Converting a Watersnake Trolling Motor for a Hobie Outback Kayak: A Comprehensive Guide

Lately as I get older it has been a bit more difficult for me to always use the Hobie mirage drive for all day. Finishing a day of trolling, and barely being able to walk due to back pain is a bit discouraging. So after some searching I found a build to convert a Watersnake 18 lb motor into a trolling motor that fits into a Hobie mirage slot on my kayak. This build looks like it will work on any size of watersnake. And could be used on any of Hobie’s kayaks that have a mirage slot.

Needed Supplies:

Watersnake motor: https://amzn.to/37hi3L7
Dremel tool to cut shaft (a hacksaw would work but be very slow): https://amzn.to/3xwHWl3
Phillips screwdriver
Hobie Cassette plug: https://amzn.to/2WQ9yF0 Check the model to the cassette. This on is for the older model
3/4″ PVC pipe
DC Motor Speed Controller: https://amzn.to/2VjKqGb
1 inch spade bit

and a couple other links:

Watersnake all ready to start the conversion. Total weight at start is just 8 lbs

First step as with most things is to remove screws. There are 4 screws that hold the top to the bottom part of the control panel

Before removing any wires make sure you take a picture of how it looks. This makes it a lot easier to reassemble after you shorten the shaft. There are only three wires that have to be removed. All three lead into the shaft so it is easy to tell which three they are

After removing the controller from the top you will need to insert a small PVC pipe into the shaft. These will keep you from accidentally cutting the wires as you shorten the shaft.

Before cutting the shaft you will need to get the the cassette plug set up to insert the shaft into it. The easiest way is to use a 1″ spade bit. A hole needs to be made on each side of the cassette so the motor shaft can fit into it.

Once the cassette is seated onto the shaft use a piece of tape to mark where you will cut it off. I put the cassette just above the blades of the motor and then added about 5 inches above to where I cut it off. This is right at 10″ cut off. Do not discard the top. You will need it as a template to cut out guides into the new shortened shaft.

Once the shaft is cut off you will need to cut out the gap and the hole through to reattach the controller. Once you have it cut out reassemble everything.

Once everything is assembled you are ready to go

Once you are done the set up is ready to go as is. There are several other adaptions that are useful in the long run while using this set up. At this stage you are limited to only the two speeds that are set up on the motor. High and just slightly less then high. Good for going from place to place but way to fast for trolling. At least for my trolling.

Some things to note from my first test run:

The cassette is made to be put in only one direction and not both. Some rubber pads would be helpful to prevent kick up every time the motor starts and stops.
I added a DC controller between the battery and motor to give it a variable speed while trolling. (worked perfect for this)
The clamps on the motor made it difficult to hook to the controller box. They should be removed and some circle ones installed so it can be screwed down. Same with my connectors from the battery to the controller
Add Volt meter to controller box.
21AH battery lasted just over 4 hours of trolling. A 2nd battery will probably be needed at some point.

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Since there were some tweaks needed I made a part 2 to better stabilize it. Converting a Watersnake trolling motor for a Hobie outback Kayak part 2

After finishing I found I needed less wires by my feet fo did an in hull wire setup https://shanesoutdoorfun.com/2021/10/06/dc-wiring-a-hobie-outback-to-run-a-watersnake-trolling-motor/