PURSUING THE WILD LIFE
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Pursuing the Wild Life

Manta Ray 14 Fishing Kayak-First Impressions

1/31/2017

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The "new" used Native, Manta Ray 14 along with the old faithful Wilderness, Tarpon 160i were transported to creek in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge on a warm February day.

First, the Manta Ray is a good sized kayak and yes it can be carried and lifted solo but it is relatively wide and weighs enough to be challeging to handle. 
Here are the specs: 14' 7" long / 28" wide / 69 lb weight  / 375 lb capacity
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First impressions on loading the boat is that the cockpit road holders and storage areas are well laid out and reasonably accessible. 
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Compared to the Wilderness Tarpon 160, the Manat Ray 14 has a more comfortable and slightly larger cockpit, a little more beam and perhaps freeboard. It also has gear rails on both sides of the cockpit a plus for those needing to attach more gear and electronics.
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First paddling impressions:
  • The boat tracks well even without the rudder.
  • Its relatively fast, perhaps not as fast as the Tarpon 16 but not too far off.
  • It is stable, yet maneuvers well.
  • The seat is comfortable 
  • I could reach the rods in the rod holders easily and reach around to the cooler to retrieve bait.
  • The aft storage area can fit a 45 quart cooler
  • Fishability- first impressions are excellent although I only caught shorts!
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Repair notes:
  • This was a fast and relatively average to poor, bordering on redneck quality job.
  • All materials were purchased at Lowes and Home Depot.
  • Total time spent: a few hours.
  • Total cost: approx. $50.


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 A marine grade filler was applied
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Then sanding and multiple coats of cloth, resin and sanding
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Then a final light sanding and spay can / palmetto paint job

The first trip we put in near Cedar Key and worked our way up a couple creeks that would have been inaccessible in a larger boat. We found 15 or more Redfish and a couple nice trout.
Gear used:
  • ​Old 1980’s Gheenoe, classic model purchased at a garage sale for $150.
  • Trailer assembled from parts
  • Yamaha 6 hp purchased new
First Impressions:
  • ​Gheenoe’s are excellent backwater boats. Their shallow draft, excellent stability and maneuvering are boats you can take just about anywhere in relatively protected waters. And you can pull, push or paddle them if needed.
  • The Yamaha 6 hp 4 stroke is a good balance between weight, portability, economy and power. The engine is not yet fully broken in, so it hasn’t been run a full throttle but I’m guessing it will move the loaded Gheenoe between 10 and 15 mph. The 6 hp is not a speed demon but seems fast enough and in the rocky backwater creeks, speed is the last thing you need. Easy to tilt up, shallow draft, and easy pull start are more important to me. As far as fuel economy goes, I don’t know how many hours I can expect from the 3 gal. remote tank because after a two or three hours running time the gauge hadn’t budged from full.
  • The ride of the Gheenoe is great in smooth water and fair in a chop. The boat and motor are sensitive to load distribution and the loads should be adjusted to be when heading into the wind and waves to keep the boat dry. I expected and did notice some hull cavitation when in rougher water. The hull could be strengthened in some areas but I doubt I will make many hull modifications.
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Paul with a couple nice trout from the first trip
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