mokai

I saw an add for a motorized kayak . Has anyone tried this or is it a joke?

Was it the electric kayak at http://www.kayacht.com/ ?

While the midship mounting of the motor may be an advantage in steering and weight distribution, the idea of cutting a hole in the bottom of the hull doesn't appeal, and having the motor/prop portruding through the bottom certainly precludes paddling in shallows, risking damage to the prop and motor. I should think a simple outrigger attachment allowing the motor alongside would be preferable, since it could easily be removable, or tilt up out of the way, allowing normal kayak use, esp in shallow waters. I have wanted to try attaching a small trolling motor (got one at a garage sale), but, alas, combined weight of me, motor, and battery would likely overwhelm the kayak. If I could only lose fifty pounds, I'd try it.

Ok, I see what you are talking about at http://www.mokai.com/index.htm

A sit in, as opposed to the usual sit on, personal watercraft. Those horrid things that are the bane of every kayaker and cottager - noisey, pests, worse than deer flies, spoiling the tranquility of a leisurely paddle.

What part of this is a kayak? How do you get an environmentally friendly gas engine? Does it have a catolytic converter and an O2 pump to keep hydrocarbons to a minimum? How well will it roll in a 5 ' breaking wave? Will it skip merrily over rocks on a river ? Can it move silently amongst whales? This looks a little like a diminutive speed boat. Wrong Group. Speed Boats, Sat Phones ( With 13667 marvelouse games) , Gambling sites, political dribble..... These posts are anoying. Sorry if you were truly curious but It is a cheap wa to advertise and it anoys me.

There was somebody at Paddlefest in the San Francisco bay area this year that had one that was his design. It featured a drop down electric motor with a variable speed control knob mounted forward. It added 18 lbs of weight to the rear of your craft and whatever size and weight of battery you choose in the front. It could get you up to 6 knots if you needed to (outrunning sharks/Orcas) but was designed to operate at best at 4 knots. He said he had done it to help one on those days when everything was against you, strength/tide/current/wind, as an assist to paddeling. He also said he had combined it with solar panels on someone's kayak up in the sound, and they had gone a full month before needing to recharge the battery.

I have used a small fiberglass dinghy with a trolling motor. With a fresh battery, the motor at max output will actually plane the boat. Goes like stink, but uses up battery quickly.