I mentioned to some folks at the captains’ meeting that I had just gotten the first mold-made Biyak. Thought I would post some pics. I was still mounting hardware at midnight before the tournament, and was kind of in a stupor the after getting up at 4:30 AM. Unfortunately, it has still not seen any fish slime. Still, I am very pleased with its performance. I’m visiting a factory next week to talk about production. This one is a fiberglass prototype. The leaning post is removable and can be stored in hatch. You can put 7’ rods inside the pontoons.
The weight is still a question. The hulls on this prototype are fiberglass, blown with a chop gun - not the strongest of lightest way to make something. They might weigh 25 lbs. The deck is a honeycomb made by Nidacore, sandwiched between layers of blown glass. With the seat and hardware it weight about 30 lbs.
The real production model will be molded in some kind of UV protected ABS plastic and the deck will be hand-laid, so some weight will be coming off.
As for loading, car-topping, etc… the boat breaks down into 3 pieces in a matter of seconds, so one person can do pretty much whatever they want with it.
If you click on the “about” button on my webpage there are some slides of me loading the wooden one in my truck. http://biyakboats.com/
Two weeks ago, I was awarded a patent on a pedal drive. The boat paddles well @ 30" but the pedals will be nice. Electric motor is in the works. Sail should be ready next week. I think it will easily be the most stable “kayak” out there.
Love it! I think this would really be a great platform to integrate a pedal drive system into since u could take advantage of the water beneath your deck/platform to minimize the effective “draft” of the system. Would love to see the pedal drive you designed. I was an engineer in my other life- really enjoy all the great design and innovation being put into kayaks these days.
Lol I’m thinking more along the lines of one of those 3.5hp Tohatsu outboards but I think you built a sweet looking biyak, I love it!
Moral judgment under girds the entire structure of laws and is necessary for the rational structure of any significant statute. The idea that our laws can stand independent of moral foundation is senseless.----- Albert Mohler.
Thanks, Matt. I’d better take some good pictures before I start experimenting with gas-powered engines. That may not end well.
Onefish, here is a link to my patent application. http://www.google.com/patents/US20120058693 It looks pretty clunky in the drawings, but I was just trying to make them clear. I’m making a second-generation prototype that is pretty clean looking. Here you’ll find a short video of the first pedal drive that I made, mounted on the wooden boat. http://biyakboats.com/news/ If it looks uncomfortable, it is. I added 6" inches to the deck of the new boat and some other things that will make it more ergonomic.
My design generates a lot of power - not sure about speed, but each set of fins that I’ve made have gone faster. That day my GPS said I was cruising around 3mph, but the device is literally made from junk that I bought at Lowes or pulled out of a dumpster. One nice feature is that you can flip the pedals with your feet and go in reverse.
The pedal drive will probably have to wait for Biyak 2.0. Anyway, I like to kayak paddle and then stand up paddle when I get to where I’m fishing.
That is just too cool! I love the creativity you have put in to designing this Biyak. The possibilities are limitless as to what you can do with it. Pedal drive, trolling motor, expanding the platform for gear; I’m sure it’s even stable enough to put a flounder gigging set-up on it. I have been staring at it all evening, checking out your website and watching all the videos you posted with it in action and thinking what I could be doing on it. Simply amazing. Congratulations! I look forward to the first production model. When do you think they will be available and what is the price tag going to be?
Also imagine the possibilities if you could build it to hold a bit more weight near the back and put one of the smaller 6hp Copperhead surface drive motors. You could probably do an easy 20-25mph lol.
Moral judgment under girds the entire structure of laws and is necessary for the rational structure of any significant statute. The idea that our laws can stand independent of moral foundation is senseless.----- Albert Mohler.
John, I wish I could tell you a time frame and what the price would be. I should have a pretty good idea by the end of next week. I’m crossing my fingers that this will work out.
You would not believe how much work that I’ve put into this thing. (My wife has been surprisingly supportive which makes me nervous for some reason.) It feels great to hear positive ■■■■■■■■, especially that “the possibilities are endless.” That is what I had in mind when I designed it.
You can’t really see them, but I have these two square vertical receivers, one on each end of the deck. They are kind of like what a trailer hitch mounts in on a truck. With those you can add anything you want, deck extensions, rudder, leaning post, cooler mount, whatever.
I’m with you on the flounder gigging. I’m thinking about some LED’s on the underside of the deck. Spread the pontoons wide open and have at it!
Just looked to see what a 6hp copperhead was. Might better wait for a 14’ Biyak for that. I did shoot ducks off of the first wooden one that I built, but I paddled to my spot.
If you need any help rigging the LEDs, if you go DIY on them, let me know. I am very familiar with rigging some absurdly bright Cree and Luxeon/Rebel high power LEDs. I can help you light up the dark side of the moon if you wanna lol.
Moral judgment under girds the entire structure of laws and is necessary for the rational structure of any significant statute. The idea that our laws can stand independent of moral foundation is senseless.----- Albert Mohler.
I love seeing someone with an idea put in the time and effort to see that idea go from scribbles on a napkin to an actual prototype to production. Lots of people have great ideas, few people have the nuts or willingness to take the risk to chase that idea.
This is why the USA is the greatest country on earth and the land of opportunity.
Don’t ever let someone tell you you can’t do something. Congrats and looking forward to following this story.
but I think you built a sweet looking biyak, I love it!