Stealth BFS MM2 Ultra Pimped!

[indiedog]

Thought I should show some of the work I've been doing on the BFS I acquired second hand from Alby a few months ago. I was impressed with Alby’s top quality work on the yak and it was obvious that he maintained it exceptionally well in the time he had it. You can check out Alby’s fitout here; viewtopic.php?f=14&t=31012

Having owned a Supalite X previously I noticed that the fishbox on the BFS is nowhere near as wide so while it’s a bigger yak, there’s actually less room inside the main hatch. So it’s important to make the available space work well. Given that Alby had done some nice work installing two recessed Scotty mounts, I let them give me some direction from the start. Considering I launch through the surf frequently it’s important to be able to store everything inside the yak and to achieve a short setup and takedown time out the back of the surf. I decided to use these mounts for the sounder and GPS.

Surf mode showing Scotty mounts installed by Alby

The sounder head is mounted to a Scotty base made for a Pirahna Fish Finder so I made an adapter plate and attached the X50ds to it. I like the fact I can easily remove the head unit and stow it inside for entry and exit. Next an original Stealth bung, kindly supplied by Palmymick, was installed to allow the sounder cable to be passed through the hatch when using the unit and also to ensure full waterproofing when again in the surf. The reason I went for the Stealth bung is the short leash cord it comes with which means I don’t have a loose bung rolling around when using the sounder. The GPS was a pretty easy install. The unit itself is housed in a RAM Etrex holder and this clamps onto one of the RAM mounts Alby installed which I have relocated. I loop the GPS leash to the hatch hinge straps so there’s no chance of losing it. Again it’s pretty easy to remove and stow inside when needed.

Sounder head on Scotty mount

Sounder and GPS in with bung showing.

For the transducer I used a wet mount for ease of installation and removal. I had removed the port side rod holder so I could get a look into the sealed side volume and it was evident the fish box narrowed up quite a bit under the seat. I thought this would be the best place for the transducer as it is closest to the keel line and the flattest part of the hull. To get to this area I installed a screw hatch on the side wall of the fish box in a position I’d be able to get my right arm in and back under the seat. As the side wall is quite thin I stole one of the older kitchen cutting boards and made a backing plate for the hatch which stiffened the whole thing up well. All surfaces were bedded with Sikaflex. I cut some 25mm EVA foam to the right size with a snug cutout for the transducer and then coated the bottom of the foam with Sikaflex marine sealant. The install of the housing went well and I was confident it would all work. What I didn’t think of was how awkward it would be to get some water into the mount and then get the transducer in. I decided to add a second mount just in behind the hatch to see if it would work even though the bottom of the yak is not horizontal in that area. So far it’s not been an issue and it’s certainly a lot easier to access.

Cutting board hatch gasket

Hatch in. Note cable tie mounts for cables to head unit.

Transducer wet mount ready for install

View through hatch showing transducer mount installed

The cables for the sounder run up the side space again so that they’re out of the way. I decided to house the battery in the rear day hatch to keep it central and easy to access for charging. I got some cable glands from Jaycar and mounted the larger one just in front of the hatch to allow the sounder plug to pass through it. I installed this back to front so that the bulge is outside the fish box. This shouldn’t compromise the waterproofing at all. Cable tie mounts keep the sounder cable tidy up to the bung in the hatch. The smaller cable gland was put in the side wall of the rear day hatch and some dexterity was needed to get the backing nut onto this through the rod holder opening. The power cable had to be extended and all connections are soldered and heat shrinked at least twice. To hold the battery I considered using a dry bag to protect the terminals from corrosion and to velcro the bag to the front wall of the hatch well. I dismissed this in favour of a bent aluminium battery tray which was Sikaflexed to both the base and front wall of the day hatch. A simple bungee strap passes through holes at the top back and loops over a hook riveted to the tray keeping the battery firmly in place. Some EVA foam padding ensures a snug fit. This is simple and works well and I’ll keep the Inox up to the terminals to stave off rust.

Battery tray installed

Battery in tray with bungee retainer.

More to come.

[indiedog]

A goal of mine for this yak is to not end up with crap laying over the floor of the fish box. I want all the various pieces of equipment stored where they are both accessible and out of the way. I ended up mounting both the lip grippers and the gaff on the underside of the hatch lid using some pvc clips fixed with Sikaflex. I fitted some venetian cord so that the lid opens to 90deg and stays there with the weight of the sounder and GPS holding it open. That way things are easy to get to and the hatch is easily closed. I’ve still got to find suitable spots for the pliers and knife and then it’ll all be good. I do like Sunshiner’s ply board on top of the hatch with all his tools attached and have thought something like that but totally removable for the surf zone would be brilliant. I have worked with what I’ve already got and will stick with it for the time being.

Be careful Dad, it's sharp!

Something I found when removing the rod holder to see and get into the side volume was that the two forward fixing screws actually missed the fibreglass and ply backing and weren’t fixed into anything but thin air. I couldn’t see an easy way to remedy this except for building up the edge of the opening with epoxy. Another thing I’ve noted with the original rod holders is that the reels get quite wet as they are close to the water. The rod tips are also hard to see when trolling as they are well behind you. So the plan was hatched to replace the original rod holder with another Scotty mount and I purchased some extender arms to better position the rod whilst trolling. The other bonus is that the screw fixings for the Scotty all hit solid backing so it’s a lot more robust than the original. Again everything is sealed with Sikaflex. For the time being I’ve only replaced one side to see that it’s actually a better system. If I’m happy with it I’ll replace the other.

Scotty rod holder

While I love the rod shoot it can be a pain with multiple rods in there with tip tangles etc. On a trip a while ago I snapped the tip off a light rod when trying to get them out. To remedy this problem and to allow better access to the front of the rod shoot I cut in a 150mm hatch as far forward as I could comfortably fit it. To do this I used a torch at night time shone up the inside to show where the side walls of the shoot meet the deck. There was a clash between the new hatch and the front deck bungee but I was happy to remove the bungee as I never use it and it’s just something else hooks can get caught on. Again the hatch surround was backed with cutting board. The new hatch also means cleaning and drying the rod shoot is a hell of a lot easier and there’s the added flexibility to use the shoot for storing camping gear up the front and being able to easily access it.

New front hatch and clean lines

On the BFS there’s also a considerable amount of space behind the rear day hatch. I again didn’t use the bungee on the rear deck so removed it and cut in a 125mm hatch. There’s actually quite a large volume of space in here and now it’s at least usable if I wish.

Yak back with new hatch and side handles

Given the distinct possibility of using this yak in large surf, and on hearing some tales from Hobie owners about bailing to the back of their Adventures during surf exits, I came up with the idea of making some side handles similar to SLSA paddle boards. To do this I simply turned the bungee cord mounts 90deg and threaded 4mm spectra cord through 16mm clear hose cut a little long to ensure a slight bow in the finished handles. So should I have to do an exit through massive surf I can always bail to the back and just hang on. I ended up doing the same to the front bungee mounts which now provides a convenient handle for when loading the yak onto the car. The other good thing about these handles is that in the unlikely event I have to self rescue or rescue someone else, there is now a series of sturdy deck handles to hang onto while in the water. I reckon if I want to carry something on the deck I can still easily tie it down to the handles so haven’t really lost any external carrying capacity but have certainly gained internal capacity and flexibility.

Since owning a Stealth I haven’t used an anchor indicating my style of fishing has changed. A recent trip heading back to Jumpinpin chasing flathead showed that especially in fast flowing estuaries an anchor can sometimes be a useful thing. Given that I will only use an anchor on a minority of fishing trips I wanted an anchor trolley that was easily removable. I made the front mount a simple spectra cord loop and the rear mount is a small stainless D shackle fixed to the back of the side handle. To keep things in line along the length of the yak I used a few extra shackles fixed to the new handles I’d made. This all works well and is easily attached or removed as desired.

Anchor trolley front mount

Anchor trolley back mount

More to come.

[Couta101]

Sweet mods Indie, good to see the anchor trolley up and running!

By the looks of things you're not working hard enough!!!! I'll bring my boat around as I needs some mods before Fraser

Catch you on the water soon mate.

[Scott]

Some fantastic ideas there mate i will shamelessly copy. Thanks for sharing them

[ArWeTherYet]

Typical bloody architect, starts of with something simple but functional and turns it into a monstrosity
Love your work Brad.
I just clip my pliers, camera, phone, knife and scissors to my pfd. You can get nice light weight stuff and you can unclip it and stow it to go through the surf. Dont like having the hatch lid open too much as they're wave magnets when open. Do your venison cords unhook? so you can get that lid all the way open to fit that 18 kg Spaniard in there.

Great write up, lots of interesting ideas.

BTW are you going to use Alby's seat belt thingy?

[indiedog]

Thanks for the feedback guys, even you Paul. Glad you are getting something out of it.

The cords holding the hatch don't unclip no. But it's the raised lip surrounding the hatch hole on the deck that stops the bottom from moving. If you lift the hatch slightly the bottom can come in enough to allow the whole thing to lay down to the front. I might put some tape of some sort on the deck where the edge of the hatch sits when open to stop it wearing. Typically I find that the only time I want the lippers or gaff I've caught a fish so the hatch needs to be opened anyway.

Every time I've been out with Alby's seat belt on the yak I forget to do it up. So there hasn't been much point in having it so far. It's easy enough to fit so I'll put it back on when it's mackerel season. I've also got a lot of gear on my PFD including a dive knife but I'd like a good sharp one on the yak. I'm looking at non-fishing knife options which are shorter and come in a sheath which can be fixed on the deck somehow. Stay tuned for a future thingy which will be good for the Stealths.

I've got one more instalment to come. Just need a few more piccys.

[Alby]

Wow! Haven't looked at "Rigged Kayaks" for a while.......Bradley!......very well done. Now that's how it should look. Glad you're getting her exactly how you want. There's nothing like having everything just where you want it..... brings a huge smile to my face just looking through your post. I still feel a connection to her....... she's a beautiful craft in [i]really [i] good hands.
Cheers
Alby

[Gatesy]

Enter that into the DIY comp. Looks great and easily managable for all

cheers

Gatesy

[indiedog]

Alby, I'm glad you are happy I am treating your girl nicely. Mind you, she's had more time getting hacked up than getting the appropriate lovin' but that'll change. I'm very happy with how it's working out and so far seems very functional.

Gatesy, thanks for that. Not sure if the DIY comp is about one mod for under $100 or whatever you can achieve for under $100. Excluding the rod holder accessories, everything else is still under that amount.

I'll try and post up my next instalment shortly.

Cheers, Brad

[Gatesy]

Gatesy, thanks for that. Not sure if the DIY comp is about one mod for under $100 or whatever you can achieve for under $100. Excluding the rod holder accessories, everything else is still under that amount.

Got to be in it to win it. I'd post it up and if they (the mods) think it shouldn't be in then they will let you know. I certainly reckon it's worthy, as it is functional, neat, tidy and realitively easy for all to copy

cheers

Gatesy

[indiedog]

Something I started to make early on is some seat padding. The seat well is highly cupped so just getting a large pad of foam and jamming it in wasn’t an option. I ended up making a paper template and had some more 25mm EVA foam cut to shape. I then used a paint removal wheel on the grinder to shape it down evenly towards the edges. This is a very messy process so if you can, do it outside. On 3 separate occasions I had the butt pads finished but decided to make them “perfect” and stuffed them up when the wheel grabbed the edges - see large divot in pad in pictures. So I still have no seat pads installed as yet. After seeing the marks that are occurring to the softer grey EVA foam I'm thinking I'll now get some of the denser black stuff to make the pads. I’m hoping that the seat will also rise me up a bit to clear the pool of water that usually makes its way into the seat well. Even if that doesn’t happen I know my bony butt will be a lot more comfy.

EVA butt pad seat. Note damage to far side pad from grinder!!!!

Butt pad showing underside shaped down to edge

Next one isn't really a yak mod, but thought it's still valuable for yakking.

After my episode of breaking the tip off a rod when they all got tangled inside the rod shoot, I thought I'd investigate some soft covers to slip over them while they are stored inside. It's probably not an issue when you can carefully take your time manoeuvring the rods whilst on land, but trying to get tangled rods apart and out of the shoot while on lumpy water is a different story. First I thought I'd get some cheap material and then find someone to sew some up but then decided to make some enquiries about what's already out there. The good tackle shops have some soft covers but they were a bit expensive for me. Kmart I found have some Jarvis Walker cheapies for only $6 each and they came in medium and large. I didn't want the whole rod covered, just from the tip to either the final runner, or up to the reel. I bought two large and one medium for a total of $18. I then asked my sister to take the large ones and cut them up the centre and make two out of one, tapered and sized to suit the rods. She kindly obliged so I now have 5 rod sleeves and this keeps everything nice and sorted. No more broken rods....... I hope.

Happy rods in sleeping bags.

Close up of rod sleeves

The last thing I wanted to do was to be able to go yakking at short notice if the universe aligned itself. To achieve that, two things were required. Firstly I needed the yak loaded ready to go at all times and with minimal setup and take down times at my destination. Secondly I needed a way of getting said fully loaded yak on and off the car with ease. To achieve the first goal the kayak has to be pretty well ready to launch into the surf even before it’s loaded onto the car. The Stealth layout makes this pretty easy to achieve with most items already stored inside the yak. The extra weight of the loaded yak makes the second goal even more important to achieve. Before rushing out to spend yet more money on loading contraptions I thought I’d try out the kayak racks that I still had which I used for my old sea kayak. These are the Thule ones that have one set of supports with a carpet like lining making them slippery. Placing the C-Tug trolley (that I got from Alby with the yak) just forward of the rudder allows the front of the yak to be pushed up onto the back of the Jeep Cherokee without the rudder hitting the ground. I put a carpet mat on the car to protect it during this part. This is also where my new front deck side handles make life a lot easier when dealing with a wet slippery kayak. I then pick up the back end and push the whole thing forward and into position ready to tie down. Hey presto! Job done. Unloading is just reversing this procedure.

So while there's still a couple of things to do, it's now pretty close to where I want it to be. Some of the things I've done were inspired by others who've worked on their yaks before me, and others I came up with by closely examining the kayak and the possibilities available. Other ideas came from experience or thinking about where and how I use it and what would be appropriate, and a couple just came as I was doing the work.

So there you have it boys and girls, Indie's ultra pimped Stealth BFS MM2. Hope it helps to inspire some others to cut up their nice shiny craft.

Cheers, Brad

[indiedog]

Review of Fitout.

First reasonable use of the BFS was the overnight camping trip to Jumpinpin and this gave me an opportunity to assess the value of my recent modifications. So far my impressions are;

Storage hatches;
Very happy with the additional hatches. Didn't take any photos of the packing arrangement but it was something like this;

Fishbox/rod shoot - 2 x rods (2 more on deck as it was all flat water), fish bag, cast net, tackle box, net, anchor and rope, 4l of water, towel (through front hatch)
Day hatch - Sleeping bag, tent and poles (separated) sleeping mat, food bag, battery (permanent), tp and spade,
Rear hatch - Large black garbage bag pushed in with opening still outside yak, stored inside bag was - clothes bag, gadget bag, ground sheet, key and wallet container, camping pillow,
Deck - Bait tube when not in use in rear well,

Heaps of space left in rod shoot with access from front hatch, and plenty of room left in rear hatch. Note I will only store lighter items in the rear hatch to keep the balance right as you can't take full advantage of the front volume. I'm happy I could do a several day trip now and fit everything comfortably. For camping and general touring I think with the mods it's the best I will find out of what's available on the market currently. With the extra hatches much of the wasted volume is now usable. With a couple of rods in the holders you have a huge amount of space in the rod shoot to utilize and I didn't even come close to filling it. No leaks at all were detected through the hatches. Surf will test these more thoroughly.

Deck Handles;
These are great. I had hooks laying on the deck and they don't get snagged on the handles at all. I did find at one point (while back paddling after getting snagged) my braid got caught under one of the bungy deck fittings (now used with spectra cord and hose to make handles) so the next job will be to silicone those to the hull. Alternatively I will source some thin rubber and cut to size as a washer/seal. I also tied my new bait tube to the rear deck using the handles so still useful for deck storage. On top of that the handles are great when loading and unloading the yak onto the car to stop it sliding away. Haven't had to rescue anyone yet!

Sounder and GPS;
These are in excellent position for reading and accessing when needed. Very happy with that. I did find that my springy type paddle leash tends to get snagged up a bit with these fixtures so need to work out a better solution there. Sometimes when rods are being used the various leashes can be a pain and to avoid this I'll look at securing my paddle leash at the front of the seat possibly with velcro and then have the end near the front of the yak, which is better for the surf. Thought required there.

Hardware;
The positioning of the gaff and lip grippers works well so they will stay where they are. I would like to get the pliers and knife on the top of the deck and will investigate options. I did have my pliers in my vest but don't really want them there. As to the Scotty rod holder, there are good and bad things about it. The rod position is much better for trolling with the tip easily visible. However it's a tad fiddly getting rods in and out as I'm using the bait caster holder with the rubber strap. My overhead has a thicker handle so doesn't easily fit. I'm going to try another type of holder and see how that goes. It was certainly easier to just drop the other rod into the original recessed holder. Quite possibly a different holder will make the difference.

Rod Covers;
The best $18 I've spent in a long time. The rods now easily slip in and out of the rod shoot even with four of them in there. Totally recommended.

Cheers.

[ArWeTherYet]

Good to see your enjoying your new fully pimped rig Brad.

Seat nice and comfy now? Stealth made the seat well huge just so it would accommodate Bazz's arse . I ran a strip of that adhesive foam around the back to give my a little more back support, seems to of helped.

Are you going to fit a down rigger? I ordered a little Cannon one that uses a flush mount, just need to find where to put it.

[indiedog]

Paul I haven't fixed the seat pads in as yet. I want to make some new ones from the denser black foam first. And I've never seen Bazz's arse in person so can't comment there! For back support I sometimes use the Stealth back rest which is pretty comfy and simple. Even without that 7.5hrs on Sunday wasn't a problem.

As to a downrigger, I haven't even thought about installing one. They can be a bit exxy so would experiment with a simple big snapper bomb and string first. Wondering now where I'd use it - possibly at Caloundra, Palmy and other reefs, maybe in the deep channels at Jumpinpin. Where are you looking to use yours mainly?

[Basher]

Wow,
I look forward to checking this out Sun- slightly intimidating but all about the learning.