Bilge Pumps, Lights, & More...by Mark Armstrong

Here is a description of the bilge pump I installed on my NuCanoe. I got everything at Walmart.

The hose kit has a fitting that will not work out of the sack because of the taper on the transom of the boat.  The lock nut will not lay flat when tightened down with the factory fitting.  I turned a taper on the fitting from the outside to the threads so that the fitting will float inside the transom hole but not pull thru.  This allows the lock nut to lay flat on the transom on the inside of the boat.  The back of my trolling motor mount covered the transom hole therefore the exhaust from the bilge pump.  I spotted the inside of the motor mount thru the transom hole and then removed the trolling motor.  At the marked spot I ran a 1/4" hole there.  Next i took a unibit and opened the hole larger than the exhaust tube to allow the water to flow thru the trolling motor mount.

My battery box is one I assembled from various parts. It has a trolling motor plug and a 12v power receptacle. I have a switch on the side of the box to open and close the circuit on the 12v supply. I put a regular 12v plug on the bilge pump so I can easily remove the pump and easily re-install and plug back in. I do not always have a big battery and trolling motor with me. You can run the bilge pump if desired on a 12v lantern battery.

Everything in my boat is modular and easily rigged and un-rigged to meet my needs for the day. Hope this helps. I have found the pump to be a great addition to my boat. I am in and out of the boat constantly wade fishing. I drag water into the boat by the buckets-full with my wading boots. It is really nice to just flip a switch and pump it back out.

My next big project is to run a power supply from the back of the boat to the front. I am wanting lights on the boat for getting across the lake in the pre-dawn for duck hunting. A company down the road from me makes marine electrical harnesses. I have contracted a few projects for them in the past and they have agreed to make me a special wiring harness. Did I mention that I am going to run it inside the hull with plugs for the running lights just like a bass boat. I will have a switch and another 12v power supply at my fingertips.

My bass boat is starting to get extremely jealous of the NuCanoe. I have only had it on the water once since May.

A Better Transducer Holder.....by Ken Ziomek

For over a year I’ve been using my flexible arm transducer holder with good results. I used it initially for my Lowrance color sonar and then modified it slightly for my Humminbird Side Imaging unit. The assembly which is described in a post on this web site worked well and I know it was copied by some other NuCanoe owners with good results. After using it for over six months on my Side Imaging unit, I realized that there was one area in which an improvement was needed. When I fished very shallow water, I would raise the flex arm out of the water and rest it in my NuCanoe. When I returned it to the water, I found it was difficult to replace it with the transducer being straight and level in the water. My new design addresses that issue.

In this photo, you can see all of the individual components using CPVC pipe. While the CPVC worked, I ended up changing to copper pipe for a more rigid mount for the High Definition Side Imaging transducer that I’m using. As with the flex arm holder, I start out with a Ram-Mount one inch ball fastened to my apparatus board. I use a 6 inch Ram-Mount double arm with one end fastened to the one inch ball and the other end attached to a one inch ball with a 1/4 NPT (National Pipe Thread) hole. This is attached to male to male 1/4 NPT brass stub. This fits into a coupling sized for the plastic or copper pipe that will be used. The length of the pipe is determined by the placement of the one inch Ram ball on the apparatus board. The fittings are reversed on the other end to allow mounting of a bracket for the transducer. I made my bracket from a length of aluminum stock that is 2 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick.

To ensure that the arm remained in place, I fastened two pieces of deck planking (2 1/4 inches X 1 3/4 inches) to the NuCanoe gunnel. The spacing between the two pieces was based on the width of the copper pipe with one inch spiral wire wrap to shield the transducer cable. The pieces were held in place with well nuts and stainless steel screws.

With this design, I can lift and lower the transducer arm repeatedly and always have my Side Imaging transducer straight and level in the water.

NuCanoe Transport Cart Review

The new transport wheels are exactly what I needed for moving my NuCanoe back and forth between the garage and my truck.   It only takes a few seconds to snap them in place.  I also leave them on because it’s easier to move the boat into the water with the wheels rather than dragging it on the grass.  Washing my NuCanoe is simple now.  I move the NuCanoe right side up on the grass and then wash out the inside.  After I rinse, using the wheels  quickly flip the NuCanoe over and wash the hull.  The inside drips dry and I move it upside down into the garage to allow added drying time of the inside.  It’s a great accessory – I wish I had thought of it.

That’s all the good stuff if you want to include it on the website.  A couple other points--

    --As I suspected, transporting a fully equipped NuCanoe for any distance at the lake is a job and a half.  My fishing partner and I used the handles at the mid-point on the hull.  My old transport wheels work better for long hauls.

    --The shaft that inserts into the hull is not a tight fit.  I realized that the transom hole on my 10 foot and 12 foot are 2 different sizes.  By using a 1 inch copper pipe coupling on the plastic busing on the transport wheels, I was able to exactly match the diameter of the transom hole.  Because the 10 foot hole is a bit larger, it’s a bit sloppy.

These are the only 2 not-so-good comments.  It saves me a bunch of time for moving the hulls around when they are empty.  It’s a great accessory unless someone wants to transport their NuCanoe fully loaded - but I’ve got other wheels for that.

Ken Ziomek

Team NuCanoe Member

My NuCanoe

I have recently purchased my 12' Desert Sand NuCanoe.  It's always been said that there is no one "kayak" that can fit your every need or desire.  This may be true but the NuCanoe is probably the closest of any I have paddled, seen, or researched. 

The number one reason I picked the NuCanoe over everything else is it has room for me and my five year old son to comfortably fish all day together.  A close second is the swivel seat feature.  This is huge when I'm anchored and the current is pushing me, I can turn and fish in any direction I need no matter what the boat is doing.  I also love all the room I have for my gear, and to stretch out to be very comfortable! 

I also love it's stability, I don't have to be so conscious of every move I make.  I
can crawl back and forth, lean over the side, I even hooked and fought my very first bass standing up!  Stability is also very important when I have my son on board with me!  These and many other reasons are what led to my purchase of this great boat. 
 
Thank you NuCanoe!

Brannon Roberts
 

Transducer Holder Installation

From Ken Ziomek....

I've been fooling with transducer holders ever since I started fishing from a kayak almost 7 years ago. Even though I'm still working on it-- this design is by far my most successful. I've attached some photos so you can build your own. If you look closely you can see that I've upgraded to a Humminbird 798c Side Imaging unit.

Here’s what I did.

1. I started with a Ram-Mount 1 inch ball (RAM-B-202) and fastened it to the Modular Multi Mount.

2. I attached a 6 inch double arm. (RAM B 201C) to the ball mount.

3. I attached a Ram one inch ball with 1/4 inch NPT (National Pipe Thread) hole (Ram B-218-1u) to the other side of the double arm.

4. I fastened an 18 inch flex arm with 1/4 inch NPT (RAM PF 585-18) to the threaded hole.

5. I formed a bracket from 1/8 inch aluminum stock at the transducer end.

6. I used a brass cap for 1/4 inch NPT threads (purchased at Lowes) to hold the bracket in place.

The flexible arm works great. Yesterday I was out testing my new Side Imaging unit and I hit a floating log. It flexed upward a there was no damage to the transducer or holder. The flex rod is stiff enough to hold the transducer in place. As I approach shore I loosen the double arm and swing the transducer into my NuCanoe. The Side Imaging unit presented a problem because the transducer has to be below the bottom of the hull because the sonar signals are sent 180 degrees to each side. I needed to buy a 6 inch double arm. My old depth finder transducer (a Lowrance X67c) was fine with the shorter arm.

I purchased all of my RAM components at GPS City. You can find them on line. I think their prices are as good as anywhere else. Now the bad news. It's not cheap. I believe with the aluminum and brass cap I have approximately $75 invested.

Got questions? Email me at ziomekk @ bellsouth.net.