Almost back in business!

My Revo 16 arrived about three weeks ago now, still not been wet, but it won't be long now. The only thing I'm waiting for is an FPV lithium battery to power up the electrickery. It did take a while to get here due to the damage on the hull while in storage, prior to despatch, so a new hull arrived from Holland. This happened with my Hobie Outback as well, spookily enough, the Revo arrived 4 years to the day that I received my last Hobie. This time around I bought from Cornwall Canoes, last time, the Hobie Centre. My latest purchase was price driven as they had a pretty good deal on a brand new 2018 model. The Hobie Centre could not get near the sale price so I went ahead. Not much to chose between them service wise, both retailers were helpful, get in touch if you want my views on both. I have no connection with either, something you need to be aware when it comes to sponsorship and the like.

So why the Revo? Last year I found myself looking to travel longer distances, even with a great summer, dodging the wind at times was a choir. The access to some stretches of coast is very limited, increased range would certainly be an advantage.My 2015 Outback was a great boat . I wish I could have kept it as an option, financially that could not be justified. I wanted something that would enable me to change locations quickly, deal with wind/tide and cover more ground when required. I looked for months for a used Revo with no luck. August came around and the 2019 Outback was launched. I gave it serious thought. It's fair to say it had a few niggles if you were early on the uptake, aren't there always? Cars, phones, everyone has been there when you dive in and buy new tech. I asked myself a few questions. Do I need more weight to portage around ? Do I need to carry more gear with me ? Can I see myself standing? What about the new style rudder and the load assist block ? Or a wider seat for a fat arse? Then of course the price, there won't be any discount for a Scottish bam like me with no connections! It looks great though, maybe another time. It was a no for me. I cooled off on the idea after a good look at it and took a gamble on a Revo. It's certainly is a gamble as I've no idea how I'll get on with it, very different beast to my 2015 Outback. I did however get a lot of advice from a few owners which helped me make the decision. After the sale of the old boat and a couple of eBay sales, it only left me a fishfinder as an outlay to change rigs. Just as well really, I took the first initial big hit 4 years ago starting from scratch. I would not feel as confident splashing out at the minute with the period of potential enlightenment ahead of us over the next few months or more than likely years.....

Anyway, here it is. At 16 feet, it just fits in my garage. Seagrass green, don't suppose it's for everyone,  but I like it.

It's a lot a narrower than my Outback. I'll certainly miss the storage pockets to leave bits and bobs to hand but that should mean I stay more organised, it wont be an option really...

Drilling big holes in expensive chunks of plastic is never fun. I've gone with two Yakattak GT175 I had left over(lock nuts and washers on the back) fitted my old mast mount and tore through the cockpit with a hole saw for my wiring. I'll fit a 3 way Hobie gland when my battery arrives. I went with a RAM 1.5 inch quick  release ball rather than a screwball mount this time. I think as the Lowrance will be up front from now on it should provide a more secure footprint.

There will be various mounting options for the Lowrance , camera or whatever else depending on how I want it set up for any given session. The battery will be mounted  and secured to the sail mast below the centre RAM ball.

When I'm in the boat the 7inch Ti screen will be in reach and clearly visible. I'll have a play around and see what location works best for me.I'll fit one piece of small geartrac forward of the pockets, not sure which side yet and two behind the seat for two Scotty rocket launcher rod holders when I fish with bait. I want to keep the front section  of the boat clear for a few reasons.

I went for the same unit as before, it's now discontinued so I managed  a good discount over RRP

With turbo fins of course,  the jury is out for me on the 180 drive, looks like more to break, lets hope I'm wrong.How much I will use reverse? Really handy when drifting on to a feature, trade off,? Fragility and longevity ? I've also got the Berley Pro  Totalscan transducer cover and the visor for the Ti. I had both before, I might give the visor a miss this time around.

The super comfy Vantage CT seat. I don't see too many naps for me sitting in this boat, I might get wet very quickly. I'll certainly miss sitting in the sunshine  snoring like I did a few times in the past.

Lets hope next blog post has some fish in it. Waiting for a parcel from Australia is shite by the way!