More S4 rigging projects

Wavewalk S4 with 9.8 HP outboard motor
Terry Pritchard

North Carolina / Florida

Driving my S4 microskiff

I have upgraded my s4 from the first pics I sent. I’m using it exclusively in the intercoastal waters in Florida catching snook, tarpon, and red fish. I have done a lot of modifications to make all this work.

Note the front mounted electric trolling motor

I added a seat and I made a U-jinted tiller extension for the motor.
I also reinforced the transom, because this motor is heavier and more powerful than the max 6 HP that Wavewalk recommends.
Seat, articulated tiller extension, and reinforced transom on S4 micoskiff
The leaning bar and platform – Leaning bar unlocks and swings away for access to the bow. The platform is 17 inches by 34 and standing that high in the boat is very stable, so stable I can stand on the edge, with my tes stick out.
Casting platform on top of S4 cockpit
Leaning bar for casting platform - Wavewalk S4 microskiff
Standing platform and leaning bar for Wavewalk S4 microskiff
I made a battery compartment  by cutting a section out of the floatation seat and plastic welded an end back in. I also installed another saddle bracket that the modification eliminated.
Electric batteries compartment in the S4 microskiff
And this is a storage compartment on the side of the hull –
Storage compartment on the side of the S4 microskiff hull
This is the transom saver for transporting the boat. The 9.8 is a heavy  motor and the vibration and stress in transport is another factor for reinforcing the transom –
9.8 HP Tohatsu outboard mounted on Wavewalk S4 microskiff
The propeller pitch is 7 which came with the motor. I also have a 9 pitch and only gained 2 tenths and the rpms dropped about 475 rpms. As you can see from the pictures I have added a lot of weight to this boat.
9.8 HP Tohatsu outboard motor on S4 microskiff
The speed I get is 16-17 mph using GPS. Conditions have to be really good to  hit 17, and I once did 18 mph for a brief period of time.
Tohatsu 9.8 HP outboard motpr mounted on Wavewalk S4 microskiff
This motor weighs 84 lbs, which is over 20 lbs more than a 6 HP, so I had to trim it very aggressively, and add a trim tab to keep the bow low and the stern high –
Trim tab for outboard motor mounted on S4 microskiff

One thought on “More S4 rigging projects”

  1. Thank you Terry,

    Truly amazing!

    I’m intrigued by the switch from the 9″ pitch propeller back to the original 7″ pitch propeller –
    The stern is still pretty low with that 10 HP Tohatsu motor weighing 84 lbs mounted on it, so the propeller is probably rotating deeper than the optimal depth that Tohatsu recommends for it, and that’s why you need more torque, which the lower pitch prop provides.
    I wonder how fast this boat would go with the 9″ pitch prop, and without the electric motor, batteries, and extra gear.

    Yoav

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