Alright folks, time for some actual substance on this thing. I love having a project to do and combining that with one of my newest hobbies (kayak fishing) is, well, pretty awesome. I upgraded early this fall to a new sweet ride: the FeelFree Moken 14. It's a huge boat but super stable and I have been able to do a lot more than I had before. While you can stand in the Moken without trouble, for me at 6'1" and a wee bit over 215, its not the most comfortable position in the boat. So after a little inspiration while surfing the web and seeing pics of leaning posts on fishing SUPs, the obvious choice was to make my own. So I did. And this is how.
Concept: Beyond the basic function of the leaning post, I wanted something that was light when on the boat, could stow out of the way when I wanted to move spots and could be easily taken off the boat when not in use. Some research revealed some other DIY-ers that had made similar products, but were metal and a bit more permanent. Using some of those ideas (chiefly the use of a bimini top deck hinge) I started scheming. I also wanted to take advantage of the built-in tracks on the FeelFree yaks and avoid putting more holes than needed into the plastic. PVC pipe was the material of choice to keep weight down.
Parts: I acquired everything needed either from Lowe's, West Marine or Yak-Gear. I had the paint and paracord lying around the garage.
1 10ft 1/2" PVC
2 5ft 3/4" PVC
2 3/4" threaded PVC adapter
2 3/4" x 1/2" threaded PVC adapter
2 3/4" PVC elbow
4 1/2" PVC caps
2 1/2" PVC Tee
2 10-24 x 2 1/2" stainless bolt
4 3/16x1/2x1/16 rubber washers
2 deck hinges
2 7/8" external eye end
Yak-Gear FeelFree Track Nut and Screw Kit
Rustoleum Flat Black
12" paracord
Total cost: $43.01
Assembly:
I started with the hinge and vertical assemblies. I went with threaded connections between the hinge/external eye and the vertical support to give me to option of future upgrades or potential duck blind build I am planning for the future. I wanted 3/4" for the vertical supports for some more rigidity but the external eyes ends only fit 1/2" pipe, hence the 1/2' x 3/4" adapter. Good thing they make PVC in all sizes and shapes. The external eye ends are a loose fit into the 1/2" pipe, so I was generous with the glue. I added on the threaded connector.
The deck hinges are secured to the accessory tracks using the Yak-Gear FeelFree Track Nut and Screw Kit. These little things are genius, letting you mount directly to the track without the Uni-track which, while good for other stuff (rod holders, electronics), is not ideal for this application.
Now time for 2 important measurements: the height of the leaning post and the length of the supports. I cut and glued the vertical section pieces first because I needed them fully assembled to measure how long the support pieces would be. I measured the distance from where the bottom of the support piece rested (for me this is in the footwell) up to where on the vertical section I wanted it to cross. I decided to overlap the supports with the vertical, giving me a paddle holder/rod holder notch for when I am standing.
Holding the two pieces in place, I marked roughly where they overlapped on each for reference to drill the holes for the connecting bolts. I gave the holes a slight angle aft on the boat to account for the support pieces tapering in slightly to where they rest when vertical. The assembly to connect the vertical with the supports is a 10-24 x 2 1/2" bolt with rubber washers for between the two PVC pipes and next to the washer.
With the two sections connected to each other and on track, I was able to get a function test. The first problem I noted was the two support arms were independent of each other and this made it annoying to fold. Solution: I cut a 1" section out of each leg 10" up from the bottom and installed T fittings and a short cross piece. This allows the supports to move together when folding the post but also allows for the center hatch to be opened fully when the post is up.
Final Touches:
Nothing fancy here, just Rustoleum Flat Black. This step is purely cosmetic. I don't like the stark white of PVC and the black helps it blend with the other plastic fittings on the Moken.
I added two small paracord pulls the the bottom of each leg to assist in pulling it up to vertical. I also added a small section of pipe insulation to the cross bar of the vertical assembly for some padding.
And with that, job done! This was a relatively easy build, probably 2-3 hours total over 2 days. Luckily, I did not have have issues with the build because I put some good time with research and planning before I started hacking away.
Set up (bonus shot of post-bike ride wife in the background)
Folded down for travel:
Thanks or taking a look and hope this inspires some creativity and projects of your own!
