Old Town Sportsman Autopilot

[Chubs]

I just discovered that there is a trolling motor integrated kayak now with spot lock.

https://oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.co ... opilot-120
https://oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.co ... opilot-136

Fairly pricey ($3500 to $4000).

Thoughts?

I think going this route is interesting at least. MDLR evidentially uses one now.

Do you even need spot lock though with a hobie? Sure it would more precisely keep you in 1 spot, but do you need it? I'm sure you would be giving up the stealth component.

I do have a trolling motor I can rig onto my inflatable and it works well, but it's noisy and hard to maneuver. I just use it to get from point A to B, especially if going long distances with more than 1 person; but most of the time I just leave it home and use my old trusty paddle.

[SWFinatic]

I think it will be a great fit for a some. I know that Old Town makes a quality kayak. It's pricey tho. You're looking at $5k for the 13' 6" with a 100ah lithium battery. MDLR says it floats in less water than his 2020 Outback which is interesting.

[SteveRetrieve]

Plus an expensive battery! Just not worth the money in my opinion


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[imaoldmanyoungsalt]

I ran into a guy at Lake Muenster once who had a trident with a regular spot lock tm mounted on the front of it and he used the remote to operate it. He loved it.

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[gene1966]

a game changer for sure!!

[Neumie]

Although I don't agree with the trends SOT kayaks are heading to I have to admit, Old Town is hitting home runs with their new offerings. Old Town has easily pulled away from the pack and joined Hobie as an industry leader. Old Town's designs, implementation of alternative propulsion, and competitive pricing have really separated them from Wilderness Systems, Ocean, Bonafide, Native Watercraft, and Jackson.

[Neumie]

I also saw this. This is the first time I've seen a kayak manufacturer list the weight capacity and usable capacity.

[impulse]

I also saw this. This is the first time I've seen a kayak manufacturer list the weight capacity and usable capacity.

Good information... But I think it's just semantics. 418# is simply the total rated displacement minus the 82# hull weight.

Plus, if only there were some standardized metric for the rating so you could compare one manufacturer to another. Is that the rating to maintain 1mm of freeboard, or is it a reasonable and prudent load (and who decided what that is)?

I'd love to see one of them loaded up with 418 pounds of gear, including the motor, battery, angler and another 200 pounds of "stuff". (Assuming 418 pounds is the 500# total minus hull weight). I'm not sure I'd like to be the angler, though.

[Chubs]

For sure this is a 1st I think - a ready for sale fully integrated kayak system. And a great little package.

I think getting a johnboat though with a trolling motor would be about the same cost.

Heck, I just looked it up:
2019 model 14' Tracker 1484 grizzly (3 person, 778 weight capacity ppl + gear): ~$3100
MinnKota I-Pilot: ~$1200 (upgrate to Minn Kota Utrex foot control unit - $2300).
Lead Acid 100 AH battery - $100 (I believe I got mine for that much)

You are sitting at $4400 - that's more than the most expensive package (probably ~$6000 if you upgrade to the better TM and a SI fish finder). But you get to fish 2-3 people if you want. you could add a small little tiller operated outboard too for not much more cost.

Just Sayin!

[Neumie]

Good information... But I think it's just semantics. 418# is simply the total rated displacement minus the 82# hull weight.

Plus, if only there were some standardized metric for the rating so you could compare one manufacturer to another. Is that the rating to maintain 1mm of freeboard, or is it a reasonable and prudent load (and who decided what that is)?

I'd love to see one of them loaded up with 418 pounds of gear, including the motor, battery, angler and another 200 pounds of "stuff". (Assuming 418 pounds is the 500# total minus hull weight). I'm not sure I'd like to be the angler, though.

The one I posted was for the Topwater 120, attached is the one for the Autopilot 136.

I actually touched base on this awhile back in this post: TKF Link

The obvious issue is the lack of uniform industry standard for determining weight capacity. Bonafide, Hobie, Jackson, Pelican, Perception, Vibe, and Wilderness Systems their listed max weight capacity is their usable capacity. The Ascend kayaks from Bass Pro the usable capacity is the listed max weight capacity less their seat, rod holder, etc (seems to be based on bare, non-rigged hull). Old Town along with Ocean Kayak, Native Watercraft, and Hurricane the usable capacity is the listed max capacity less the weight of the kayak, seat, etc.

With "high capacity" kayaks (450 lbs or greater) it's not much of an issue as the typical angler would be below any usable capacity for a kayak. Anything below that and there could be issues with overloading a kayak.

Another thing to consider is how are capacities determined? Is the load equally distributed across the length/width of the kayak? As kayak anglers we have a disproportional amount of weight above the waterline and in the back half of the kayak. You would think this would impact the usable capacity even further.

[Yakety_Yak]

So the kayak costs in the ballpark of $3500 to $4000, you need to include over a $1000 in batteries to run this kayak, and the yearly cost of keeping it registered due to it being motorized.... this will put you around $5000. That's just too much money to spend. The object is to go kayak fishing. This is technically boat fishing. If I am going to spend that much money on a kayak, then I might as well start looking into a boat.

The other thing to consider is that if the motor malfunctions or the battery(ies) go bad, then you will have to paddle that thing back and I bet it is not going to be a fun paddle at all (hoping that the current and winds will be in your favor for the paddle back home). The next thing then is the cost of repairs. Kayaks have cost of repairs but they are substantially less.

I will admit though that the concept is pretty cool but I just don't see how we can compare the Autopilot to kayaks.

[impulse]

For me, the appeal of kayak fishing is that it's cheap, I can toss it on top the mini-van (no need to buy a trailer or a pickup), I can drag it by myself a few hundred yards off the road (if necessary- like at the beach), I can store it almost anywhere, and (much lower on the priority list) there's no registration formalities, and virtually no maintenance aside from a post-trip washdown. Plus, I get a no-impact upper body workout whether I'm fishing or not. And over half my kayak paddling is done just for the exercise and scenery.

But that's just me. If the 120+ pound behemoth with trolling motor fits your needs, it's an impressive machine and I don't blame anyone for loving theirs.

The one thing I don't get is that there doesn't seem to be a manual steering option in the large hull, and the autopilot is a $1000 mandatory adder. Or am I missing that in the online catalog?

[SWFinatic]

It's a different kayak for sure. The term kayak is used so loosely these days even an inflatable raft is called a kayak now. I can see why Old Town calls it a kayak since it still can be paddled (but not very far lol). The weight is 148 pounds without a battery, gear, tackle or person. Same as a PA 14 which is why I am surprised to see it float in 6" of water. I get there's a concern with the motor being the only source of real power since it does weigh so much it's not practical to have to paddle it for miles back to the truck. BUT the same can be said for a paddle kayak in terms of being one dimensional powered. If you lose or break a paddle or in my case lose the ability to paddle (tendonitis elbow flare up) it's a bad situation too. That's when you hope the cell phone has reception.

Impulse from what I see the only manual steering option is in the foot pegs for the rudder. I don't see a way to manually steer the motor itself. Just hope the batteries in the remote don't give out and the spares get wet.

It's not for me but I like seeing new options introduced to the market. Options are generally good for the consumer.

[impulse]

......

Impulse from what I see the only manual steering option is in the foot pegs for the rudder. I don't see a way to manually steer the motor itself. Just hope the batteries in the remote don't give out and the spares get wet.

What I meant is that you can buy a base Sportsman 106 for $899 or a Sportsman 106 with a manual steer MinnKota for $2,499. That’s a $1,600 adder for a manual steer MinnKota (plus other accessories like the rudder).

For the Sportsman 120, it’s $999 for the base model, or $3,799 for the Sportsman 120 with MinnKota AutoPilot. That’s a $2,800 adder for the motor. Ouch.

Seems to me like they should offer a Sportsman 120 with manual steer MinnKota for $999 plus $1,600 = $2,599. But they don’t. (or am I missing it in their catalog?) Neither do they offer the 136 with manual steer… Just the much more expensive Autopilot. Maybe it’s because the distance to the motor is out of reach on the longer kayaks?

Not that any of the powered Old Towns seem like a real good deal since you can power a Hobie for $399 with this guy’s motors…

http://www.venturetube.net/product-page ... 4lb-thrust

That’s $399 adder instead of a $1,600 or $2,800 adder. It’s a smaller motor, and not a MinnKota. But it's over $1,000 less, (or $2,400 less than the AutoPilot) and how much thrust do you really need on a 'yak?

[SWFinatic]

Yeah I see what you're saying. Looks like the Sportsman 120 while similar to the AutoPilot 120 is a completely different kayak (different mold). I doubt you would have the same performance if you put an MK Autopilot TM on a Sportsman 120. Still I agree it is pricey.

[COtransplant854]

I put one together and took it apart this afternoon. Heavy as sin, but definitely a cool boat. The shaft is shortened and it fits really well without sticking to far out from the bottom. For that price point I would get a jon boat and trailer, because it's going to be a giant pain lugging that Autopilot Sportsman around. I would be nervous with a pull cart due to weight. It is sharp tho, great color schemes and everything just looks right. Can't put anyone else in it tho, and that would limit the fun/worth for me. I'll stick to the Hobies for now.

[Yakety_Yak]

I put one together and took it apart this afternoon. Heavy as sin, but definitely a cool boat. The shaft is shortened and it fits really well without sticking to far out from the bottom. For that price point I would get a jon boat and trailer, because it's going to be a giant pain lugging that Autopilot Sportsman around. I would be nervous with a pull cart due to weight. It is sharp tho, great color schemes and everything just looks right. Can't put anyone else in it tho, and that would limit the fun/worth for me. I'll stick to the Hobies for now.

I'll stick to my Hobies for now as well.