A memorial day weekend fishing trip saved...
I got out to Hobuck Beach (in very NW WA) friday evening and had a couple hours of daylight left. There was no wind, the swell was low and it was the start of a memorial day fishing weekend at one of my favorite places on earth. I was mega excited to say the least. I waded in deep enough to put the drive in and lower the rudder...let a breaker pass...then hopped in and started cranking to push out of the surf zone. It must have been the 3rd or 4th crank and...SNAP! The pedal arm broke at the base. Right at the weak point where the pin goes through. (From what I can tell, this is the second most common drive failure after mast breakage...this is a good place for a stainless steel part).
I was absolutely deflated. Couldn't have happened at a worse time. I felt like the weekend was ruined (I do tend to overdramatize a bit). Yes, I have a paddle, but the outback is a kayak pretty much dependent on the mirage drive. It's not really designed to be paddled, literally won't go straight. I could fish, but it was going to be very difficult given the best fishing grounds are at least 2mi off the beach. Two of my good friends were coming out, both with hobies. I had no chance of keeping up. Depression!
I texted the boys, both on their way out. I was in a black mood and pretty pessimistic. But they both texted back and raised my spirits. One was already in touch with the hobie dealer in Port Angeles, and the other said that anything can be fixed. What excellent friends! I was actually ready to plunk down the $500 or whatever to get a new drive from the dealer. I wanted to fish hard, and I figured a spare drive is never a bad thing. But the shop didn't have a spare drive and didn't want to sell a drive out of a boat. So that left the other option, patching. In my dark mood I thought a fix was unlikely. Or that any fix we could make would would be insufficient. My fixes tend to include alot of duct tape and zip ties. I underestimated the handy brilliance of my friend Bill.
He stopped by the Home Depot in Sequim, WA and brought his drive in to fit parts to it. He came out with a threaded bolt, electrical tape, an angle brace, a U-bolt, 3 hose clamps and a hacksaw. It was a recipe for success. He showed up at the beach and went to work. I was in awe of the magician. 10 minutes later...
The threaded bolt is inside the arm, wrapped with the tape for a snug fit. My initial concern was that the bolt wouldn't be strong enough to handle the pressure...but bill was way ahead of me. The angle brace was clamped snug to the base of the arm (against the plate the pin went through), so that if the bolt bent, the brace would do just that, brace and support the entire patch.
Harder, better, faster, stronger! I couldn't believe it! It was something to behold. But the true test would be hitting the water the next day. My experience with fixes is they take iteration...
Amazingly, this one didn't. Rock frickin' solid, the first time! We fished hard the next 2 days, and I completely forgot the drive was even broken. Saved the weekend! For real. THANKS BILL!!!