. I decided to blog this after I had already had it started the project so the front block was already on the kayak and the rear was tied to a pad eye so that I would have a trolly to use until I got around to finishing the project.
 Before you start any rigging project there are a couple things to keep in mind. 1. Don't put anything in the way of your paddle stroke. 2. Make sure any holes you make are above the waterline and water tight.
 I chose to use the Hobie Anchor Trolly kit. Keep in mind this kit was designed for Hobie Kayaks so you may need to purchase some hardware to complete the install on your kayak. I ended up needing a few countersunk screws, locknuts and washers. One thing I do like about this kit is the pulleys (blocks). I like that they hard mount with two screws and seem to spin pretty freely with no load on them. We'll see how they hold up with some use.


                                         

 Take some time and think about how you want the trolly to rundown the side of your kayak. Do a mock up of the system and get your layout the way you want it.  As you saw in the video the first thing I did was mounted the front block. I did it because it was the easiest one to get to. After that I moved to the rear of the kayak and cut the hole for the rear hatch.



 With the hole cut in the tank well I mounted the rear block. I decided to run my blocks as far fore and aft as I could and still have the trolly function correctly.


 Once you get your blocks mounted run your trolly line and tie it with the line fairly taught. The line will stretch quite bit when wet so make sure there is some tension on the line.


 The last step is to do the final placement of the line guides and installing them. I used a spring loaded center punch to mark the spots I wanted the guides.


 The guide that came in the kit was too short to clear the cut away in the hull so I use a fairing washer off of an old CBR 600 Honda. It actually worked out really well because the outer diameter of the  washer is large enough that it holds the line in place really well.


 The last step of the project was to install the hatch cover. Pretty straight forward put some sealant around it and screw it in place.


 One last thing. Don't throw stuff like this scrap away. It can be used to patch holes if the need ever arises.



                                     
Here is a short video of the completed project.