ed mitchell outdoors

I love the Larry chair. Its cool, comfortable, easy to cast from and makes it easier to stand. Beautiful. Still there is one issue. In factory form it doesn’t lash real tight to the deck. Its always slip sliding around. Backward a bit, forward a bit, up and down. Not good. Equally bad, when you’re climbing out of the Adios to sneak up on tailing reds, the chair can bounce against the deck delivering unwanted noise.

So I’ve been looking for an inexpensive solution; one that was easy to install and easy to remove. Here’s what I came up with. At Wally World I bought an 18×30″ synthetic doormat for $7.95. I cut it 18″x22″, and then took the remaining 8×18″ piece and cut into four 4.5″x8″ pieces. See photo. The four pieces were then Gorilla glued to the corners of the large piece, so as to create a double thickness under the Larry chair’s legs. In this way the mat removes vertical slack, gives the chair a ton of traction, and protects the deck.

Mat cut and Ready to Glue

Next I went to the kayak shop and bought 2 short nylon straps with buckles. Cost $4.95 for the pair. These were threaded through the 2 existing anchor brackets directly behind the Larry chair’s position. See Photo.

Mat and Four Buckles

Now we’re ready to install the chair. Drop the mat in place, put the chair over it. And secure with the existing 2 buckles on the front legs and the 2 new buckles to the chair’s rear rail. Tighten the belts up and the chair is secure against the deck. Loving it.

Larry Chair Strapped In

So far its working great! And the mat stores easily under the front hatch. Total cost $13 plus some glue.  If I come up with something better I’ll let you know.

A good look at the deck of your Adios will reveal an array of hardware. There are 5 handles, 1 forward hatch cover, 2 rear hatch covers, 14 anchor brackets, 4 anchor hooks, 2 adjustable foot pegs and 1 drain plug. On my 2010 Adios that equals some 75 exposed screw heads, and 4 nuts. All of which loosen over time. Believe me. Most require only occasional checking. Some, however, particularly the screws holding the 5 large handles, needed to be checked regularly.

Phillips Head Screwdriver & 7/16 Socket

Tools

A P2 Phillips screwdriver (a P1 & P3 are handy too) and a 7/16 socket

Handles

Let’s start with those 5 handles: one on the bow, one aft, one on each side, and one in the cockpit, just aft of the forward hatch. These handles get used often and with some force. As a result they loosen up. And as they do two problems arise. First the handles twist, making them harder to use. Second, if you allow them to get really loose, it’s quite possible you’ll yank one right out of the hull. Bad news.

Each of these handles is secured with 2 large Phillips head screws. A P-2 driver works; a P-3 may work even better. Remove any twist from the handle first, and be sure to straighten the handle’s base before tightening. Hand tighten.

Twisted Handle

Anchoring Bracket & Hooks, Drain Plug

These smaller pieces of hardware loosen a little less often. Your P2 screwdriver works here, although on the drain plug flange a P1 may fit better.  Hand tighten. Note: The anchor bracket screw heads can develop a touch of rust. I wipe them with a Q-tip soaked in oil.

Check these Screws for Rust

Hatch Covers

These are rarely a problem on my Adios, but you should check them now and then. A P2 is fine, a P1 may work better. Hand tighten.

Foot Pegs

Use the 7/16 socket on these 4 nuts. Hand tighten.

I bought an Adios back in the spring of last year. Since then I have used it in salt water nearly every day. After 8 months, I have some ideas on keeping this hybrid kayak in good working order. Yes, I’m aware that some folks assume kayaks never need care. Wrong,wrong,wrong! Kayaks, especially ones as technically forward as the Adios, need maintenance.  So I’m going to share my thoughts with you in a series of posts. In this one, I’ll discuss the basics – keeping it clean. In the next I’ll examine how to check and tighten the hardware. Mucho important amigo! Some tools required. And in the last one I’ll tell you how to better secure your Larry Chair to the deck.

Washing

Washing your Adios is just common sense. Granted if you use yours only in freshwater, the need is reduced a bit. But in the brine, a regular rinse down is required maintenance. How often? I’m in salty Florida waters, so I do it after every outing. Not a big deal. A garden hose and a nozzle make quick work of it. For stubborn dirt on the sides and bottom of the hull, soap and a sponge are useful. Before you begin, be sure all three hatches are closed tight. And after you’re done, drain any water out of the hull.

Waxing

Now I’m going to take matters one step further. I highly recommend you wax your Adios, top and bottom, at least once a season. Why wax? Obviously it helps protect things. Less apparent is the fact that waxing improves performance. Yes, I said better performance. As soon as I saw the Adios’ high gloss finish I realized it would benefit from a periodic waxing. Don’t expect a big boost mind you. Still waxing the bottom of your Adios definitively allows it to glide easier. Try it; you’ll feel the results. A marine grade boat wax is likely best, but I’m using plain old car wax. Seems to work fine.