KAYAK ANGLER GOES THE DO-IT-YOURSELF ROUTE WITH A TORQEEDO ULTRALIGHT ELECTRIC OUTBOARD
FOUR STEPS TO MOTOR MAYHEM
The Torqeedo fits just about any fishing kayak. There are three mounting options: 1) a fixed motor mount adjacent to the rudder; 2) linking the motor to the rudder; or 3) removing the rudder and linking the motor directly to the rudder cables. We chose door #2. The installation on our Wilderness Systems Commander 120 took only three hours.
STEP ONE: WORK SPACE Make sure you have the right tools and sufficient space. We needed a few extra nuts and bolts to complete the job, but on the whole, the kit is complete. Required tools include a Phil- ips screwdriver, Allen keys, an adjustable wrench, a drill with a 3/16-inch bit, and a fine-tipped Sharpie. That’s it.
STEP TWO: FOUNDATION First, place the universal ball joint where the motor won’t conflict with the operation of the rudder. Mark the four screw holes with a Sharpie. Be careful; measure twice, cut once. Place the rubber gasket plate between the kayak and the ball joint and put the bolts through. On the inside of the boat, place the plastic back- ing plate and tighten.
STEP THREE: STEERING Install the boom arm onto the ball joint. Add the motor and adjust to horizontal. This part is a bit tricky and an extra set of hands is help- ful. Connect the rudder triangle to the motor triangle with the cord provided. Make both connections tight while the prop is aligned in the same plane as the rudder.
STEP FOUR: POWER Run the motor lift and drop lines, ending at a jam cleat mounted by your hip. Finally, install the bat- tery, power cables, controller and kill switch. Test before launching. If the orange prop spins when the throttle is engaged and stops when the kill key is removed, you’ve done everything right. —Vincent Paquot
PHOTOS: VIRGINIA MARSHALL
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