Bought a kayak - some questions

[sundaypunch]

I'm totally new to kayaks. I have been watching Craigslist and just got a good deal on a used Ocean Kayaks Malibu Two XL tandem. I wanted something stable for the family. We will probably be floating down the local river and using it at the beach this summer.

The kayak has two 8" hatches and a 10"x18" in the center. These are uncut. I was wondering how water-tight they generally are if I cut a hole and install a hatch cover?

I'm sure I will find this out quickly on our first outing but I'll ask anyway. If I install a 3rd seat, which position would I be better off in (assuming I'm doing the paddling and my wife and child are along for the ride)? I'm about 180#, my wife and daughter are about 110# & 100#.

 

[mog]

The kayak has two 8" hatches and a 10"x18" in the center. These are uncut. I was wondering how water-tight they generally are if I cut a hole and install a hatch cover?

I have both types on my Ocean Kayaks, the rubber covers (10"x18"), and the plastic covers (8") that have latches. Both types are pretty water tight, but anything you put in the hull should be is zip lock bags to keep the items totally dry. The plastic covers can be had much cheaper then from Ocean Kayak, they are a standard size. Great kayaks, well made and will last forever and then some.
Sorry I can't help you on the 3rd seat placement.

 

[Nullifier]

This is a really small kayak for 3 people. If you are going to try to paddle it with 3, just know that the center seat position is really for solo not carrying a 3rd adult size person. It is situataed very close to the bow paddler so you will have issues with the center persons legs getting mixed up with the bow paddlers seat back straps and paddling.

Having said all that if you have more then one person in a boat the primary paddler is always in the back. You will have more control over the boat from that position when it comes to general steering. Powering the boat will make no difference.

Hatches are an easy install and can be had cheap. They seal well however if you have rubber hatches, I recomend treating them as well as the whole kayak with 303 a few timer per year. Also store the hatches inside the house rather then on the kayak outside, they dry rot faster outside.

When storing things inside of a kayak you will always get a bit of water in the hull. The longer the boat is in the water the more condensation you will get inside especially on really hot days. Typically you would get no more then a few tablespoons of water but that is enough to ruin certain things so make sure you get a few dry bags. If you get more then that then you have a leak which is usually in the scupper holes. That is a very difficult part of the kayak to mold and 99% of the time is where leaks occur.

 

[DesertBoater]

Also, another thing to keep in mind with these sit-on-top kayaks is that the boat is totally hollow. There are no bulkheads or dividers inside the boat, so if one of those hatches were to open in rough weather, the boat could concievably fill with water and sink. The other, slightly more obnoxious daily issue with not having bulkheads is that anything you put inside the boat tends to wander...so your waterbottle or lunch might end up at the bow, the stern, somewhere in between...other than that I wouldn't see any issue...just get the factory hardware (or something very similar) and do it yourself.

Cheers,
West

 

[SunMan]

As others have said it's easy to do but be sure to buy the correct hatch and a dry bag or two, you'll be fine. I've used mine plenty in the surf, it's been pummeled and rolled endlessly with no issues. Always be sure to drain it good after each use and leave a hatch open to dry out.

 

[sundaypunch]

This is a really small kayak for 3 people. If you are going to try to paddle it with 3, just know that the center seat position is really for solo not carrying a 3rd adult size person. It is situataed very close to the bow paddler so you will have issues with the center persons legs getting mixed up with the bow paddlers seat back straps and paddling.

If I did put three in the kayak it would be me and my 9 & 13 year old daughters. They are about 70# & 100# so I figured the weight would be similar to having a single adult along with me.

With three, it looks like I would have the most room sitting in the bow. I'll have to see how it works out for steering. We would probably only do this floating down our local river which is pretty mild.