N. California
I’m a commercial fishing kayak, and I fish the ocean off the coast. I rigged my S4 with a motor and a big cooler, and it works for me. Over all very happy. I landed 7 halibut in 2 hours today. I transport my S4 on top of my minivan. All in all, bang for the buck “I am STOKED”.
South Carolina
I hunt feral hogs (wild pigs) in wetlands around the state, and I got an S4 to serve me in my hunting trips, and other outdoor activities. I wanted a lightweight motorboat that could carry my three dogs on board, but I also wanted to be able to paddle it.
I picked up my new S4 at the factory.
Took it out S4 out yesterday evening and the afternoon before, it did great!
I am currently figuring out the front platform for my hunting dogs. I’ve decided the size I made is right, now just working on shimming it on the bottom so it has plenty of contact points and is solid Lol. One of my dogs was the test subject!
I went out with my cousin yesterday who weighs 260lbs at 6’7 and I was paddling the two of us easily without him helping. I do think the two flat hulls allow it to move easier than a traditional kayak or boat.
Lots of plans for it, since I plan to spend 95% of my time with a full hunting load of about 600lbs total. I have a friend that has a 9.9 and a 15hp outboard he said I can try out. I will just have to check the shaft length. And I will build an aluminum reinforced transom mount for it I did see that it has to be a 20″.
The water I’ll be in has stumps and cypress knees in the shallow areas so if the motor hits one it will kick up and drop back down.
Due to the extra force that would put on the transom I have an idea based on a W500 I saw with diamond plate on top the rear hulls. The way I plan to set it up, the weight in the front should counter balance the weight of the heavier motor and the extra torque and speed will allow me to maneuver through swift water with a full load.
I plan to hunt spots that are a 45 minute ride, and I’m hoping to achieve high teens or around 20mph to get there in an efficient amount of time.
After reading on the website about the guy that had to stop at 20mph due to the kayak being too light, I think I will be in better shape since I’ll have a full load to weigh it down.
Louisiana
Finally got it in the water. Just a small canal/bayou behind NAS Belle Chase;
Lauren was very pleased over the stability of our S4.
Not lots of wildlife, just mostly birds. After I put the phone up the heron caught a fish, I could not get the shot before it flew off.
Lauren said said she saw alligator eyes poking out the water. All I saw was a splash, sorry no pic. Next project: concert rash ; dolly needed 2 ideas not all the parts (I hate this virus). Looking through the website and Youtube for ideas. Wore out in a good way, enjoy the wild.
Finally got an alligator picture that you can see ok. Was in the Bonnet Carre spillway. I’m waiting on the outboard motor. I was told motors wouldn’t be in until October. Still hot but lots of fun.
Florida
We are 100 yards from the ocean but by road it is a block, so I need a wheel cart.
This is basically a cart design that I found on the Wavewalk site, with a few tweaks due to the weight.
I sourced the materials for about $80, over half was the no-flat tires and wheels. Stainless on the hardware except for the brass bushings and a piece of 1/4” flat bar aluminum for the kickstand.
I epoxied bushings to accept the 5/8” stainless bolts. The sides are beefed up to both hold more weight as well as to keep the wheels square. I glued and screwed the supports for more strengt.
I beefed up the ends to support the weight and pressure around the wheels. The brass bushings were epoxied into tight holes drilled into the sides.
Testing it: I pulled the S4 all loaded up for 2 blocks and it worked wonderfully. It tracked, turned and balanced great.
Now I’ll see how it works over time. Excited!
My S4 boat is outfitted with a new Tohatsu 6 HP with a 9″ pitch propeller. I drive using a jointed tiller extension.
I took my S4 to the Tomoka basin for a test drive and it worked well. Then I took it out for a 20 mile ride. Got it to 12 mph after breaking in the motor. That was really fun.
These days, as states struggle to contain the Corona Virus (COVID19) epidemic, and issue new restrictions on the use of public facilities, including boat ramps, it’s important to remember that launching a motorized S4 cartop microskiff or a W700 motor kayak requires no boat ramp, and in fact no other special access to the water.
You can launch these ultralight and portable craft anywhere, be it a dock, a beach or a river bank, and even in a rock garden, namely a beach that features rocks and boulders on shore as well as in the water.
You can transport these cartop boats on top of your vehicle or inside it (e.g. in a bigger SUV or minivan), and on top of a truck bed, in case you own a pickup truck.
You can launch and beach these minimal draft and agile boats in extremely shallow water, and paddle them with the propeller raised out of the water. Technically and legally, these are kayaks, and they paddle well, especially the W700. Alternatively, you can pole them, although poling is harder than paddling.
