Small Tinny or Kayak

Papou · Senior Member

Small Tinny or Kayak

Grumpytoo · Senior Member

Wife and I have kayaks, she is vertically challenged and I have a dodgy back. We got Thule Hulavators to do the lifting for us. You load and tie down at waist height and gas struts push them to roof top. Not cheap but make loading easier.

In relation to tinny v kayak - tinnies are much heavier and you need to carry the motor, fuel etc. and you'll need a boat loader to get them on the roof. Kayaks require paddles only.

Footprints · Senior Member

I carry a long fishing kayak on top of the rear of the truck, (see avatar) and the rack is 2.5 metres from ground level. What I have done which makes it very easy to load and unload is to fit three boat rollers to the rear rack then it is a simple matter to stand the kayak vertically at the rear of the truck with the top (front) of the kayak resting in place on the rollers, a quick lift and push upward and it goes effortlessly to the point of balance and drops gently down onto the front rack. Something similar may work for you. Cheers, Allen

Pete49 · Senior Member

Kayak is the way to go. paddle yak for me but your choice. The thing with paddle yaks you can go on creeks and rivers and not worry about breaking your fins or prop.

Pete

Bruce and Bev · Guru

suggest you go to a tourist type beach - they often have hire kayaks (might not be the same that you may eventually buy) and these will tell you how you go getting onto and off them (what depth your need to be to do this) and if you can paddle them any distance. If you get into trouble, the hire guys will come get you.

mickm · Veteran Member

I had a tinny on a camper trailer on our Big Lap in 2007 and found that because I did not have a collapsible trailer I could not access the water as much as I would have liked. Add the motor, life jackets, safety gear, anchor, fuel etc which cannot be stored in the inverted boat and as mentioned in other posts you have to unload the boat and set it up. I found that unless you were staying put for a good while it is not worth the time to set it up and take it down. I also found that most car toppers were unsuitable for any sort of decent chop. Cut to the present and I have a Hobie TI which is a big sailing catamaran which fits on the racks of my Suzi. It can be setup in 20 minutes by myself and pulled in and out of the water by myself. If I just want to use the double centre hull as a Kayak there is virtually no setup, just click in the pedals. Unless you are a SERIOUS fisherman there is no contest in my mind.

http://macleanoutdoors.net.au/kayaks/hobie/27-ti-sailing-kayak-trimaran-hobie-tandem

Davemate · Veteran Member

We to have Hobies. Two Revolution 11's, 11 feet long, with the Mirage Drive, meaning pedals. They are fantastic as you cab either pedal or paddle. Hand operated rudder. As for loading onto the car, the Thule Hullavators are the answer- no effort.
Cheers,
David.

Cupie · Guru

I'm a fan of Kayaks too.

I have two Viking Sit on Top kayaks. A 29kg 'Tempo fisherman' for fishing (has an electric motor that I rarely use) and a 19kg 'Javlin' for exercise & exploring. After you read a bit about paddling techniques (& practice doing it right) they are a dream to use. Despite having arthritis in my spine I can paddle all day without any problems.

I load them onto my old Patrol by sliding them over the bull bar onto roof racks but with a couple of blankets to protect the duco. I load & unload them without any help & never have problems. If I had a newer vehicle I would look at one of the many cheap & not so cheap loaders on the market.

I have used the (expensive) pedal Hobies & find them excellent to get about in. They also free your hands for fishing and even my 75 year old knees don't get sore after prolonged pedaling. The short hobies are a bit wet in choppy weather though. Davemate's set up sounds ideal if affordable and the sail option is worth considering.

Of course kayaks are not recommended in snappy handbag territory but tinnies are a pain unless you are a really keen fisherman & can put up with the inconvenience as previous posters have discussed. Car toppers may be a little small anyway. Some use double SOT kayaks but I find them a bit too long & heavy for loading etc. But I suppose if you have an active partner that may not be so much an issue. SWMBO does not like the water so that's not a consideration for me. I can take a grand kid in the rear well of my Fisherman on relatively short expeditions.

If I was 10 years younger I would replace the Javlin with a good Sit Inside kayak for touring & perhaps exploring Moreton Bay.

DarylC · Veteran Member

I looked around at options when I set off 7 years ago.

A tinnie also requires fuel tank, fuel in jerry can, motor, etc etc. Lots of weight.
I think most people with boats on the car would be overloaded or there would be not much else in the car.

I chose the hobie kayak, very easy to operate & I have crook knees. A great way to fish.
As in the above post, definitely not for use near crocodiles but any tinnie I can lift on a car roof by myself would be unsafe for that too I reckon
I also have a 14' stessel edge tracker on a trailer in Qld where i spend my winters, but I prefer the hobie.
Something about the silence & being down on the waterwith the fish is great.
So easy to fish from the hobie with hands free while pedaling, great for trolling.
I've never had it on the sea though but I believe a lot do. They are very very stable.
My best catch in the hobie was a 20lb Murray Cod, lots of fun being moved around by a big fish.

I load mine onto a troopie...very high ... by myself by lifting the front to back the roof rack then picking up the other end & sliding forward.
I made 2 rails from treated pine to slide on & support it.

Prior to that I had a Triton which was much easier.
Hobie sell a loader which consists of a slide in bar with part fixed to the front of the roof rack.
The 2nd part slides into & locks into the fixed part which gives an arm (with a 50mm upright on the end) out the side of about 600mm
Lift the front of the kayak on the bar, lift the rear of the kayak on the back of roof rack & slide across....easy.

Bryan · Guru

Pedal yak is the go in my opinion. Frees your hands for fishing. I started off with Hobies and last year bought a Native Watercraft Mariner for a few of reasons. One: At 10 feet its relatively light. Two: You seat high up and your bum's not perpetually wet. Three: it takes a hell of a load for a small yak. Four: You can pedal backwards which is especially useful to extricate yourself out of snags and still have hands free to control the fish and Five: A 45lb electric motor fits neatly into the pedal slot, you just have to turn the motor head back to front for ease of control.

I fitted roller on the roof rack to slide it on. mariner 2.png

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I would not advise the use of a canoe/kayak anywhere in Croc country.

Cheers,
Peter

Bryan · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I would not advise the use of a canoe/kayak anywhere in Croc country.

Cheers,
Peter

Don't think there's Whiting in Croc waters biggrin

hako · Guru

Just a small question - how easy is it to capsize these kayaks?

Regards

Bryan · Guru

hako wrote:
Just a small question - how easy is it to capsize these kayaks?

Regards

Depends on the type of Kayak. I've had a Hobie Outback as well as the Native Mariner. Apparently you can stand up and cast from both. I sometimes sit sideways with my legs dangling in the water and they are still very stable. In all my years kayaking I've yet to capsize one even 10 years ago when I was young enough to launch my narrowish Hobie Adventure from the surf.

Cupie · Guru

hako wrote:
Just a small question - how easy is it to capsize these kayaks?

Regards

Even a stiff 75 year old guy like me can stand up & cast from my Viking Fisherman. I have never capsized it in various seas in more than a decade. It rides the incoming shore breaks like a beauty.

But .. I did tip the skinny Javlin kayak over, shortly after I got it. I was racing my son & took an exaggerated stroke at the same time that I inadvertently stepped on the rudder/skeg pedal. A bit of a wave & over I went. Very embarrassing. I have also tipped it over when surfing the 'training' swells that roll under the bridge at Ballina. I'm obviously not a surfer. But it's great fun.

hako · Guru

Thanks fellas for the advice re capsizing.

Regards

DarylC · Veteran Member

I have never herd of the Native Watercraft Mariner Bryan, sounds interesting. The ability to pedal backward would certainly be handy.

The higher seat would be easier I think but I have never ever got a wet bum in my hobie & I've done a lot of fishing in it over 5 or 6 years & I'm 95kg.

I bought a high back kayak seat support that just sits on the hobie seat & supports my back. I have often sat in it for 6 hours fishing & site seeing with no problems with my back.

Cupie · Guru

Native Watercraft are one of the majors in the US of A.

See this ...

http://www.adventureoutlet.com.au/shop-online/native-watercraft-mariner-10/