# ***Official*** Bote Rover thread



## Rover

Micro Power Pole down








Paddled with motor








As a Fly Fishing platform








Under Power








"Wheel Rac"








A view of the "paddle sheath" and 2 add on Roto-Pack gas cans








General Rover Info, where stuff goes.



(all pictures borrowed from Google Images)

Have one? Want one? Think they're the stupidest thing ever designed? or the greatest thing since high modulus graphite? Everyone is welcome to share their opinions!


*Disclaimer- I have absolutely no affiliation with Bote or any other watersports company*


Now that we have all that out of the way let the fun begin:


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## Rover

I'm new to this Forum but hopefully it's ok to start up this thread.

Anyway, I have a new Bote Rover on Order IDENTICAL to the one is the first picture (Bugslinger Color, Black Racking, Grey Bucket, same sandspear) except I ordered mine to come in Bote's GatorShell (Plastic) instead of the Glass/ Epoxy Board shown.

There is already a thread on motors for these but if possible I'd like to move everything Rover related over here to keep it easier for those searching for information to find it all in one place. Here's all the information on accessories that I've come up with so far.

Bote Rover Available in "Gatorshell" or "Honey-Core" (Plastic or composite) Includes Moto-Rac, Paddle, and some fins. $3499.99
Grab Rack (multiple colors) $200
Cooler Rack (multiple colors) $200
Wheel Rack $150
Kula (Cooler in 5 gallon bucket form, multiple colors) $200
Sand Spear (works as Micro Power Pole Anchor) $120

-That's everything I see from BOTE for the Rover right now.

6HP Motor choices are:
Merc/ Tohatsu- ~59lbs
Suzuki ~52lbs
Yamaha ~60lbs
Honda (Decided to stop making their 6hp I guess?)

Power Pole Mirco with Battery Pack, mounting locations on both sides of the rear of this Board

Fish Finder with Battery Pack:


Hauling options:
Trailers:
-Yakima
Roof Rack:
-Rover is 105 lbs so unless you have help or a good set of rollers this may be tough.
Truck Bed:
-My personal choice, Since I have a Decked Truck drawer system in my Short Box Tacoma I will be mounting a set of Yakima Landing Pad 6's to the Deck over the Steel reinforced bars with a 3/8" backing plate spanning the Steel tubing. This should ensure maximum strength and no way for the bolts to pull through the HDPE Decking. I also ordered the Yakima "Long Arm" truck bed extender this will allow me to tilt the extender to the proper angle to line up with my Decked System and also I plan on tilting it to 45 degrees to aid in Roof top loading on my camper top should the need arise. Yakima Sweet Roll kayak racks *should* aid in rolling the Rover in and out and providing a good platform to strap down to.

I’ll try to keep this post edited as info comes in.


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## Capnredfish

Looks like the next plastic toy in the way at the ramp while the owner messes around tying on gear and bsing. Sure it’s fun though.


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## Rover

Capnredfish said:


> Looks like the next plastic toy in the way at the ramp while the owner messes around tying on gear and bsing. Sure it’s fun though.


Haha... maybe. I owned a 19ft Lund walk through for quite a few years and ALWAYS used a bunk trailer. I’d unhook everything but the front winch back into the water with a buddy sitting in the drivers seat he’d fire the motor and unhook the front drive off while I’d go park. Same thing to load. Drive up on the bunk hook the front and drive out of the way. I bet i didn’t waste more than 90 seconds on either side. 

Now with the Rover, to be honest I bought the wheel kit. I was planning on unloading and setting it up in the parking lot, wheeling it down the ramp and driving off in it. I imagine if it’s launched on a trailer or tried to drag out of a truck at the ramp it’ll be the same comedy show we all see every spring.


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## Capnredfish

It’s all in the user, not the toy.


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## Fritz

I saw one of these recently in person and thought it was the coolest thing ever (by 'ever' I mean within the last fifteen or twenty minutes at least). I wanted one, still do kinda.

They show really well, but they are not cheap, base price is $3,500, I'm guessing after a motor and a few options you have 7K or more into that thing. I signed up for and received a really impressive catalog complete with a wall poster from Bote. I'm thinking a big part of their price is in advertising, this was not a cheap pamphlet, more like a coffee table book full of hipster millennials finding themselves with Bote's help.

And that round Kula cooler is just stupid. There is a reason they have the round cooler niche all to themselves, it's a dumb idea.


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## Capnredfish

I thought it was a yeti bucket when I first glanced at it.


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## Rover

Fritz said:


> I saw one of these recently in person and thought it was the coolest thing ever (by 'ever' I mean within the last fifteen or twenty minutes at least). I wanted one, still do kinda.
> 
> They show really well, but they are not cheap, base price is $3,500, I'm guessing after a motor and a few options you have 7K or more into that thing. I signed up for and received a really impressive catalog complete with a wall poster from Bote. I'm thinking a big part of their price is in advertising, this was not a cheap pamphlet, more like a coffee table book full of hipster millennials finding themselves with Bote's help.
> 
> And that round Kula cooler is just stupid. There is a reason they have the round cooler niche all to themselves, it's a dumb idea.


I ended up ordering mine “pre-season” for $3300, and they “offered -10% on all accessories. I ordered the Rover, Grab Rack, Cooler Rack, Wheel, Rack, Kula, and Sand Spear. All told with Tax it was exactly $4417.79 (didn’t worry about tax ordering it local since to register it i would have to pay that anyway).

I’m planning on a Tohatsu 6hp for about $1300 (no tax). Everything shipped free. So $5700-ish for a running “Bote” Power Pole Mirco and Battery is $700, and a fish finder, rod holders, I’d say 7K is a safe estimate.

Is that a lot? Well I’m NOT a millennial (I’m 38) and i can afford it so to me its worth it. Obviously 7K isn’t pocket change, but it’s also not serious boat money by any means.

I’m really hoping it fits my needs well, I’ve got a lot of plans for it.

As far as the Kula? Well it’s a $200 5 gallon bucket. Yeti makes a regular plastic one that cost $50, this one is insulated, has a padded seat (my main purpose) and a bottle opener, so again I’d say for the $180 I had to pay it was a fine deal. If you have a 35qt yeti and wanna sit on that with a stick on seat pad. Well that costs even more but why not!

I’m loving this discussion because it’s really making me think. I plan on detailing my truck rack install to carry it as well as my fishing adventures with it.


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## Rover

Fritz said:


> I saw one of these recently in person and thought it was the coolest thing ever (by 'ever' I mean within the last fifteen or twenty minutes at least). I wanted one, still do kinda.
> 
> They show really well, but they are not cheap, base price is $3,500, I'm guessing after a motor and a few options you have 7K or more into that thing. I signed up for and received a really impressive catalog complete with a wall poster from Bote. I'm thinking a big part of their price is in advertising, this was not a cheap pamphlet, more like a coffee table book full of hipster millennials finding themselves with Bote's help.
> 
> And that round Kula cooler is just stupid. There is a reason they have the round cooler niche all to themselves, it's a dumb idea.


As far as the catalog. I got one too, it’s kinda cool, I’ll agree way expensive. If you think that’s targeted marketing you should check out their YouTube channel. It's actually pretty cool, I realize it's only a promo video but the "Keys Reloaded" video is pretty much a summary of my ideal vacation. HAHA. Someday when I'm older and Richer maybe I will be able to live down there.

I only fell in love with the Rover for the thought of getting on it. Running up the river than fishing my way back with a paddle, i LOVE to paddle so this isn’t a “lazy” feature for me, but i work midnights so an engine allows me to fish 3-4 hours a day in the morning after work, rather than paddle 3 hours and fish for 1. Simple economics for me!


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## Padre

well, I don't own a Bote but I am very familiar with them. Corey, the owner and designer, is my neighbor. Many people I know fish off them, including the Rover. They are very generous as a company, supporting many initiatives that support clean water and estuaries. They are giving us a Bugslinger to give away at the 2018 Fly Fishing Film Tour in Destin in 2 weeks. Here is what you have to say about Bote and Kula: Corey found a market niche and went after it. They are very innovative and are always coming up with new innovations that I am surprised that no one else thought of them. I have fished off SUP's and thought, "This is what this needs." And then they come up with it. They are in my opinion, the leader in the SUP fishing industry.


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## Rover

Padre said:


> well, I don't own a Bote but I am very familiar with them. Corey, the owner and designer, is my neighbor. Many people I know fish off them, including the Rover. They are very generous as a company, supporting many initiatives that support clean water and estuaries. They are giving us a Bugslinger to give away at the 2018 Fly Fishing Film Tour in Destin in 2 weeks. Here is what you have to say about Bote and Kula: Corey found a market niche and went after it. They are very innovative and are always coming up with new innovations that I am surprised that no one else thought of them. I have fished off SUP's and thought, "This is what this needs." And then they come up with it. They are in my opinion, the leader in the SUP fishing industry.


That is awsome to hear!!!! Thank you!!!!


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## crboggs

Its not a SUP anymore once you hang a motor off of it and load it up with accessories.

I have a canoe and a SUP and can't imagine hanging a motor on either. It would ruin the point of why I bought them.

These things look like Jet Ski Lite to me.


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## Rover

crboggs said:


> Its not a SUP anymore once you hang a motor off of it and load it up with accessories.
> 
> I have a canoe and a SUP and can't imagine hanging a motor on either. It would ruin the point of why I bought them.
> 
> These things look like Jet Ski Lite to me.





crboggs said:


> Its not a SUP anymore once you hang a motor off of it and load it up with accessories.
> 
> I have a canoe and a SUP and can't imagine hanging a motor on either. It would ruin the point of why I bought them.
> 
> These things look like Jet Ski Lite to me.


They make traditional boards too, though they obviously don’t belong on Microskiff.com 

Think of this as a SUP for someone who wants to fish 5 miles from the launch.


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## Padre

one of the reasons why I sold my SUP was because I never used it. I would rather fish out of my skiff. If the fishing isn't good, I can always run somewhere else. The only time I used it was when I had to go somewhere and I knew I had some spare time to fish and I didn't have time to put my boat on the trailer. Then I would throw it on the car. But other than that, I would rather be on my skiff. I think this solves that same problem for them. They can motor where they want and then go stealth by paddling. Harry Madison fishes on a Rover up here in Destin and it has expanded his range now. And he is always catching the big reds on it.


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## crboggs

Oh I get it...I've paddled miles on the SUP or in the canoe myself. And I have a skiff.

Just looks like something else for the Hobie Pro Angler crowd to upgrade to when they get tired of pedaling.


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## Rover

crboggs said:


> Oh I get it...I've paddled miles on the SUP or in the canoe myself. And I have a skiff.
> 
> Just looks like something else for the Hobie Pro Angler crowd to upgrade to when they get tired of pedaling.


I looked hard at Hobies and Jackson’s but in the end being able to stand and cast a clear deck (with a fly rod) was a way bigger selling point to me over the motor. And i just couldn’t live with the limited range of a SUP alone.

I really hope someone that actually runs/ fishes out of a Rover jumps in here soon. I’d love to see some actual pictures of it in action.

I should have mine in a couple weeks and I’ll be hitting it pretty hard for Walleye and Pike (I live up North). But I’d love to see someone using one is these at Misquito or somewhere similar now.


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## Fritz

Rover I love that you're telling us how much this thing cost, that seldom happens here and I appreciate it. One concern I had with the Rover is it's durability. It looks like surfboard construction and I see dings happening every where. Does the Bote Rover have the Gatorshell construction?

Post up pictures, lots of them, I would love to see more. As I said, at the boat show I thought it was super cool, it might be a ton of fun.


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## CurtisWright

Rover said:


> I plan on detailing my truck rack install to carry it as well as my fishing adventures with it.


I highly highly highly recomend spending your money on a trailer and not truck racks.

Unless you can comfortably snatch 110lbs from the side position, loading this thing will be a bear.


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## Rover

Fritz said:


> Rover I love that you're telling us how much this thing cost, that seldom happens here and I appreciate it. One concern I had with the Rover is it's durability. It looks like surfboard construction and I see dings happening every where. Does the Bote Rover have the Gatorshell construction?
> 
> Post up pictures, lots of them, I would love to see more. As I said, at the boat show I thought it was super cool, it might be a ton of fun.


I ordered mine in Gatorshell, i had zero use for the composite though speaking to the company they really tried to sell me on it. No thanks!!!

It’s not on the website but i ordered mine in Bugslinger Gatorshell 

I wasn’t sure about listing price but F it. Like i said no one is sponsoring me it’s my money! (DONT TELL MY WIFE) haha

I won’t have mine until at least 2 weeks but i will post pics when it arrives. It’s actually here just waiting on the racking


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## Rover

CurtisWright said:


> I highly highly highly recomend spending your money on a trailer and not truck racks.
> 
> Unless you can comfortably snatch 110lbs from the side position, loading this thing will be a bear.


“Bed Rack”


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## Sublime

I like the looks of them and wouldn't mind trying one out at some point. I'm thinking ...

Self bailing would be a HUGE plus over a canoe with a small outboard.

The back half of this thing is kind of catamaranish which probably increases stability significantly.

It looks quiet.

Has anyone poled one?

Getting it to the launch spot is going to be about the same as a skiff but you could launch it almost anywhere.

I have several spots that are 3 mile or less runs where I could see this thing being really handy


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## Padre

One of the things I hated about fishing a SUP is when I spotted a fish, put the paddle down, picked up the rod, if I was lucky if I got one shot. Props to Harry Madison because he slays the reds on SUP's and his Rover. But I was fishing the goon once and a guy comes by me on his Solo skiff and he had a trolling motor. So when he got to his spot with his outboard, he could put down the TM and cast while he was trolling. That's what I didn't like about the SUP was that I couldn't cast and paddle at the same time. So I think if someone is in the market for this or a Solo Skiff, that would be a game changer for me, being able to put a TM in it. And it doesn't look like you can put one on here.


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## trekker

I would have to go with the Solo Skiff for half the price.


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## richg99

Always trying to learn...Gheenoe 13 with a 5 hp vs Solo and/or Bote Rover????

Gheenoe won't self bail. Gheenoe will allow the trolling motor. Gheenoe should be cheaper, even With a trailer. Other than a lot of guys don't like Gheenoes for some reason....What am I missing?


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## 994

Looks like a fun fishing platform. I find myself using my Cayo more than my skiff most of the time anyway. Lots of places to put in around here so it’s never a far paddle. I tend to see more fish too, one of those “slow down and more things happen” sort of things I guess. 

Is the Bote made in USA or China?


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## Padre

mosquitolaGOON said:


> Looks like a fun fishing platform. I find myself using my Cayo more than my skiff most of the time anyway. Lots of places to put in around here so it’s never a far paddle. I tend to see more fish too, one of those “slow down and more things happen” sort of things I guess.
> 
> Is the Bote made in USA or China?


Most of their production boards are made in China. They make custom boards in their shop in Fort Walton Beach.


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## 1texasaggie

richg99 said:


> Always trying to learn...Gheenoe 13 with a 5 hp vs Solo and/or Bote Rover????
> 
> Gheenoe won't self bail. Gheenoe will allow the trolling motor. Gheenoe should be cheaper, even With a trailer. Other than a lot of guys don't like Gheenoes for some reason....What am I missing?


I personally like my Gheenoe Classic, but IMHO, the Gheenoe 13 is going to be just as expensive as a Bote Rover to make it "Texas" ready. 

Rich, forgive me if I have the wrong guy, but I think we've conversed several times over the years on various forums, including TKF...you're the guy that fishes the upper Trinity?

Unfortunately, we don't have access to the cheap Florida Gheenoe pricing, so you're realistically looking at $4,000+ to get a Custom 13 NMZ (with functional layout for us older, big guys) shipped in to Texas...one that includes a protective coating on the bottom to minimize oyster rash. Then add a battery, bilge pump, trolling motor, which means more weight and more $$$.

At least the Bote Rover reportedly has a quiet, self- bailing hull and will be easy to paddle around the marsh drains.


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## permitchaser

$5,700 for a canoe with a motor. I guess, whatever floats your boat, is a proper saying for this


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## texasag07

Why is this the “official” thread if your not affiliated with them? 

Maybe this goes in the bragging spot. Interesting concept similar to the soloskiff, skanu, motored canoe options.


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## trekker

Padre said:


> Most of their production boards are made in China. They make custom boards in their shop in Fort Walton Beach.


Holy smokes. Didnt realize they were making them in China. Lol.


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## Rover

texasag07 said:


> Why is this the “official” thread if your not affiliated with them?
> 
> Maybe this goes in the bragging spot. Interesting concept similar to the soloskiff, skanu, motored canoe options.


I don’t know. Am I not allowed to start an official thread? I spent the last few months Googling for any and all info and found very little, so I figured if I could collect everything into one thread to help the next guy(s)/ girls.

Why not?

I PROMISE, I am in no way affiliated with any retail company. I Operate a Powerhouse for a BIG brewery. And I live 1400 miles away from BOTE. I’m not being sneaky haha.


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## Rover

trekker said:


> Holy smokes. Didnt realize they were making them in China. Lol.


I’m pretty curious about this too. I assumed that the Rover was made in the US. I’ll send them an email tonight and ask. It doesn’t seem smart to build a 14ft boat in China and ship it here, but I’m no economist.

I’d be pretty disappointed if that is the case. Their “cheaper” mass produced and or inflatable models I’d guess China would be viable. I’ll post when/ if I get a response.


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## Rob

I have a bote bugslinger paddleboard with tackle rack right now. I fish off it when i dont feel like hooking up my copperhead or have limited time. I like it and it is stable. It will get you quietly into shallow areas and on the fish. I have been on a rover a few times. They are stable and the motor gets you where you want to go with ease. With the extra gas tanks you can defineteky extend your run and it is light enough that you can launch from anywhere. They are constructed well and i like them. If i didnt have a bugslinger and a ankona copperhead already, i would get one. I would defintely either get a truck bed extender or a trailer for it. They will not be light and putting them on and off the roof will get old. I would also do like you and get the accessories now and set it up right from the get go. I hope this helps.


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## texasag07

Rover said:


> I’m pretty curious about this too. I assumed that the Rover was made in the US. I’ll send them an email tonight and ask. It doesn’t seem smart to build a 14ft boat in China and ship it here, but I’m no economist.
> 
> I’d be pretty disappointed if that is the case. Their “cheaper” mass produced and or inflatable models I’d guess China would be viable. I’ll post when/ if I get a response.


Good deal just seemed a little different tons of people on the net are always making big reviews of products with hidden intentions, proceed and have a great time with your new sled.


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## richg99

1TexasAggie... Yes, weve conversed before. I've owned a Classic and an NMZ.

My present situation (2 tinnys in 2 States) leaves room for a small, lightweight craft for my 8 acre pond, and the Galveston flats. 

I have a 2 3 hp outboard. I also own an extra trolling motor. So, a simple hull and trailer would do the trick. Wouldn't need speed or even planning ability. I would need the ability to paddle or row, since the 8 acre ponds allows NO motors if any kind. Hence, the 13 foot 'Noe interest. 

I am off to TN. for the summer, so nothing will happen on this front for a while.

regards, richg99


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## Rover

richg99 said:


> 1TexasAggie... Yes, weve conversed before. I've owned a Classic and an NMZ.
> 
> My present situation (2 tinnys in 2 States) leaves room for a small, lightweight craft for my 8 acre pond, and the Galveston flats.
> 
> I have a 2 3 hp outboard. I also own an extra trolling motor. So, a simple hull and trailer would do the trick. Wouldn't need speed or even planning ability. I would need the ability to paddle or row, since the 8 acre ponds allows NO motors if any kind. Hence, the 13 foot 'Noe interest.
> 
> I am off to TN. for the summer, so nothing will happen on this front for a while.
> 
> regards, richg99


Sounds like a fantastic “problem” to have. If i were you I’d try to meet up with someone who has something your interested in and demo it with them (give them gas money or something) If you’ve got the time.


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## Padre

Rover said:


> I’m pretty curious about this too. I assumed that the Rover was made in the US. I’ll send them an email tonight and ask. It doesn’t seem smart to build a 14ft boat in China and ship it here, but I’m no economist.
> 
> I’d be pretty disappointed if that is the case. Their “cheaper” mass produced and or inflatable models I’d guess China would be viable. I’ll post when/ if I get a response.


I don't know if the Rover is made over there but I do know their other production paddle boards are. My son was partners in a SUP company for a while and their boards were made in the same factory as Bote and one shipment they received accidentally were made to Bote specs. This was back in the early days of both companies. In fact, my son's company is no longer in business. This area (Destin, FWB, 30A) is a tough place to start a SUP company. There are 3 SUP companies based out of here that have a pretty far spread market.


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## 1texasaggie

richg99 said:


> 1TexasAggie... Yes, weve conversed before. I've owned a Classic and an NMZ.
> 
> My present situation (2 tinnys in 2 States) leaves room for a small, lightweight craft for my 8 acre pond, and the Galveston flats.
> 
> I have a 2 3 hp outboard. I also own an extra trolling motor. So, a simple hull and trailer would do the trick. Wouldn't need speed or even planning ability. I would need the ability to paddle or row, since the 8 acre ponds allows NO motors if any kind. Hence, the 13 foot 'Noe interest.
> 
> I am off to TN. for the summer, so nothing will happen on this front for a while.
> 
> regards, richg99


Perhaps you can make a detour on your way back from TN to pick up a Gheenoe 13 in Florida. I've heard the 13's are hard to paddle / track straight, so you may want to check with the folks over on Gheenoeholics (Facebook) to see what they think.

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were fishing up in Trinity Bay, but West Bay is probably just as overcrowded for you as I'm seeing over in East Bay. Thus, the need for a Gheenoe 13 to fish hard to reach areas. I finally got tired of all the crowds + guides, so I sold my bay boat. I still have a Carolina Skiff, which is fine for the Bolivar flats and jetties, but difficult to maneuver around the marsh with all the wind. Kayaking is now equally overcrowded, so I've pretty much narrowed down my next high wind / portable / shallow water boat to a Solo Skiff.

Rich, if you end back up with a Gheenoe 13, you may want to avoid a TM / anchor pin combo mount attached to the nose cap. I almost had the nose cap of my Gheenoe Classic ripped off last week in a wind gust + barge wake. Luckily, the weight of my trolling motor kept it down long enough for me to save it. Lesson learned. I just ordered a PP Micro, which I realize is still useless in the ICW marshes around Galveston Bay. But the bottom line is I'll never stake down through the nose cap mount again.


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## Keith Maestas

Took mine on her maiden voyage today!


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## Guest

Keith Maestas said:


> Took mine on her maiden voyage today!


So. How was it? 

I’m also curious and wouldn’t mind having a “toy” to haul to the beach to chase reds and specks. Thought about a Towee as well. But for $14,000, I can hire a lot of guides and walk away at the end of the day. You know what they say about owning boats. . .


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## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> Took mine on her maiden voyage today!


And.....

Details please


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## Keith Maestas

Went out to break in the motor. Putted around for a bit. Got caught in a rainstorm. Had a pretty good time!


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## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> Went out to break in the motor. Putted around for a bit. Got caught in a rainstorm. Had a pretty good time!


Awesome. It’s so cool to see one “in the wild”

Looks like you’re moving yours in a first Gen Tacoma without problems. That’s good to see, is it easy to get in and out? Feel secure in there?

How does that Merc push it along? I realize it was a break in run but how fast did you go? How was it stability wise? Thank you, for taking the time to post.

Where did you get those paddle/ pole holders? They look handy.


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## Keith Maestas

Yakattack paddle holders. Easier than trying to bend the push pole or paddle. Board was pretty dang stable. No issues walking out to the nose of the board to fish. Loading/unloading from the truck was not too tough. I just layed the motor in the middle of the board for transport. Getting the wheels in and out in the water was a bit of a pain. I think next time I will try taking the tires off then installing the frame and then putting the tires back on.


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## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> Yakattack paddle holders. Easier than trying to bend the push pole or paddle. Board was pretty dang stable. No issues walking out to the nose of the board to fish. Loading/unloading from the truck was not too tough. I just layed the motor in the middle of the board for transport. Getting the wheels in and out in the water was a bit of a pain. I think next time I will try taking the tires off then installing the frame and then putting the tires back on.


So how does those paddle holders attach? Is here a Connexsup insert that they attach too? Or do they go directly into the hole?


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## Rover

Also anyone who is following along I said I would contact Bote about where they build there products.

The response I got was actually kind of annoying... basically something along the lines of All our products are designed, and tested in FL....

Not what I asked. I don’t care if your product is made in China, but just be honest about it. If you’re somehow embarrassed by that fact... make them here? I don’t get it.

Anyway I didn’t get a hard answer, but i will follow up as I hear.


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## texasag07

Rover said:


> Also anyone who is following along I said I would contact Bote about where they build there products.
> 
> The response I got was actually kind of annoying... basically something along the lines of All our products are designed, and tested in FL....
> 
> Not what I asked. I don’t care if your product is made in China, but just be honest about it. If you’re somehow embarrassed by that fact... make them here? I don’t get it.
> 
> Anyway I didn’t get a hard answer, but i will follow up as I hear.


I agree Bote is pretty sketch about where there boards are a made. I’m betting they spent the biggest amount of SEO hiding where there boards are made.


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## Rover

texasag07 said:


> I agree Bote is pretty sketch about where there boards are a made. I’m betting they spent the biggest amount of SEO hiding where there boards are made.


SEO? Not sure what that is or if you’re being sarcastic or not. It seemed odd to me not to get a solid answer. After all, most every company peddling their wares today makes stuff in China..., ORCA, Yeti, the list goes on... heck TONS of high end Fly Rods... just seems odd not to say something like ORCA does, designed in USA, responsibly built in China. Leaves the question out of it.


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## 994

Rover said:


> SEO? Not sure what that is or if you’re being sarcastic or not. It seemed odd to me not to get a solid answer. After all, most every company peddling their wares today makes stuff in China..., ORCA, Yeti, the list goes on... heck TONS of high end Fly Rods... just seems odd not to say something like ORCA does, designed in USA, responsibly built in China. Leaves the question out of it.


“Responsibly built in China” is an unregulated phrase that should be taken with a grain of salt.


----------



## richg99

I'd guess if it was Built in the USA, they would be very proud to say so. 

Soooooooo...I believe you already know the answer.


----------



## Rover

Couldn’t agree more. Either way I’m gonna get them to tell me. Again i don’t care... i already paid for my Rover, but I’d still like to have an accurate picture of things.


----------



## Rover

On a more interesting note.

I saw it asked previously but has anyone Polled this thing? Or any an idea of how long a pole to use? Standing on the Kula at the highest and polling S.C. flats (pretty shallow from what i read)

I think I’m gonna take my Rover to S.C. first couple weeks of Oct for Reds and Trout if anyone has any advice I’d sure love to hear it. 

From tackle choices (spin and fly), to lures, to other equipment. I’d also like to know a good area in S.C. to go since it all looks amazing. I’ll be camping out of my truck so i need a campsite with facilities near by. Thanks. 

-Rover


----------



## Guest

What part of SC will you be staying in?


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## Rover

Greg Lyles said:


> What part of SC will you be staying in?


Im open to any part... but from my Brief research it seems the Beaufort Area is TOP notch. I’m open to any suggestion and i would love water access for my Rover from the campsite but if not something at least near by. 

I’ll be camping out of an “overlanding” built Tacoma so I’d like to find a tent sight with facilities near by. Everything else i can handle. I’m very open to suggestions. 

Dates I’m looking at are Oct 1-11


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## Guest

Check out Hunting Island State Park at https://southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island/camping. 

Back behind the island is the Harbor River along with all of its tributaries. Good red activity back in those creeks.


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## Rover

Greg Lyles said:


> Check out Hunting Island State Park at https://southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island/camping.
> 
> Back behind the island is the Harbor River along with all of its tributaries. Good red activity back in those creeks.


Pretty much the exact response i was hoping for. I have the booking tab open on my phone right now. Thank you Greg!


----------



## krash

Pole length depend's on more than the craft being poled. Poling an SUP/Kayak/Canoe is also a different technique than poling a skiff from a raised platform. 

I paddle/pole both a canoe and an SUP in 1 to 3 feet depth.. I've used the paddle, several different stakeout pole type devices and a push pole. Currently I use a 14' MoonLighter pole, it was 12' and after many many uses I decided I wanted more length and had it expended by 2' (Thx, Sil Dawson). I kind of like the 14' length.

On the SUP/Rover you'll be standing forward of where a poling platform is mounted on a skiff, by a few feet or maybe more, my foot placement is generally about 4 to 5 feet forward of the stern, and you'll be poling from the side rather than straight out the back. Think of poling something like a Gheenoe with an outboard and no platform standing in front of the rear seat.

I see people using a couple techniques, many will lift the pole, reach forward, place the foot forward of their feet, and sort of pull the SUP along passing their body with the pole then pushing out the back.
Others, like myself, use more of a skiff like poling motion, placing the foot behind the stern, usually parallel with the side of the SUP, then push while walking your hands up towards the tip of the pole, lift and walk your hands back down to get a new bite on the pole, re-plant the foot and again walk your hands up to the tip.
Its not as easy steer while poling by simply placing the foot out behind at an angle and give a good push when you are not on the stern above an outboard so you are switching sides more often.


----------



## Rover

krash said:


> Pole length depend's on more than the craft being poled. Poling an SUP/Kayak/Canoe is also a different technique than poling a skiff from a raised platform.
> 
> I paddle/pole both a canoe and an SUP in 1 to 3 feet depth.. I've used the paddle, several different stakeout pole type devices and a push pole. Currently I use a 14' MoonLighter pole, it was 12' and after many many uses I decided I wanted more length and had it expended by 2' (Thx, Sil Dawson). I kind of like the 14' length.
> 
> On the SUP/Rover you'll be standing forward of where a poling platform is mounted on a skiff, by a few feet or maybe more, my foot placement is generally about 4 to 5 feet forward of the stern, and you'll be poling from the side rather than straight out the back. Think of poling something like a Gheenoe with an outboard and no platform standing in front of the rear seat.
> 
> I see people using a couple techniques, many will lift the pole, reach forward, place the foot forward of their feet, and sort of pull the SUP along passing their body with the pole then pushing out the back.
> Others, like myself, use more of a skiff like poling motion, placing the foot behind the stern, usually parallel with the side of the SUP, then push while walking your hands up towards the tip of the pole, lift and walk your hands back down to get a new bite on the pole, re-plant the foot and again walk your hands up to the tip.
> Its not as easy steer while poling by simply placing the foot out behind at an angle and give a good push when you are not on the stern above an outboard so you are switching sides more often.


Thank you this site is awsome. So much great info on here.


----------



## krash

I'd like to hear about the Rover experience after you use it a few times in different conditions.
I have a fishing buddy who had a Solo Skiff, the roto-mold version, for quite some time, he had a a Tohatsu and also a Torquedo that he used on his.


----------



## rex hungerford

I bought the fiberglass Rover. Its pretty good for a first iteration. It needs a few updates. I custom made a holder for the grab bar in the font of the hull. I want it out of the way while fishing. Its pretty good but not as stable as I like. I can paddle with it in place in the front of the boat. Bet to have a built in slot that grabbing in a fall situation will support you.
I am not happy about the gas situation. They make is seem like the roto pack are the bomb but they do not make a unit that has a quick plug, you have to fill the tank on the water. This is not desirable. I may alter my roto pack. Have not received it yet. They also lack in hull tie straps in front of the motor mount to hold a gas tank.
Opening day of ling cod is May 1st. I am still trying to find a game bag. I don't want something to tall that will get in the way of paddling.

It does have a huge deck. I bought it because it has room to fish and move about. I also like stealth and some exercise while I am out. I use to use an inflatable but I get tired of firing up the motor to move a few inches to control the drift. Hoping this is the ticket. At $5,600 complete it is some money.


----------



## rex hungerford

Any one know a product to put on the bottom that will protect against abrasion and not hamper performance.


----------



## Rover

G


rex hungerford said:


> Any one know a product to put on the bottom that will protect against abrasion and not hamper performance.


Great question

I wasn’t thinking about a Keel guard on mine as well. Not to concerned about losing 1/2 mph if it makes beaching and or the accidental bump a little safer. 

Several keel guards out there 100-150 bucks. I was waiting until mine came in so i could determine he length needed. Prob the front half or less. I hope this helps.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> I bought the fiberglass Rover. Its pretty good for a first iteration. It needs a few updates. I custom made a holder for the grab bar in the font of the hull. I want it out of the way while fishing. Its pretty good but not as stable as I like. I can paddle with it in place in the front of the boat. Bet to have a built in slot that grabbing in a fall situation will support you.
> I am not happy about the gas situation. They make is seem like the roto pack are the bomb but they do not make a unit that has a quick plug, you have to fill the tank on the water. This is not desirable. I may alter my roto pack. Have not received it yet. They also lack in hull tie straps in front of the motor mount to hold a gas tank.
> Opening day of ling cod is May 1st. I am still trying to find a game bag. I don't want something to tall that will get in the way of paddling.
> 
> It does have a huge deck. I bought it because it has room to fish and move about. I also like stealth and some exercise while I am out. I use to use an inflatable but I get tired of firing up the motor to move a few inches to control the drift. Hoping this is the ticket. At $5,600 complete it is some money.


Hey Rex,

Very interested in seeing some pictures of your new Rover. I'm trying to picture the Front grab rack you're talking about, basically a stand up rack to hold while fishing out front?

As far as gas tanks go, Bote was pretty specific on their website about it being designed for a 6hp short shaft motor with internal tank, I think due to the issues you mentioned. I was planning on Running a Roto Pack (maybe 2) on mine, as I've had good luck with them in my Tacoma/ Motorcycles. What do you think the problem is? Filling up the gas while floating? I can certainly see that. As I'm sure you know Roto Pack are only expensive gas cans, though they do come with attachable pour spouts that may make filling MUCH easier for you. I definitely plan on running mine internal tank only and using the tank to fill up when on land, or when I absolutely need to. I am figuring you can run at least a couple hours on the internal tank on your motor.

That said what motor did you choose? I'm basically stuck between the Tohausu or Suzuki now. Both seem like great choices. Really looking forward to seeing some pictures of your Rover hopefully with some blood and guts on deck.

Good LUCK!!

-Rover


----------



## rex hungerford

I have the Mercury. That is what they offer in the package. 
My concern is filling on the water. I'm in the Pacific NW. We have some big water in the Strait of Juan Defuca. I fish almost into the Pacific. Sometimes its hard to just be in a Kayak out there.

I use to have a Native Slayer. Loved it, but it just limited my travel. I also fish the San Juan islands. Our currents haul butt. Like 8 MPH or more at times. If you shot around a corner, you may not get back.
This is what I did up front. I drilled out a Scotty mount. I put it on a strip of 1\4" aluminum to reduce the pressure on any one davit. It is now spread over 4 and more a popping up pressure than pulling over. I don't want to rip a mount out of the hull. Its really quite nice. I can walk the whole front and have something to ballance against. I can paddle no problem. It was also a place to ditch the grab rail.

The bucket and bucket rack are ?????? It's a great dry storage. It wont hold fish. The rack is loose on the bucket and provides no stability. To stand on the bucket means strapping it down. The pole holders on the bucket are worthles and maybe a hazard if you loose your ballance and fast drop to the deck. The bucket rack howerver may make an aweome grab rail while driving when inserted up from but upside down. It sticks up to a good low height and is very solid. 

What product searches do I look for to cover the bottom?


----------



## rex hungerford

I forgot, the paddle holder up front is useless. The paddle just falls over and out of the boat. However, with my grab bar holder up front, slide the paddle through it and its perfectly placed for a fast grab to adjust the drift.

Also, don't believe this paddles fast. You wont keep up with a Slayer or Hobbie. It's big and pushes a lot of water. It moves slow, but it does handle well and has great stealth. It also has a motor. So nice. I have been dreaming of a motor for so long. I have floated down the coast for miles on some trips. Just the wrong tide. Getting home at the end of the day was a chore. Now it will be a breeze. If the motor quits I will be very unhappy. I don't know I could paddle it strong enough for any distance to get home. I am 52 and a little beat up from being an electrician. At least you can stand, kneel or sit and paddle. Kneeling gives good power. 

If you get one and don't want a soft game bag on the front, think a rectangular cooler to sit on. However, the round one as a dry can is great. And waterproof for keys, wallet, phone, Eperb etc. 

I am so new to this its not fully fitted yet. The mouns for the sand spear may become a cooler holder? ????? Not sure yet. May get in the way of the motor or add to much rear weight.


----------



## krash

For those looking for a personal motorized skiff like the Rover or Solo there is a company form Africa called Stealth with lots of kayak and surf ski products and experience that has eneterd this market with a product very very similar to the Solo Skiff... called the PowerFisha.


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## rex hungerford

Stealth looks nice. I will give another kudos to Bote, its 100 lbs and pretty easy as a 52 year old to side mount it up and onto the top of my ML 550. The shape of the nose is very easy to hold. It does not want to slip out of your hand. Fully loaded, it pushes on its wheels as good as the best PVC rack I made for my kayak. The stealth looks too heavy to car top, and the nose looks like it will not pick up well. My Rover is also pretty low in height. I have an 8 foot garage and I am just starting a roof hanger to pull the Mercedes in, swing it to the rack and slide it out of the way. The Stealth looks like a better fishing boat, but looks dedicated to a trailer. It looks like it will paddle. Not sure how well. Let us know if I'm on track with these comments.


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## HPXFLY

rex hungerford said:


> Any one know a product to put on the bottom that will protect against abrasion and not hamper performance.


can try a form of quick slick or gator glide like we use on airboats.. I have always put steel flex super slick on my airboat hulls, holds up well running dry ground for about 6 months or so and is slick as canbe. Comes in a variety of colors too.. fiberglass supply depot sells it online. Its a two part epoxy


----------



## Smackdaddy53

HPXFLY said:


> can try a form of quick slick or gator glide like we use on airboats.. I have always put steel flex super slick on my airboat hulls, holds up well running dry ground for about 6 months or so and is slick as canbe. Comes in a variety of colors too.. fiberglass supply depot sells it online. Its a two part epoxy


Gatorglide G4 is very abrasion resistant and did not slow my hull down, it actually gained a couple mph because the orangepeel texture breaks surface tension.


----------



## Rover

Rex killer write up and info thank you. I am (hopefully) expecting to pick mine up this weekend however they haven’t called me to confirm that the racks arrived yet. 

Your Merc (and the Tohatsu) are identical so if you’re happy with the performance I’m sure the Tohatsu will be awesome as well (they are identical except for stickers)

I didn’t expect much as far as speed from the Rover paddling. Much like you i plan on getting to where I’m going than paddling or poling along as needed for stealth. 

My plan is to use a rack in my truck bed for all around town use, but for long distance travels I’m planning on getting it up onto my Tacoma camper shell so it’s great to know that is possible. 

I ordered mine in Gatorshell so I’m not quite as worried about abrasion but i still think a front keel guard is a very good idea to keep from tearing things up. 

Thanks again for taking your time to write this. 

PS, I was a Journeyman Operator in the IBEW for a good part of my career in the past, fantastic field to be in. Thanks again for sharing I’m hoping i have more to contribute to this thread than hopes and dreams soon.


----------



## Rover

So I've been patiently waiting a couple days for a SECOND and more specific response back from BOTE as to where they're actually BUILDING their boats, however after a quick initial and vague response I seem to be getting no response at all this time. I'm actually pretty disappointed with this but I guess perhaps they are embarrassed that they build things overseas? At this point I'm about 99% sure the Rover and others are made in China, and unless for some reason I hear otherwise I will leave it at that. Again I'm not upset it's made overseas... I get it, business is business, obviously we all prefer products made here but sometimes it's not feasible for whatever reason. 

That being said the part about BOTE now that disappointed me is the complete lack of clarification. Putting ones head in the sand, so to speak isn't viable in todays digital world. After dropping $5000 bucks you'd think an answer to my question would be well deserved.... Come on BOTE, maybe Corey (Owner) can find this thread and respond himself. Digital media is the inescapable at this point so company's might as well embrace it...

Still super excited about my ROVER, and I did hear today that my Sand Spear shipped so hopefully I can get confirmation that everything arrived and I will pick it up this weekend.


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## rex hungerford

I did not think about origin when I bought it. I was happy it was a small shop. Family business. I could see made in China. Fit and finish is good but not excelent. My photo of my hold down for moving the rack up front shows a couple extra holes in one plate. I accidently recessed the screws on the wrong side. I was going to flip it and move it to the other side. The holes did not line up. They are not spaced even from side to side. The lock screws on the davits were hand drilled. There is some variation in angle. It all works. Does not appear to be an issue at this time. If I split mine in half in real water I will let you know. At least usually wear a dry suite and have an eperb.


----------



## Rover

Thanks for following along. My Rover is all here (sand spear may not be)


Either way I’m getting it Sunday. Ordering the motor as soon as i do some measurements.

Updates to follow!!!


----------



## marshrat

Rover said:


> I'm new to this Forum but hopefully it's ok to start up this thread.
> 
> Anyway, I have a new Bote Rover on Order IDENTICAL to the one is the first picture (Bugslinger Color, Black Racking, Grey Bucket, same sandspear) except I ordered mine to come in Bote's GatorShell (Plastic) instead of the Glass/ Epoxy Board shown.
> 
> There is already a thread on motors for these but if possible I'd like to move everything Rover related over here to keep it easier for those searching for information to find it all in one place. Here's all the information on accessories that I've come up with so far.
> 
> Bote Rover Available in "Gatorshell" or "Honey-Core" (Plastic or composite) Includes Moto-Rac, Paddle, and some fins. $3499.99
> Grab Rack (multiple colors) $200
> Cooler Rack (multiple colors) $200
> Wheel Rack $150
> Kula (Cooler in 5 gallon bucket form, multiple colors) $200
> Sand Spear (works as Micro Power Pole Anchor) $120
> 
> -That's everything I see from BOTE for the Rover right now.
> 
> 6HP Motor choices are:
> Merc/ Tohatsu- ~59lbs
> Suzuki ~52lbs
> Yamaha ~60lbs
> Honda (Decided to stop making their 6hp I guess?)
> 
> Power Pole Mirco with Battery Pack, mounting locations on both sides of the rear of this Board
> 
> Fish Finder with Battery Pack:
> 
> 
> Hauling options:
> Trailers:
> -Yakima
> Roof Rack:
> -Rover is 105 lbs so unless you have help or a good set of rollers this may be tough.
> Truck Bed:
> -My personal choice, Since I have a Decked Truck drawer system in my Short Box Tacoma I will be mounting a set of Yakima Landing Pad 6's to the Deck over the Steel reinforced bars with a 3/8" backing plate spanning the Steel tubing. This should ensure maximum strength and no way for the bolts to pull through the HDPE Decking. I also ordered the Yakima "Long Arm" truck bed extender this will allow me to tilt the extender to the proper angle to line up with my Decked System and also I plan on tilting it to 45 degrees to aid in Roof top loading on my camper top should the need arise. Yakima Sweet Roll kayak racks *should* aid in rolling the Rover in and out and providing a good platform to strap down to.
> 
> I’ll try to keep this post edited as info comes in.


I would love to see a picture of all that when it's put together.


----------



## Rover

marshrat said:


> I would love to see a picture of all that when it's put together.


So would i.... 

Hopefully rack install tomorrow boat pick up sunday


----------



## Rover

Ok, so this is my Truck. As you can see it has a Decked Drawer system and a fridge slide in the bed of it. In order to mount a rack System in it to hold my ROVER secure I’m going to be pulling the top panels off of it to expose the reinforcements underneath.









This is what the bottom of the Decked System looks like. Boxed steel molded in to add some strength and rigidity to the system.









I built a could 5.5” x 1” Stainless 1/8” plates today to act as backers. Basically to give me something to through bolt my Yakima Landing Pads (#6’s) that will span the metal frame. This should allow the front towers to be securely mounted to the bed portion of my truck.









Finished product. I didn’t install yet, I’m debating going carbon steel instead (for strength) Stainless is awesome, but a lot more prone to failure. I like to over engineer, so before I do the final install these may get stronger....


----------



## krash

Seein as how this is a Rover thread.. out of curiosity how/can you get to the under/back side of the hull to add those backing plates ?

I was assuming the Rover was built like the SUP's and had no access to the backside.. aren't they an EPS foam blank with either Epoxy/Glass or Gator Shell outer skin ?

Does it really matter where it is actually built... most SUP's are built in VietNam or Phillipines I think, and its possible the GatorShell and Fiberglass versions are built in 2 entirely different places.


----------



## Fritz

Rex,

I lived in Bellingham, WA for a year, flew a King Air every morning down to Seattle and Portland and back and forth across the Cascades, just love that part of the country. My hats off to you for adventuring those waters in that silly paddle board and I'm glad to hear about the dry suit. By the way, I'm a serious fish snob and can tell you the salmon I caught in the salt water up there might be the most delicious fish ever.


----------



## Rover

krash said:


> Seein as how this is a Rover thread.. out of curiosity how/can you get to the under/back side of the hull to add those backing plates ?
> 
> I was assuming the Rover was built like the SUP's and had no access to the backside.. aren't they an EPS foam blank with either Epoxy/Glass or Gator Shell outer skin ?
> 
> Does it really matter where it is actually built... most SUP's are built in VietNam or Phillipines I think, and its possible the GatorShell and Fiberglass versions are built in 2 entirely different places.


That’s going to be the backing on my truck bed system. Yakima towers will be mounted to the bed,








This guy off the hitch. Gives me 108” from my rear window to the farthest mounting point. Meaning 5ft will be hannging off the back. I consider this more than acceptable.

Also that Yak Rack is rated at 300lbs in ANY position. So they claim, I hung on it for at least 10 seconds and it didn’t move (I’m 180lbs) so i consider that plenty strong.

You’ll be seeing my Rover mounted on there on Sunday.

Though I’m a bit concerned if i was to get in an accident the Rover will be a windshield height 105lb Missile.... I’m thinking something else will have to go between ROVER, and my rear glass.

I figured this would help people with transportation options. A Short box truck like mine/ and the others I’ve been seeing are very viable options for the ROVER even without a trailer.


----------



## Rover

Also I heard back from BOTE today reguarding manufacturing. 

“We actually have an international BOTE headquarters in China where the majority of the boards are made by BOTE employees. The boards are all designed and engineered in Fort Walton though.”

Thanks for answering BOTE!

Pretty excited to get mine.


----------



## Gatorgrizz27

I like the cooler slide as a mounting platform. Seems like it would work well with some rollers like inline skate wheels mounted to the back of it, and a sticky silicone pad mounted to the front of it. Add a foam pad of some type that mounts to the roof with suction cups also. 

Then just prop the board up against the cooler slide at an angle, climb into the bed, and pull it forward until the back of the board is far enough off the ground. If you can find a sticky enough silicone pad to hold it in place while you strap it down, it would be pretty easy. 

Add a motor mount to the other side of the tailgate too.


----------



## rex hungerford

Leaving Friday for Ling Cod around Lopez island. San Juan islands north of Seattle WA. Staying at a friends house. Super excited to try out the board. I' confident it will perform well. I don' have any camera outside my phone but will try and get some shots, very excited to have a motor. Unfortunatly I am with 3 kayacks. I can pull one friend around. Not 3.


----------



## rex hungerford

Nice rack Rover. You do need a window screen. That or lift it to the roof. I assume the inertia of 100 lbs going from say 35 to 0 would make that dangerous. Of course, the kula and transom and other projectiles in my Mercedes would take me out too.


----------



## Rover

Gatorgrizz27 said:


> I like the cooler slide as a mounting platform. Seems like it would work well with some rollers like inline skate wheels mounted to the back of it, and a sticky silicone pad mounted to the front of it. Add a foam pad of some type that mounts to the roof with suction cups also.
> 
> Then just prop the board up against the cooler slide at an angle, climb into the bed, and pull it forward until the back of the board is far enough off the ground. If you can find a sticky enough silicone pad to hold it in place while you strap it down, it would be pretty easy.
> 
> Add a motor mount to the other side of the tailgate too.
> 
> View attachment 27767


This is why i LOVE forums....

I was completely at a loss as to where to store the motor... laying across the tailgate below my Rover is a perfect idea!!! Obviously it’ll need a nice little padded cradle but i think that will work out very well!! Genius.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> Leaving Friday for Ling Cod around Lopez island. San Juan islands north of Seattle WA. Staying at a friends house. Super excited to try out the board. I' confident it will perform well. I don' have any camera outside my phone but will try and get some shots, very excited to have a motor. Unfortunatly I am with 3 kayacks. I can pull one friend around. Not 3.


Good luck! Be safe. Can’t wait to hear how it performs.


----------



## Padre

rex hungerford said:


> Leaving Friday for Ling Cod around Lopez island. San Juan islands north of Seattle WA. Staying at a friends house. Super excited to try out the board. I' confident it will perform well. I don' have any camera outside my phone but will try and get some shots, very excited to have a motor. Unfortunatly I am with 3 kayacks. I can pull one friend around. Not 3.


My sister in law has house on Lopez. Been there a few times. It is very cool.


----------



## rex hungerford

Just finished my motor mount. Old swing out bike rack.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> Just finished my motor mount. Old swing out bike rack.


Awesome. Great idea. I finished up my bed rack today too. I’ll post up some pics later. 2 days until she arrives!!!


----------



## Rover

Finished up my install of my Yakima system to hold my new ROVER microskiff.

Landing pad 6’s through bolted to the Decked Drawer system. Built a 1/4” piece of stainless to allow the towers to be bolted to around the molded in steel reinforcements in the Decked system. 

Back rack is a Yakima Longarm, picked it because it actually WORKS with the Decked drawer height i needed to deal with. And it adjusts all the way up to cab height (with extension) and all the way down to stock bed height.... plus it has a setting for rail height if you wanted cross bars like KB Voodoo there... pretty much the coolest thing ever lol.... super happy i stumbled onto it for use with my drawers. 

At the current set up i have 9 ft of length to support a Boat to the end of the longarm, and a rating of 300lbs at angle on that Yakima Long Arm... enough for even the heaviest fishing kayak. My 14’ Rover should be no problem at 105lbs


----------



## rex hungerford

Very Nice!!!


----------



## Mike thompson

Rover you mentioned in one of your postings that the Bote Rover you ordered was a "Bote's GatorShell (Plastic)". Is it really plastic....meaning will it not damage as easy as the original design? Can you tell us your opinion of the two hulls as far as does the plastic "color" look as attractive as the original design? Can you also tell us the weight difference?

I have thought of ordering the Solo Skiff but the Rover is a whole lot more attractive however the rotomolded Solo Skiff looks like it will hold up well due to it being a heavy rotomolded? 

I would really appreciate a detailed comparison in your opinion of the Rover Gatorshell vs Rover Fiberglass? I am very interested in the Bote Rover. Thanks.


----------



## Rover

Mike thompson said:


> Rover you mentioned in one of your postings that the Bote Rover you ordered was a "Bote's GatorShell (Plastic)". Is it really plastic....meaning will it not damage as easy as the original design? Can you tell us your opinion of the two hulls as far as does the plastic "color" look as attractive as the original design? Can you also tell us the weight difference?
> 
> I have thought of ordering the Solo Skiff but the Rover is a whole lot more attractive however the rotomolded Solo Skiff looks like it will hold up well due to it being a heavy rotomolded?
> 
> I would really appreciate a detailed comparison in your opinion of the Rover Gatorshell vs Rover Fiberglass? I am very interested in the Bote Rover. Thanks.


Yes, i ordered my ROVER in Gatorshell. I live WAY up in Northern NY so our season on the water is later than most. That said my ROVER has arrived up in Old Forge (Adirondacks) so I’ll be picking it up on Sunday. 

I’m not sure I’ll be able to compare my ROVER to another ROVER in “honey-core” but the dealer I purchased from has a lot of BOTE boards so likely i can compare a regular SUP made of the two materials. 

BOTE told me weight should be similar to the composite one, as far as looks, that i should be able to tell right off. They claim seamless and “attractive” lol so we will see. 

All that said, even if the Gatorshell was heavier, or not as refined it would still be my choice due to durability. 

Many many more details and pictures to follow!!!!! Stay tuned. 

Anyone else out there have a ROVER in gatorshell yet?


----------



## Rover

https://www.boteboard.com/gatorshell/

Good info on Gatorshell, yes it looks like it’s pretty much plastic.


BOTE claims 6X more duribilty vs. Honey-Core. I’m not too sure I’m willing to take a hammer to my $3500 SUP, but I’ll rap on it good and see how it feels. Looks like there’s a demo day coming May 18th - up where I’m buying mine and a BOTE rep should be onsite. Maybe I’ll go back and ask more questions.


----------



## Padre

I don't know why someone from Bote doesn't come on here and answer some of these questions. I know one of the guys is a member of MS and I emailed a link to this thread to the head of marketing. No I have a question about rotomold as it relates to the Solo Skiff. Years ago, we had a rotomolded dingy for our sailboat and it got damaged and we were told that you couldn't repair rotomold. Is that still true?


----------



## Rover

Padre said:


> I don't know why someone from Bote doesn't come on here and answer some of these questions. I know one of the guys is a member of MS and I emailed a link to this thread to the head of marketing. No I have a question about rotomold as it relates to the Solo Skiff. Years ago, we had a rotomolded dingy for our sailboat and it got damaged and we were told that you couldn't repair rotomold. Is that still true?


Yes... i agree. BOTE, please come talk to us!

It is really strange. BOTE seems like a very modern company run by smart intelligent people. Sites like this can be a windfall or disaster for companies. 

As an example... this is a true story. I’m very active on Tacoma World, a start up on there GoFastCampers announced there product on TW and Expo Portal at the end of 2017. As of a week ago they had 150 fully paid orders (at a starting price of $5000) or 3/4 million dollars in sales just from launching a product on an internet site. 

BOTE if your listening. Let’s get this ROVER thing going inquiring minds wanna know stuff!!!!!

That said, I’m pretty sure you can “weld” plastic so yes I’m fairly certain it can be repaired at a lower cost than Composite. Please someone correct me if I’m wrong.


----------



## permitchaser

Man I've read the hole thread. Yea those are great for creeks but I wouldn't take one in the ocean. I am concerned for your saftey


----------



## Mike thompson

Can anyone who has a Bote Rover discuss what it is like to paddle the Rover? At 105 lbs + 52lb outboard plus accessories you have to be looking at 175 lbs plus the occupant. Is it feasible to paddle this much weight? Will it simply wear you out within a 1/8-1/4 mile of paddling?Thanks for the update.


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## yobata

Rover said:


> Yes... i agree. BOTE, please come talk to us!
> 
> It is really strange. BOTE seems like a very modern company run by smart intelligent people. Sites like this can be a windfall or disaster for companies.
> 
> As an example... this is a true story. I’m very active on Tacoma World, a start up on there GoFastCampers announced there product on TW and Expo Portal at the end of 2017. As of a week ago they had 150 fully paid orders (at a starting price of $5000) or 3/4 million dollars in sales just from launching a product on an internet site.
> 
> BOTE if your listening. Let’s get this ROVER thing going inquiring minds wanna know stuff!!!!!
> 
> That said, I’m pretty sure you can “weld” plastic so yes I’m fairly certain it can be repaired at a lower cost than Composite. Please someone correct me if I’m wrong.


There is a thread on here where a guy was "welding" plastic panels to make an FS18. However, I don't think there are many people who have the skills/tools to be able to do those kinds of repairs, whereas a good fiberglass shop isn't too difficult to come by or even DIY


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## Rover

permitchaser said:


> Man I've read the hole thread. Yea those are great for creeks but I wouldn't take one in the ocean. I am concerned for your saftey


True... and I’d agree. But it “looks” like it could and would easily go anywhere a Hobie or Jackson would go and there’s 1000’s of videos and stories of guys fishing “kinda offshore” with pedal kayaks. The rover gives you the ability to get to a spot fast than fish. It’s DEFINATELY designed as a flats crafts not an open ocean boat. 

That said.... I’m headed to pick mine up today in Old Forge, maybe if i get home early enough I’ll go try to paddle it today!!!! That said I’ve never tried a SUP before so I’m not sure how much my impressions will mean. Rover is NOT designed to paddle far..... (that’s why you have the motor)


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## permitchaser

Yes, I've seen videos of a kayak off shore catching a Sail Fish but he was taken out there by the mother ship. IMHO if your out there it's not safe in a canoe with a motor


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## richg99

Assuming the Rotomold is made of the same material that kayaks are.....kayaks are plastic welded all of the time. There are tons of YouTube videos on the topic.

As far a taking a kayak off-shore, there is a group on Texaskayakfisherman.com called BTB. BTB means Beyond The Breakers. They catch bull reds and 4 /5 foot sharks from their 12 foot kayaks every weekend in the summer.

They don't have to go more than half mile off of the Galveston beaches to find them at the right time of the year.

Of course, a Sit-On-Top kayak is self-bailing so swamping isn't much of an issue. A sleigh-ride by a shark must be a fun thing.

They say the most difficult part is coming back into the shore if there is any high surf.

I chose to NOT do BTB. At age 78, my concern was getting back into the yak if I fell off. A half-mile out, it would be a long swim, dragging the yak behind me. Those days are long gone.... Ha Ha

Here is a picture of a Kingfish caught BTB on 4/27 down the coast a way.
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=246882


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## krash

There are lots of guys who launch kayaks from the beach and go out fishing, what they call offshore... not from mother-ship. Just take a drive to Dania pier most any Sat/Sun morning at sunrise just N. of the pier. They unload in the parking lot, drag, hump, roll the kayaks to the beach, launch, and paddle or pedal out, I've see them out to about 350 deep all the time.
As far as doing this with the Rover/SoloSkiff... with a motor it would not be as easy for sure but possible. Most of these guys have rolled their kayak on the return, as the day goes on the wave action builds and when returning you have that cresting following wave action that causes the kayak to rise then go bow down on the wave pushed by the surf then turn sideways a few yard's from the beach or just as the bow contacts the sand.
On a calm day you could launch one at the ramp J. Loyyd or 15th Street and run it out the PE inlet, so long as it was calm and very little other boat traffic... but like paddling a kayak, canoe, or riding in a micro-skiff it would not be safe on the return trip in the wake wash and strong tide.

As far as fixing roto-molded kayak hulls, its for sure possible but there are not many people who have the right tools to do a good job. Many people have tried buying a plastic welder at Harbor Freight and melted some plastic and stuck it to a cracked spot or hole but the result is usually cosmetically ugly. You can also use products like G-Flex epoxy/resin to do minor patching.
I have a buddy who's a floor guy and has a $5k machine he uses to weld vinal flooring, that tool would probably work in the hands of a good welder with some strips of the same roto-molded material to use a filler strips, but major repairs no way.
There are thousands of fiberglass surfboard guys and boat repair builders that can do an excellent job of repairing fiberglass... but SUP/Rover is not the same as a boat, its not gelcoat base over fiberglass, its built like an SUP/Surfboard eps foam blank with glass cloth laid on with epoxy resin then painted.
The Gatorshell, (is still sort of secret), but is described as an ABS poly 2 part hull fused together over an eps foam blank... not sure if it can be repaired with the same plastic as the roto molded products... but I'd venture to say G-Flex will stick to it.

The Rover seems to compete in the world of those personal skiffs like the SoloSkiff, X-Fish, Stealth Fisha, and a few others and grew up from the paddle fishing world as the sport evolved with pedals and trolling motors, not the downsizing from flats boats to microskiffs downward.
The flats boats and offshore boating & fishing world is sort of doing the same thing with hybrid bay/offshore boats.

Its a sweet concept for a select group.


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## krash

Just happened to catch my buddy loading his van for a job this week and he was taking inventory of that vinyl welding kit... so I asked some questions.

For sure the tool would work nicely for repairing pretty much any roto-molded poly product including kayaks. You could easily smooth out all the little curly spingy pieces sticking out form rock scars, fill a small hole, and even cracks, you could also use it to fill gouges. not so sure it would work well to fill large holes or major damaged areas. It would be an expensive investment, some of the tips for the welder are upwards of $300.00, he just replaced a couple of the melting tools, they look like small soldering irons (which may work) that teflon coated tips fit on made for smoothing out the curly's the heating iron itself is $70.00 online and $320.00 from the vinyl supply house, the tips are $30.00 to $50.00.

Fiberglass repair tools are much cheaper and easier to find.


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## Rover

Well... we got moved to the bragging part of the Forum. I apologize if I started it in the wrong place, but boy I’d say we were having about as “general” a discussion as possible. Everything from how to haul a Rover, to plastic welding, to motors, to African Skiffs...

But I digress.... I guess now I get to brag hahaha...


----------



## Rover

Well I GOT MY ROVER!!!!!

After a very long day yesterday and over 400 miles of driving the ROVER is home.

I didn’t get home until after dark last night so no on water test yet but initial impressions:

IT’S F’ing HUGE!!!!!

Seriously. I know my Tacoma isn’t very big, but this is one big Boat, remember I ordered it sight unseen so i really didn’t grasp just how big this thing is.

That said I LOVE it, and yes it’s most certainly a micro Skiff, this is he right spot for it without question.

My rack hauled it awesome, over 200 miles through pouring rain most of the way, through the back roads of the Adirondacks. I couldn’t be happier.


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## Rover

My wife did NOT love it at first but once we got it home and she saw it looked viable as a two man craft she warmed up to it a bit...


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## Rover

Now I had a question a page or two back about the Gatorshell vs the Honeycore...

Funny story, NO WHERE on my ROVER does it say Gatorshell, that said the lady who took me out to see it thought it was Conposite, I thought it was composite, and to be honest I can’t tell the difference at all from the Honey-Core. In fact the guy who ordered it went back to his invoice to verify it was indeed Gatorshell. The ONLY difference I could tell was the the Honey Core ROVER has a semi-transparent spot in the Bow that shows the honeycomb pattern, my Gatorshell does not.

So long story short it looks awesome, it’s $3500 but so far initial impressions are it looks 100% worth it. Of course until it gets wet that’s kind of meaningless.

I have not opened any of the boxes of goodies, Racks, Kula yet but so will say the Paddle and sand spear are absolutely beautiful.

The only thing so far I can see that wasn’t/ isn’t perfect is that the LIFT SUP handle was missing it’s trim piece. I showed the salesman before leaving so hopefully they will get me one sent out.


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## Rover

I’m working 0600-1400 today, and back at midnight for 12 more so I won’t be able to even look at it for the next two days, but my initial plan is to build the “wheel-rack” roll it outside, wash it down good and throw a coat of wax on it, see if anything else stands out. 

Than do some quick measurements and order a motor. 

I’ll follow up some more when i get some time with it, but please feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to help.


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## yobata

@Rover How difficult was it wielding this thing around/into and out of the truck?


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## Mike thompson

Congratulations...she's beautiful. One of the obstacles I have with the Bote Rover is using the "Bote Wheel Rac". To me it makes much more sense to use the Boonedox Landing Gear. I have tried to use the Hobie version of the Wheel Rac on my previous Hobie Pro Angler 14 and that was a nightmare and I absolutely hated it. Using the Boonedox Landing Gear made the Hobie Pro Angler a lot more manageable. Adding a 6HP motor to the Bote Rover and thinking you will slide a Wheel Rac under the Bote Rover while it is in the water to be brought onto shore will be a serious pain not to mention where you will store the Wheel Rac while you are on the water. Bote should design the Rover to accept the Boonedox Landing Gear. https://boonedoxusa.com/products/copy-of-landing-gear 

I noticed on your pictures where the "Bote Motor Rac" mounts there are two screws on each side near where the Motor Rac mounts. When you have time please share your thoughts on the Motor Rac and share your thoughts on the Wheel Rac once you get one. I am very interested in a Bote Rover once I can get the Boonedox Landing Gear issue resolved. Thank you for sharing more information on your Bote Rover.


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## rex hungerford

The wheels role great, but I could not figure out how to get them off after I rolled it to the water. The wheels are incredibly buoyant. I had to pull the boat onto the dock and work hard to get them off. Same landing. The only way to get them on and off is turn the Rover on its side.


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## rex hungerford

I fished it hard 2 days in the Salish Sea. Amazing fishing platform. So easy to stand and cast as well as land fish. You do get lazy and don' paddle much. Its easier to just motor.


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## rex hungerford

Re-fueling sucks. However, the Roto Packs are so thick I will be able to install quick connect gas lines.


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## Rover

yobata said:


> @Rover How difficult was it wielding this thing around/into and out of the truck?


Well. I’ll be honest the guys at Mountainman helped me load it so it was easy. I will build the wheel rack tomorrow and see how getting it around soli will be. My plan is to but the nose up on the rear bar (i have a heavy cordura pad to wrap around) it and than lift from the back and push forward. If that isn’t ideal I’ll try pulling from the truck bed back. The rear racks have wheels so if the boats at about a 30 degree angle it should roll right up.


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## Rover

Mike thompson said:


> Congratulations...she's beautiful. One of the obstacles I have with the Bote Rover is using the "Bote Wheel Rac". To me it makes much more sense to use the Boonedox Landing Gear. I have tried to use the Hobie version of the Wheel Rac on my previous Hobie Pro Angler 14 and that was a nightmare and I absolutely hated it. Using the Boonedox Landing Gear made the Hobie Pro Angler a lot more manageable. Adding a 6HP motor to the Bote Rover and thinking you will slide a Wheel Rac under the Bote Rover while it is in the water to be brought onto shore will be a serious pain not to mention where you will store the Wheel Rac while you are on the water. Bote should design the Rover to accept the Boonedox Landing Gear. https://boonedoxusa.com/products/copy-of-landing-gear
> 
> I noticed on your pictures where the "Bote Motor Rac" mounts there are two screws on each side near where the Motor Rac mounts. When you have time please share your thoughts on the Motor Rac and share your thoughts on the Wheel Rac once you get one. I am very interested in a Bote Rover once I can get the Boonedox Landing Gear issue resolved. Thank you for sharing more information on your Bote Rover.


Not at all sure about the wheel rack, I’m hoping the wheels are a QD type, so i can pop the rack in than put on each wheel. But honesty i have no idea what to fully expect. I haven’t pulled it out of the box yet. I am hoping it works well but if not I’ll make adjustments. 

I’m really looking forward to some time on this thing it seems ideal for my purpose.


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## krash

Congrats... nice looking, but that's a lot of Bote hanging out the back of that truck bed.
I know a guy who had the Solo and Tacoma pu.... after several iterations he settled on using the BoonDox Landing Gear wheels to move it around, and always launched at boat ramps. On the return he sometimes would wheel the Solo up the ramp and to his truck in the p-lot to load it in out of the way of the ramp, but also could back the truck to the water and slide her off in the water. 

He always loaded it the opposite direction, remove'd the motor and slide the stern in towards the cab.


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## Rover

krash said:


> Congrats... nice looking, but that's a lot of Bote hanging out the back of that truck bed.
> I know a guy who had the Solo and Tacoma pu.... after several iterations he settled on using the BoonDox Landing Gear wheels to move it around, and always launched at boat ramps. On the return he sometimes would wheel the Solo up the ramp and to his truck in the p-lot to load it in out of the way of the ramp, but also could back the truck to the water and slide her off in the water.
> 
> He always loaded it the opposite direction, remove'd the motor and slide the stern in towards the cab.


Well it’s actually not as much hanging out as it looks. The first bar on the Decked system is 3 ft back from from the window, the farthest bar (Yakima Longarm) is 9ft from the window, so only 5ft of the 14ft is “hanging”. Not a big deal pretty standard if it was on a rack.

That said i have absolutely no plans on launching at the ramp. I’m going to unload in the parking lot, set up everything, attach the motor and plug in any electoronics. When all that’s done I’ll roll down to the water and go.

I will not be “that guy” at the ramp... ever. 


Also: after a bit of driving and checking i determined I needed a bow line because the ROVER kept inching back, once i put that on through the front handle and to the mounting points in my truck it was rock solid.


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## GG34

Why not just get a small trailer?


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## Boneheaded

GG34 said:


> Why not just get a small trailer?


Getting a trailer would make too much sense, like buying an actual boat for what those plastic kook barges cost.


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## Rover

I’d actually like a little trailer for around town. But when i go on a trip 1500+ miles I’m not going to tow a trailer with 12” wheels lol. I’ve had plenty of real boats already in my life. Time to try something different.


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## Rover

Boneheaded said:


> Getting a trailer would make too much sense, like buying an actual boat for what those plastic kook barges cost.


Idk I guess everything is relative. With a motor I’ll have about $6000 bucks onto this. Everything is new and a platform i think I’ll really enjoy. I haven’t shopped “actual boats” in a while, but i remember my last one costing about 7X more.

I found myself never being bothered to use it because i was always going alone. In my mind this one should open up a lot of water to me. 

Of course this is only my opinion.


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## Rover

Got home and threw everything together quick. Initial impressions are everything seems top notch but wow the deck sure got smaller with all the toys. I may run the grab rack/ motor rack only and leave the seat/ bucket rack home and see how that goes.

So far I’m very impressed. Unfortunately i go back to work at midnight tonight so that’s all for now. I’ll get into more detail as i figure things out!

Oh, one more thing. With all the racks installed I have 8 rod holders... seems excessive but without the bucket rack it’ll only have 4. Lol. Pretty sweet.


----------



## Keith Maestas

I use a normal rectangle cooler and put the grab rack in the holes behind the cooler when fishing. Makes a lot more room.


----------



## Keith Maestas




----------



## Rover

LOVE IT! cool picture!


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## krash

Keith, what push pole and its length is that ?

Looks kinda like (the white spot) a 2 piece.


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## Keith Maestas

krash said:


> Keith, what push pole and its length is that ?
> 
> Looks kinda like (the white spot) a 2 piece.


It is a two piece 10 ft long.


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## krash

Keith Maestas said:


> It is a two piece 10 ft long.


Who makes it ?


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## Keith Maestas

krash said:


> Who makes it ?


Not sure. No MFG markings I can see


----------



## brokeoff

Hey Rover, how do you feel about the idea of towing a Rover behind a bike?


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## Rover

brokeoff said:


> Hey Rover, how do you feel about the idea of towing a Rover behind a bike?


Like a pedal bike? I’d say it could be done, on flat ground for short distances.... 

It’s pretty stout, and big.... 14ft x 40” and 105lbs is almost Jon Boat Size... 

That said i just got mine washed up from the trip home and it’s super easy to move with the wheel rack. 

I honestly think you’d be pretty limited with a bicycle as far as any real distance but just a few blocks to the beach could be very doable. 

Due to the wheel rack design however you’d really need to search out an alternative way to support the front. You certainly wouldn’t want to drop the bow to the pavement while riding. Perhaps a real kayak trailer would be appropriate.


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## brokeoff

Rover said:


> Like a pedal bike? I’d say it could be done, on flat ground for short distances....
> 
> It’s pretty stout, and big.... 14ft x 40” and 105lbs is almost Jon Boat Size...
> 
> That said i just got mine washed up from the trip home and it’s super easy to move with the wheel rack.
> 
> I honestly think you’d be pretty limited with a bicycle as far as any real distance but just a few blocks to the beach could be very doable.
> 
> Due to the wheel rack design however you’d really need to search out an alternative way to support the front. You certainly wouldn’t want to drop the bow to the pavement while riding. Perhaps a real kayak trailer would be appropriate.


Yeah, I would definitely use a purpose built kayak trailer.


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## krash

Speaking of biking it... PalmBeachPete (Pete Hinck) has an area that requires a 2-3 mile hump to his preferable launch site from the parking lot and sets his DF like this to do it. He just posted this shot on FB.


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## Rover

brokeoff said:


> Yeah, I would definitely use a purpose built kayak trailer.


Than yes, I would definitely consider a very solid support from the front side but i don’t see why not. Just remember you’re likely towing at least 200lbs plus the weight of the trailer along with you.


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## Rover

So I wanted to share the good, the bad, and the ugly on my first impressions of the Rover now that I have finally been able to see it in the Sun light. Overall it looks quite nice, it does look like a "mass produced" board as you can see it's not really flawless by any means but overall its Good (not GREAT) but very good. The only thing that stands out to me is on the LiftSup handle on the front it originally appears to me that a trim piece was missing. My sales guy contacted BOTE and confirmed this is how it should look. I look at other ones online in detail and that is how it looks. I guess I was just being particular but on something that costs $3500 it looks to me like it should have a $5 piece of trim to cover the rough cut edges. In fact the holes around the outside even look like they are for screws to install said cover. Oh well. Besides that everything looks very nice.








Took her out in the sun today for a bath. I drove home in a downpour so I had quite a bit of road grime on it and figured I might as well start with a clean slate. The bottom was really the only dirty part so I rolled it over in the grass and scrubbed it clean. I am going to add a Keel Guard (6 ft appears ideal) to the front to protect it not only from rocks/ oysters but also so I can just set the front down anywhere while it's on the wheels. I'm probably being too particular but hey I like to keep my stuff nice if I can.









Someone asked me a page or two back about my impressions of the motor mount and how it attaches. Now that I've had time to get everything unboxed I'm willing to share. In the "quick start guide" that BOTE includes it shows "optional not included" Cam buckle straps that can run around a set of 1" stainless pins to extra secure the mount down to the ROVER. Well I took my Yakima straps and tried them out and while I was thinking what I good idea they actually were I stumbled across a little set of "BOTE" marked ones that where tucked inside part of the packing material that came with the motor rack.








So obviously these are much shorter than the ones I was test fitting, but it looks like they are actually going to work perfect. So between these two very solid straps wrapped around the Rack and the 4 retaining stainless Cap Screws I would say the motor rack is very secure when correctly installed. Also thank you to BOTE for including these straps that they listed as optional. It's a small cost to add but it saves the end user some money and time getting there own.









Shot from the "drivers seat" of the BOTE straps.


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## Rover

I also went ahead today and purchased a Yamaha 6 HP short shaft motor for my ROVER. Is it the best choice? Well to be honest I don't know but after looking at all the options I decided to stick with Yamaha as I've had very good luck with them in the past. Also they make all there own stuff in house and in Japan so quality should be very good. The Yam has the largest displacement of any 6 HP motor so that can't hurt either. The downside is the Yam is also the heaviest of the 6HP but I decided a few pounds won't kill me either way, though the Suzuki at 52lbs was sooooo tempting.

I know on the first page a few people appreciated me sharing costs to give people an honest impression.

I ended up paying $1620 for the Yam +sales tax (8%) at my local dealer ($1749.60). I also contacted Boat.net and talked to them about purchasing through them. They actually took 2 days to get back to me and I had already struck the deal locally, as I really do prefer to help locals business when possible. What they came up with for pricing for the motor was as follows. $1521.54 (no tax) plus $150 shipping (ONLY TO A YAMAHA DEALER) and than the local dealer will charge $100 prep fee. This is the only way to buy a Yam online new as far as I can tell. So the total through them would have been $1771.54 and I wouldn't have paid any sales tax. (though we all do of course pay it on our taxes when we file right?)

Long story short even though I struck the deal locally before hearing back from Boat.net I actually did a little better and I put some money in the pocket of a local dealer and hopefully if I ever need help they will be there for me. I actually purchased my first Boat in 2007 from this dealer and had a good experience so I will continue to deal with them.

Hopefully this helps someone. Of course if you are looking to buy a Tohastu I found free shipping and great pricing at several online sources so you can definitely save with those.

Motor will be prepped and ready Friday, though I'm waiting on the MSO from my dealer (BOTE ships them separate) so I can't register it with my DMV until that arrives. In the mean time I'm going to get a set of Roto Pax and some mounts so I don't run out of fuel. More details to follow.


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## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> View attachment 28183


Keith. Did those RotoGrip paddle holders just twist into the 1/4” x 20 threaded inserts on the ROVER? I can’t tell from the webpage if they just have a threaded rod installed into them that goes into a T-nut? I’d like to get one for my paddle like you’re running. Thank you


----------



## Keith Maestas

Rover said:


> Keith. Did those RotoGrip paddle holders just twist into the 1/4” x 20 threaded inserts on the ROVER? I can’t tell from the webpage if they just have a threaded rod installed into them that goes into a T-nut? I’d like to get one for my paddle like you’re running. Thank you


I actually bought the ones with the leash adapter fitting because that is all the shop had at the time. I pulled the bungee off of the nose and swapped plugs from the sides to the front.


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## Mike thompson

Rover, thank for all the updates you have been posting. The LiftSup handle is something I would of expected Bote to finish out better. This is very highly visible for anyone looking at the Bote Rover the first time.


----------



## Rover

Mike thompson said:


> Rover, thank for all the updates you have been posting. The LiftSup handle is something I would of expected Bote to finish out better. This is very highly visible for anyone looking at the Bote Rover the first time.


You’re very welcome. It gives me something to do as i was waiting for my ROVER, and now paperwork....

I agree i really think the handle should have been trimmed out, that said in my opinion so far that’s about the only cosmetic flaw i can see on this thing. Just seems like with BOTE putting sooooooooo much attention into colors, materials, and style they’d take the “low hanging fruit” like a trim piece. Doesn’t matter though, if it really bothers me down the road (which i doubt) I’ll have a buddy of mine 3D print me one!!! Haha.


----------



## TxRotor

Hey guys thanks for such a great thread. I got my rover Wednesday and my outboard today. I won’t get on the water till next week but I’m very excited. As to the front handle, mine looks great. I was upset I didn’t get the motor straps until Rover said they were in the packing. Luckily I still had it. I’ll post more after I get on the water.


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## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Hey guys thanks for such a great thread. I got my rover Wednesday and my outboard today. I won’t get on the water till next week but I’m very excited. As to the front handle, mine looks great. I was upset I didn’t get the motor straps until Rover said they were in the packing. Luckily I still had it. I’ll post more after I get on the water.


Awesome!!!! Yes your handle looks much much nicer than mine. Is your ROVER Honey-core? I feel that may be the difference? Really a great looking SKIFF. CONGRADULATIONS.


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## rex hungerford

krash said:


> Speaking of biking it... PalmBeachPete (Pete Hinck) has an area that requires a 2-3 mile hump to his preferable launch site from the parking lot and sets his DF like this to do it. He just posted this shot on FB.


I made a pvc cart for my old kayak. So much better than any manufacturer unit. I believe you could make a bike unit like the above. The axil is going to be important due to friction heat. Also, a sissy break to the kayak trailer would be nice. bike break with a cable that quick snaps to the handle bars.


----------



## Rover

Figured I’d share this little free “Mod” with everyone as well. Not sure if you’ll find it Of use, Rex mentioned the paddle holder “sheath” as being ineffective at holding the paddle while bouncing around fishing.

What i ended up doing was untying my front decking and swapping out the front two ConnectSup plugs with the ones 4 spots back. Basically swapping the lash points to the front and the threaded 1/4-20 plugs to the rear.

What this allows me to do is slide the paddle under the bungee and hold it more securely. Seems to work perfectly! And it’s free!!


----------



## Smackdaddy53

permitchaser said:


> Yes, I've seen videos of a kayak off shore catching a Sail Fish but he was taken out there by the mother ship. IMHO if your out there it's not safe in a canoe with a motor


Dude, there are people that paddle several miles offshore in kayaks and catch all kinds of offshore fish. You’re always the negative nancy.


----------



## rex hungerford

My handle is great but I have Honeycore. I went fishing and the Rover worked way better than a Kayak. I was able to tow some friends. It does ok towing. Plows out to the hole. Saves my friends energy for fishing. Goes a little faster than an all out paddle. 

Alone the Rover is pretty fast. I got crazy, shot off by myself and ended up out at a rock in the middle of a channel. All was good till I turned around and realized the waves that I was banging into were following on the way home. This is a little boat and pretty thin. Real quick I was down on the floor holding on hard. You do need to be aware where you going and conditions. It can get you into trouble. This was water my Zodiac just loved. Never would have though twice about it in the Zodiac. The Rover was pretty squirrely. Can be done, but keep it in mind. A extension handle may be nice to help get more centered and off the cooler in tough water. I have a couple holes I was hoping to access but now believe are a little dangerous to get too.

Also, the rod holders are of no use on the grab rail and bucket. You will want to get Scotty rail clamps and put them on the grab rail and also the motor mount. I found I have no where to put a pole when fishing if I need to grab the paddle for a quick adjust. They are just in the wrong places on the Rover hardware. I found it a lot easier to pull the motor and one hand it. 
The grab rail holder I put up front is too far forward. You do flip the grab rail around backwards and it lays down to give casting room. That is nice, but it would be nice to keep it up and have it more forward. I am going to refigure a location.

I will say, the deck is a joy to stand on. It is a very nice platform. I can stand, sit and even lay down if needed. This is coming from a guy who used a Zodiac, then a kayak, now the Rover. A boat is stable but not as intimate. The Rover feels more kayak size but moves so much faster. It stands so well you spend most time up and see the water so much better than the kayak. I was calling out underwater structure to my friends all day. I do need to find a place to land a depth finder and battery. The battery is really the issue. Where to mount it out of the salt. I fish 20 to 90 foot water.

I also used the Roto pack. I do not like refueling on water. Its just messy. I got fuel on my hands every time. Anyhow, the Roto Pack is amazingly thick. I will have no problem working some brass fittings and gas proof washers onto it to apply quick fittings. I was worried about this but It will not be a problem. You can also get a cap from Roto that has a vent. 

If you have a friend who also has a Rover, I would defiantly go for my further holes. I just want backup. We have big current and whirlpools in Washington. I wore my life preserver all day. I did access things I never would have in the Kayak and felt pretty safe. Once again, a friend would be nice for safety in waves.


----------



## rex hungerford

Rover said:


> View attachment 28495
> View attachment 28496
> 
> 
> Figured I’d share this little free “Mod” with everyone as well. Not sure if you’ll find it Of use, Rex mentioned the paddle holder “sheath” as being ineffective at holding the paddle while bouncing around fishing.
> 
> What i ended up doing was untying my front decking and swapping out the front two ConnectSup plugs with the ones 4 spots back. Basically swapping the lash points to the front and the threaded 1/4-20 plugs to the rear.
> 
> What this allows me to do is slide the paddle under the bungee and hold it more securely. Seems to work perfectly! And it’s free!!


Awsome Idea. I will try it. I am also thinking, the pole holder into the front of the deck, I can weld up something to go in there and have a bracket to take the grabrail further forward. Having a strong base would also be nice. I did find in rougher water, it was nice to lean against the grab rail for support.


----------



## Rover

So my ROVER got her heart today. New Yamaha 6hp short shaft. She’s ALMOST ready to go. Now I’m just waiting for the MSO to arrive so I can register it and get the damn thing on the water. 

I ordered a set of Rotopax and mounts that should be here in a few days and everything should be squared away. 

I’m going to head out for Musky and Walleye sometime next week hopefully. 

Rex- thanks for all the great info you’ve been a huge help.


----------



## Rover

Oh- one more tip. Definitely have to add a little more air pressure to the wheels now that the motor is on. Rolled great without it. Barely moves with the motor on. Just an FYI.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Boneheaded said:


> Getting a trailer would make too much sense, like buying an actual boat for what those plastic kook barges cost.


What’s with the hate from some of you dickheads? People that post crap like that are the same idiots that run over people in kayaks and smaller powered vessels because you think you are more entitled to be on the water for some reason. Keep trying to pole your barge and let these guys discuss their boats.


----------



## rex hungerford

I got stopped by the police but they said nothing about numbers. Guess I got lucky. Need to get mine registered. Going to the Strait of Juan Defuca soon. Super excited. Will actually be in Boynton Beach next week. Looking for a fishing trip. I like salt and eating. What I catch. Trout? Snapper? Anyone know where to book a trip. If you got a small boat I would throw down a couple hundred to fish along.


----------



## TxRotor

Mine is not gatorshell. It wasn’t available when I ordered. But that being said I like mine more. I’ll probobly just epoxy the bottom for protection. Only question is does everyone else have holes under their rover where the motor mounts go? I haven’t seen any pictures online where the bottom has these.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Mine is not gatorshell. It wasn’t available when I ordered. But that being said I like mine more. I’ll probobly just epoxy the bottom for protection. Only question is does everyone else have holes under their rover where the motor mounts go? I haven’t seen any pictures online where the bottom has these.


Yep, that’s how mine is built as well. I’d guess from and engineering aspect a solid single tube penetrating the entire hull, therefore being supported by the actual shell on both side would be stronger than just setting partially in. There is probably a good bit of force exerted on those holes with a 60lb motor hanging off it. Not to mention the torque put on it under thrust. I’d guess it’s simply a structural part of the design.


----------



## Rover

I wanted to add a few more thoughts while they were rattling around in my head. I have to agree with some of the above posters, the bucket rack really isn't of too much use for anything. It looks kind of cool but the Kula is no where near tight fitting inside of it, I threw some 1" cam straps through the Kula and strapped it to the deck so it would be stable. With the bucket rack there, you can not use the rear holes like Rex did to move your grab rack back out of the way.

If I had to do it over again I think I would skip the bucket rack and the Kula and simply throw my Yet 35 there with a top pad and some tie down straps. It would offer a larger platform to stand on (possibly pole from) and more space to stow stuff.

That said the Kula is actually pretty nice and I *THINK* I will keep it as my seat/ dry storage for my Registration/ and other required gear since this is classified as a Boat. I don't think I will use it as an actual cooler just dry storage, it might even house my future battery for my fish-finder.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> My handle is great but I have Honeycore. I went fishing and the Rover worked way better than a Kayak. I was able to tow some friends. It does ok towing. Plows out to the hole. Saves my friends energy for fishing. Goes a little faster than an all out paddle.
> 
> Alone the Rover is pretty fast. I got crazy, shot off by myself and ended up out at a rock in the middle of a channel. All was good till I turned around and realized the waves that I was banging into were following on the way home. This is a little boat and pretty thin. Real quick I was down on the floor holding on hard. You do need to be aware where you going and conditions. It can get you into trouble. This was water my Zodiac just loved. Never would have though twice about it in the Zodiac. The Rover was pretty squirrely. Can be done, but keep it in mind. A extension handle may be nice to help get more centered and off the cooler in tough water. I have a couple holes I was hoping to access but now believe are a little dangerous to get too.
> 
> Also, the rod holders are of no use on the grab rail and bucket. You will want to get Scotty rail clamps and put them on the grab rail and also the motor mount. I found I have no where to put a pole when fishing if I need to grab the paddle for a quick adjust. They are just in the wrong places on the Rover hardware. I found it a lot easier to pull the motor and one hand it.
> The grab rail holder I put up front is too far forward. You do flip the grab rail around backwards and it lays down to give casting room. That is nice, but it would be nice to keep it up and have it more forward. I am going to refigure a location.
> 
> I will say, the deck is a joy to stand on. It is a very nice platform. I can stand, sit and even lay down if needed. This is coming from a guy who used a Zodiac, then a kayak, now the Rover. A boat is stable but not as intimate. The Rover feels more kayak size but moves so much faster. It stands so well you spend most time up and see the water so much better than the kayak. I was calling out underwater structure to my friends all day. I do need to find a place to land a depth finder and battery. The battery is really the issue. Where to mount it out of the salt. I fish 20 to 90 foot water.
> 
> I also used the Roto pack. I do not like refueling on water. Its just messy. I got fuel on my hands every time. Anyhow, the Roto Pack is amazingly thick. I will have no problem working some brass fittings and gas proof washers onto it to apply quick fittings. I was worried about this but It will not be a problem. You can also get a cap from Roto that has a vent.
> 
> If you have a friend who also has a Rover, I would defiantly go for my further holes. I just want backup. We have big current and whirlpools in Washington. I wore my life preserver all day. I did access things I never would have in the Kayak and felt pretty safe. Once again, a friend would be nice for safety in waves.


I'm beginning to become super interested in this idea. Initially I thought the Roto Pax would be fine for fueling up with a small funnel maybe but the idea of turning them into actual gas tanks is pretty smart. I'd be super interested to see how this progresses.


----------



## Rover

As far as rod holders go, I think I'm just going to end up buying a solid assortment of RAM 1.5" balls/ mounts. They sell balls that will screw right into the 1/4-20 SUPconnect plugs, and others that screw clamp onto round tubes of various sizes.

With this I can move the Ram balls from almost any spot on the deck (where a plug is) to any spot on any rail (including the rear grab handle if you wanted to clear the deck). Basically the RAM idea keeps me from committing to anything and being able to reconfigure whenever my needs changed. I do plan on doing a lot of casting from this but I will certainly troll for Walleye and trout at times and I like the idea of being able to move the rod holders as my needs dictate. 

Also my Truck already has two RAM balls mounted on the Dash that my Iphone, and Garmin InReach mount too, so both of those mounts can come to the ROVER when I'm on the water.

Why does everything fun have to cost so much damn money... HAHA...


----------



## TxRotor

Yes fun cost money. I also ordered a boonedox T bone and am string it up with a set of Thule hully rollers. That way I back to the water for pick up and drop off. I cannot figure a safe way to remove and deploy the wheel rack. I’ll just use it in and out of the garage. Once they are in I will update the group.

I’m using my yeti 25 as my seat and fishing platform. It fit perfect with straps and I didn’t have to spend money on the Kula.


----------



## Mike thompson

TxRotor & Rover ....is there a way you can figure out how to mount the Boonedox Landing Gear to the Bote Rover? The Wheel Rac design that Hobie offered was a nightmare to use on my Hobie Pro Angler and then I found the Boonedox Landing Gear and all the problems went away. 

Is it possible to weld the Boonedox Landing Gear to the Motor Rac or any other ideas? I have learned on my Hobie Pro Angler that the Wheel Rac design did not work and having the ability to move the Bote Rover on some type of wheels is a critical design issue when you are moving something that is 105lbs + 55lb outboard. 

Great info guys....really appreciate the postings you are doing.


----------



## TxRotor

I want to get home and see if I can make it a way to hinge the wheel rac on the rear grab bar. We are on a mommas day weekend in Galveston and it’s why I’m no in the marsh on the rover now.

I had a set of landing gear on a slayer and I wasn’t a fan of that application. It flexed far to much on the rotomold.

The best idea for the landing gear is the mounting points for the micro power pole. On my honeycomb the rear hull is perfectly flat. The gatorshell version seams to have recessed areas for it.

I normally launch form a boat launch so backing down to the water and using the rollers on a bed extender is as good as a trailer. We will see when the tbone and rollers arrive from amazon.


----------



## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> Went out to break in the motor. Putted around for a bit. Got caught in a rainstorm. Had a pretty good time!





TxRotor said:


> I want to get home and see if I can make it a way to hinge the wheel rac on the rear grab bar. We are on a mommas day weekend in Galveston and it’s why I’m no in the marsh on the rover now.
> 
> I had a set of landing gear on a slayer and I wasn’t a fan of that application. It flexed far to much on the rotomold.
> 
> The best idea for the landing gear is the mounting points for the micro power pole. On my honeycomb the rear hull is perfectly flat. The gatorshell version seams to have recessed areas for it.
> 
> I normally launch form a boat launch so backing down to the water and using the rollers on a bed extender is as good as a trailer. We will see when the tbone and rollers arrive from amazon.





TxRotor said:


> I want to get home and see if I can make it a way to hinge the wheel rac on the rear grab bar. We are on a mommas day weekend in Galveston and it’s why I’m no in the marsh on the rover now.
> 
> I had a set of landing gear on a slayer and I wasn’t a fan of that application. It flexed far to much on the rotomold.
> 
> The best idea for the landing gear is the mounting points for the micro power pole. On my honeycomb the rear hull is perfectly flat. The gatorshell version seams to have recessed areas for it.
> 
> I normally launch form a boat launch so backing down to the water and using the rollers on a bed extender is as good as a trailer. We will see when the tbone and rollers arrive from amazon.


Looks like Keith in the second page is rocking his ROVER on a T Bone, I’ve been using the Yakima Long Arm for reasons specific to my truck setup. Both show promise. Though I am not sure about launching at the Ramp. I still plan on rolling down to it. But I’ll be very interested to see how you progress


----------



## Keith Maestas

Rover said:


> Looks like Keith in the second page is rocking his ROVER on a T Bone, I’ve been using the Yakima Long Arm for reasons specific to my truck setup. Both show promise. Though I am not sure about launching at the Ramp. I still plan on rolling down to it. But I’ll be very interested to see how you progress


Yeah, but it is heavy and I am lazy.


----------



## Rover

I’m hoping the Wheel Rack won’t be “as bad” as everyone seems to think. My plan is to pop the wheels off (they are very very quick release) one the boat is in the water than remove the rack. Reverse the procedure when coming in. It all seems simple in my mind anyway.

The one thing I’m not to sure about is storage on the ROVER while out on the water. I’ll have to address this as i figure things out.

The idea of using the rear rack as a basis is a great one. Maybe an after market will start popping up for these as more hit the water.


----------



## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> Yeah, but it is heavy and I am lazy.


Looks good. What trailer are you using. I was thinking about getting one as well for day to day use just to keep everything rigged up. Use my truck bed rack for trips when I’m down south.

That trailer looks like it fits PERFECTLY!!!!!!!

How has the ROVER been treating you?


----------



## TxRotor

The wheels are just too boyant to come off easy in the water. And my luck take one off it floats off and the boat flips. Had a bad experience with a Hobie once same thing. I just don’t want the expense of the trailer and registration.


----------



## GoGataGo52__20

Cool skiff man, I bet you can get in some super skinny water in those, which is awesome! Have fun, catch em up.


----------



## permitchaser

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Dude, there are people that paddle several miles offshore in kayaks and catch all kinds of offshore fish. You’re always the negative nancy.


No I'm a crumugen, and proud of it


----------



## Rover

Ok.... So here is the latest update for my ROVER. Still haven’t gotten my MSO, “it’s in the mail” and we’re having quite a rain storm today so I thought I would take a few minutes to bolt on my newly acquired Rotopax fuel cans. Seems simple enough right.

I work nights so perhaps I was just tired but I’ll admit to being quite perplexed for at least 15 mins on how these things were supposed to work.

I tried a few different ways to attach them (the holes line up A LOT of different ways) but none of them made any sense. The way it seemed to line up best and allowed me to mount the fuel cans not only prevented me from turning right, but also shifting....

So just as I was getting ready to curse out my new Yamaha, or Email BOTE to tell them how poorly this was designed I stepped back and took another look.

BOTE includes two Aluminum powder coated plates and 4 stainless bolts and lock nuts. The only way the Rotopax could fit is if the were mounted “down and out” so with that in mind I lined he brackets up the only way that pushed the other two holes down and outboard, and bam everything fell into place.

I didn’t do a final tightening yet as the bolts that were included from Rotopax were not stainless. I’ll pick up a set of stainless bolts and do the final snug up tonight.

I also think I’m going to put a tiny bit of anti-seize on the stainless bolts as they thread directly into the aluminum Rotopax mounts.... the whole dis-similar metal thing...

Anyway I snapped a few pictures to try and clarify please feel free to ask if there’s and confusion. Keep in mind this is just a quick mock-up.


----------



## TxRotor

I spent the evening getting my trailer fitted to the rover but I too was perplexed by the plates. My rotopax does not interfere in the stock holes so I guess it’s outboard dependent. I did how ever pick up a fuel line and Check vale quick connect and plan to drill the bottom of my pax to accept the q connect. This way the can becomes a fuel tank once I add a vent.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> I spent the evening getting my trailer fitted to the rover but I too was perplexed by the plates. My rotopax does not interfere in the stock holes so I guess it’s outboard dependent. I did how ever pick up a fuel line and Check vale quick connect and plan to drill the bottom of my pax to accept the q connect. This way the can becomes a fuel tank once I add a vent.


You’re saying you did not need to use the extra Aluminum plates that came from BOTE? My first attempt at mounting the Rotopax mounts was directly to the Motor-rack but as I mentioned I had clearance issues.

Any chance you could snap a pic of what you got for the fuel system? This seems like a fantastic idea... I’d like to see what parts you bought..

Also what trailer are you running? That Triton Keith is running looks like it’s a great fit (single place jet ski).

Thanks in advance.

Oh yeah. My RotoGrip paddle holders from Rack Attack came in today. I ordered the “track version” hoping there was a way to screw them to a ConnectSUP plug. There isn’t with the factory hardware but this looks like a quick fix too. More stainless needed... updates and pics to follow.


----------



## Rover

So as far as I can tell we’ve got a fairly diverse (geographically speaking) group of ROVER owners on here...

As far as I can tell we’ve got ROVERS in the following states so far on this thread. 

Texas
Florida
Washington
New York

Anyone I missed?


----------



## Rover

Quick write up on how to convert YakAttack RotoGrip Paddle holder set up for tracks to fit a ROVER (or other SUP with ConnectSUP threaded plugs.









This is the RotoGrip exactly as it comes out of the package.








It comes with a threaded T-nut to fit most any Kayak track.








Rubber plug keeping everything in.








By un-threading the T-nut most of the way and pressing up the rubber plug pops right out exposing the brass nut that holding it all together.








Unthread the T-nut the rest of the way and remove all the parts including the rubber trim ring that provides the tension between the paddle holder and Boat.















Drop in a fresh 1/4-20 X 1" stainless hex head bolt. Fit is perfect.








No replace the rubber trim piece and thread the RotoGrip into the desired spot (that's a ConnectSUP plug.








Replace the rubber top side cover.







and here is the finished product. 2 min job that costs very little. These RotoGrips offer a much more secure location for paddle storage especially while under power.

For what it's worth BOTE included a set of "vertebrae" to snake your paddle through but I find this to be a MUCH better solution for quick access and a secure hold.


----------



## Keith Maestas

Rover said:


> View attachment 28811
> View attachment 28812
> View attachment 28813
> View attachment 28814
> View attachment 28815
> View attachment 28816
> View attachment 28817
> View attachment 28818
> View attachment 28819
> View attachment 28820
> How to convert a YakAttack RotoGrip to fit a ROVER (or any other SUP style boat with threaded ConnectSUP plugs.


Looks good! I like your idea better than my leash adapter idea.


----------



## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> Looks good! I like your idea better than my leash adapter idea.


Thanks. Truthfully I was hoping that the track version would somehow fit but it only takes two bolts and your GTG. I'm hoping putting tips on here will encourage others to do the same. I've already figured out a TON of stuff from the other postings from people like you on here!!! In fact I only got a RotoGrip because of your post.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Rover said:


> View attachment 28729
> View attachment 28730
> View attachment 28731
> View attachment 28732
> View attachment 28733
> View attachment 28734
> View attachment 28735
> Ok.... So here is the latest update for my ROVER. Still haven’t gotten my MSO, “it’s in the mail” and we’re having quite a rain storm today so I thought I would take a few minutes to bolt on my newly acquired Rotopax fuel cans. Seems simple enough right.
> 
> I work nights so perhaps I was just tired but I’ll admit to being quite perplexed for at least 15 mins on how these things were supposed to work.
> 
> I tried a few different ways to attach them (the holes line up A LOT of different ways) but none of them made any sense. The way it seemed to line up best and allowed me to mount the fuel cans not only prevented me from turning right, but also shifting....
> 
> So just as I was getting ready to curse out my new Yamaha, or Email BOTE to tell them how poorly this was designed I stepped back and took another look.
> 
> BOTE includes two Aluminum powder coated plates and 4 stainless bolts and lock nuts. The only way the Rotopax could fit is if the were mounted “down and out” so with that in mind I lined he brackets up the only way that pushed the other two holes down and outboard, and bam everything fell into place.
> 
> I didn’t do a final tightening yet as the bolts that were included from Rotopax were not stainless. I’ll pick up a set of stainless bolts and do the final snug up tonight.
> 
> I also think I’m going to put a tiny bit of anti-seize on the stainless bolts as they thread directly into the aluminum Rotopax mounts.... the whole dis-similar metal thing...
> 
> Anyway I snapped a few pictures to try and clarify please feel free to ask if there’s and confusion. Keep in mind this is just a quick mock-up.


You guys looking for a way to kill dissimilar metal corrosion between stainless fasteners and aluminum should try TefGel from the very beginning and you will never have corrosion issues around your fasteners.


----------



## Rover

Rover said:


> Quick write up on how to convert YakAttack RotoGrip Paddle holder set up for tracks to fit a ROVER (or other SUP with ConnectSUP threaded plugs.
> 
> View attachment 28811
> 
> This is the RotoGrip exactly as it comes out of the package.
> View attachment 28812
> 
> It comes with a threaded T-nut to fit most any Kayak track.
> View attachment 28813
> 
> Rubber plug keeping everything in.
> View attachment 28814
> 
> By un-threading the T-nut most of the way and pressing up the rubber plug pops right out exposing the brass nut that holding it all together.
> View attachment 28815
> 
> Unthread the T-nut the rest of the way and remove all the parts including the rubber trim ring that provides the tension between the paddle holder and Boat.
> View attachment 28816
> View attachment 28817
> 
> Drop in a fresh 1/4-20 X 1" stainless hex head bolt. Fit is perfect.
> View attachment 28818
> 
> No replace the rubber trim piece and thread the RotoGrip into the desired spot (that's a ConnectSUP plug.
> View attachment 28819
> 
> Replace the rubber top side cover.
> View attachment 28820
> and here is the finished product. 2 min job that costs very little. These RotoGrips offer a much more secure location for paddle storage especially while under power.
> 
> For what it's worth BOTE included a set of "vertebrae" to snake your paddle through but I find this to be a MUCH better solution for quick access and a secure hold.











RotoGrip installed.... MUCH BETTER.


----------



## TxRotor

So I’ll be putting the fuel valve in tonight. I’ll post pics later. Here is the clearance to the motor in the stock holes on the motor mount. The trailer is a McClain from academy. It worked out really well. The tbone just wasn’t gonna no to work as I hoped.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> So I’ll be putting the fuel valve in tonight. I’ll post pics later. Here is the clearance to the motor in the stock holes on the motor mount. The trailer is a McClain from academy. It worked out really well. The tbone just wasn’t gonna no to work as I hoped.


Cool.... can’t wait to see how the fuel tank conversion goes. Your ROVER looks really good!!

Looks like your Tohatsu sits up a little higher than my Yam so you just clear. Must be why they include the plates separate, just in case. 

I’m afraid I’ll end up with a trailer soon as well, it just gets to be too much to load and unload easily off the bed of the truck. I’ll definitely be keeping my bed set up though for out of town use. 

I dig the Titan Cummins too, very cool!


----------



## TxRotor

Thanks love my truck.

So tank install went well. Found right drill bit and tap, was expensive though, same price as the dang tank. But the ends justify .....

Threaded in very tight and sealed with seal all. I’ll let cure for 48 hrs then 7 day gas test. I didn’t place it in the bottom so that if a lil water or trash gets in it won’t pick it up.


----------



## TxRotor

Btw. There is a bote rover owners group on Facebook. And I did get my MSO today Fedex. So registration tomorrow.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Btw. There is a bote rover owners group on Facebook. And I did get my MSO today Fedex. So registration tomorrow.


Hmmmmm. That’s good to know. I’ve never had a FB account.... and truthfully I doubt I ever will. But maybe I can view it without one. If you post on it perhaps steer people this way as well. 

Glad you got your MSO, I emailed about mine today.... I’m becoming less patient as I just really want to use this!!! Thanks for the awesome updates.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Thanks love my truck.
> 
> So tank install went well. Found right drill bit and tap, was expensive though, same price as the dang tank. But the ends justify .....
> 
> Threaded in very tight and sealed with seal all. I’ll let cure for 48 hrs then 7 day gas test. I didn’t place it in the bottom so that if a lil water or trash gets in it won’t pick it up.


Looks really really good. Fingers crossed it works as well as it should, though i can’t see why it wouldn’t. Do you know what you’re doing for a vent yet? 

Looks like a really good project! Clearly you’re thinking everything through. Can’t wait to see the end results!!! I think this will be a really smart Mod. You could prob go 50+ miles on that one tank.


----------



## TxRotor

Looking at the fill spout that came with the boat. Going to see if it spills while jostling the tank.


----------



## TxRotor

Wires up nicely. Just need to shorten the hose. Have to let it cure another 24 hrs then I’ll let it sit in has a week. Then we are on.


----------



## Rover

Boy that really does look good. Kind of the best of all worlds there. You have the additional capacity of a gas tank but in the same out of the way spots of the RotoPax. Is that hose quick disconnect/ sealing from the tank by any chance? That's the only thing that could make it better. The ability to swap to a second tank if needed. Although if you just kept a second tank onboard for emergency's that would probably be more than enough. Or even strapped on a single 30oz MSR fuel bottle enough to get your home.

Any idea how the venting is going to work out? I've been thinking something like a check valve/ or a vent valve like on a dirt bike gas tank (with a small hose going up) would prevent sloshing and losing gas. Just a thought.


----------



## Rover

Here's a quick follow-up on how I ended up mounting my RotoPax mounts to the Rover. Seems to be pretty straight forward once you see it. Also as TXRotor Mentioned not all motors require the additional plates that BOTE includes. My Yamaha did, His Tohastus/ Merc does not. Not sure about Honda or Suzuki yet.








So I grabbed a couple of 5/16"-18 pitch stainless bolts and substituted these for the ones that RotoPax includes. As I mentioned before I added some never-seez just in case since I'm threading Stainless into Aluminum. On the lower hole only I added a lock washer. This is because the upper bolt does not have the clearance behind the bolt head between it and the Moto-Rac. The lower one doesn't have anything in the way so I figured this would help it from backing out in rough water. The upper bolt really can't back out because it's tight up against the MotoRac. 












































Here's the finished product. I bought two because... Well because there was two spots. I doubt I'll ever actually carry the two full tanks with me on the water. That said I will probably keep both tanks full when I'm on vacation to minimize fuel stops while camping. Any questions feel free to ask.


----------



## Rover

One last update. BOTE announced the GATORSHELL Rover today on IG and on there website. Yes I already have one... My wife questioned how we got it before it was for sale. I just happened to contact the company about availability before I ordered and they said it was indeed available. I must have one of the very first ones. Truth be told I'm really not convinced it's better. Or even much different. In order to make it look nice it's basically coated and painted just like a Honey-Core boat, they look identical. That said it scratches very easily. But whatever, a Gator can bite my boat now and I won't sink... Or something like that...


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Rover said:


> Here's a quick follow-up on how I ended up mounting my RotoPax mounts to the Rover. Seems to be pretty straight forward once you see it. Also as TXRotor Mentioned not all motors require the additional plates that BOTE includes. My Yamaha did, His Tohastus/ Merc does not. Not sure about Honda or Suzuki yet.
> View attachment 28979
> 
> So I grabbed a couple of 5/16"-18 pitch stainless bolts and substituted these for the ones that RotoPax includes. As I mentioned before I added some never-seez just in case since I'm threading Stainless into Aluminum. On the lower hole only I added a lock washer. This is because the upper bolt does not have the clearance behind the bolt head between it and the Moto-Rac. The lower one doesn't have anything in the way so I figured this would help it from backing out in rough water. The upper bolt really can't back out because it's tight up against the MotoRac.
> View attachment 28980
> View attachment 28981
> View attachment 28982
> View attachment 28983
> 
> View attachment 28984
> View attachment 28985
> 
> Here's the finished product. I bought two because... Well because there was two spots. I doubt I'll ever actually carry the two full tanks with me on the water. That said I will probably keep both tanks full when I'm on vacation to minimize fuel stops while camping. Any questions feel free to ask.


Man you would think they would design those tanks to mount long ways so they don’t stick out from the sides like that and would keep the weight more along the center line. If you slide through mangroves and vegetation you’re going to be hanging up and hitting the dock with the tanks. I bet you could fix that with some aluminum angle. Just some constructive criticism.


----------



## krash

I bet if you took a hammer or baseball bat to the Epoxy board and to the Gatorshell board you'd see the real difference, or in real life scenario an oyster bar or rock or dropped off the bed of the truck.


----------



## permitchaser

Rover said:


> View attachment 28729
> View attachment 28730
> View attachment 28731
> View attachment 28732
> View attachment 28733
> View attachment 28734
> View attachment 28735
> Ok.... So here is the latest update for my ROVER. Still haven’t gotten my MSO, “it’s in the mail” and we’re having quite a rain storm today so I thought I would take a few minutes to bolt on my newly acquired Rotopax fuel cans. Seems simple enough right.
> 
> I work nights so perhaps I was just tired but I’ll admit to being quite perplexed for at least 15 mins on how these things were supposed to work.
> 
> I tried a few different ways to attach them (the holes line up A LOT of different ways) but none of them made any sense. The way it seemed to line up best and allowed me to mount the fuel cans not only prevented me from turning right, but also shifting....
> 
> So just as I was getting ready to curse out my new Yamaha, or Email BOTE to tell them how poorly this was designed I stepped back and took another look.
> 
> BOTE includes two Aluminum powder coated plates and 4 stainless bolts and lock nuts. The only way the Rotopax could fit is if the were mounted “down and out” so with that in mind I lined he brackets up the only way that pushed the other two holes down and outboard, and bam everything fell into place.
> 
> I didn’t do a final tightening yet as the bolts that were included from Rotopax were not stainless. I’ll pick up a set of stainless bolts and do the final snug up tonight.
> 
> I also think I’m going to put a tiny bit of anti-seize on the stainless bolts as they thread directly into the aluminum Rotopax mounts.... the whole dis-similar metal thing...
> 
> Anyway I snapped a few pictures to try and clarify please feel free to ask if there’s and confusion. Keep in mind this is just a quick mock-up.


well you pictures are just as confusing as you where. But glad you worked it out. Good idea on stainless bolts


----------



## TxRotor

Sooooooooo had my first water test......BOY I LOVE THIS THING. 

It’s not as quick as I imagined, but it’s lightyears ahead of the solo skiff I had. It’s also not as stable as I pictured but its going to work fine. I fell off trying to stand on the gunnels. Glad I had my inflatable life vest. But you can absolutely stand all over the front deck. I had a 45qt yeti in the back for the first run. Though I’d want a bigger cooler but it was a different boat with it out. So it may just be a fish bag kind of boat. 

Lighter is def better with this craft. I do think the motor mount hole do cause an enormous amount of drag. I’m going to buy some flew seal tape and cover those things up. Ill play more on it tomorrow and let y’all know how I’d does with some tweaking. 

On a last note, the trailer is a must. And so many people have come up to me, flag me down on the road or at a red light to ask about the boat. It’s. A sure head turner.


----------



## GoGataGo52__20

Those little gas tank things are cool how they mount up man


----------



## Rover

permitchaser said:


> well you pictures are just as confusing as you where. But glad you worked it out. Good idea on stainless bolts


If you have a specific question or need a specific picture I’ll be happy to help. 

If you haven ROVER and those pieces in hand it may make a bit more sense to you. 

I’m not trying to write the manual, just help out a few other people.


----------



## Rover

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Man you would think they would design those tanks to mount long ways so they don’t stick out from the sides like that and would keep the weight more along the center line. If you slide through mangroves and vegetation you’re going to be hanging up and hitting the dock with the tanks. I bet you could fix that with some aluminum angle. Just some constructive criticism.


Mounting the tanks vertical isn’t really an option. They are JUST (maybe 1/4”) low enough for the Tiller Handle and gear selector to swing over 

But I definitely see your point. I didn’t measure but I’m guessing with both tanks it’s maybe 45” wide total.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Sooooooooo had my first water test......BOY I LOVE THIS THING.
> 
> It’s not as quick as I imagined, but it’s lightyears ahead of the solo skiff I had. It’s also not as stable as I pictured but its going to work fine. I fell off trying to stand on the gunnels. Glad I had my inflatable life vest. But you can absolutely stand all over the front deck. I had a 45qt yeti in the back for the first run. Though I’d want a bigger cooler but it was a different boat with it out. So it may just be a fish bag kind of boat.
> 
> Lighter is def better with this craft. I do think the motor mount hole do cause an enormous amount of drag. I’m going to buy some flew seal tape and cover those things up. Ill play more on it tomorrow and let y’all know how I’d does with some tweaking.
> 
> On a last note, the trailer is a must. And so many people have come up to me, flag me down on the road or at a red light to ask about the boat. It’s. A sure head turner.


Fell off?? Lol.... yikes. Glad you’re ok. Can’t wait to hear more on how it’s working out. Good luck!!!

What specifically do you like better than the SoloSkiff? What do you think is worse? Thanks.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Rover said:


> Mounting the tanks vertical isn’t really an option. They are JUST (maybe 1/4”) low enough for the Tiller Handle and gear selector to swing over
> 
> But I definitely see your point. I didn’t measure but I’m guessing with both tanks it’s maybe 45” wide total.


Not hating at all, just an observation from a guy that loves to fab stuff, rig boats and work on stuff. I kayak fished for a long time before I had a skiff and honestly miss it. These are in between and I really think I’d enjoy a small powered craft like that!


----------



## GoGataGo52__20

So how fast do you go on it? I'm sure it's not a speed demon just curious?


----------



## commtrd

Boneheaded said:


> Getting a trailer would make too much sense, like buying an actual boat for what those plastic kook barges cost.


Been there done that with a soloskiff / trailer. For the money spent there is no freakin way i would do that again. Just put the money into a legitimate microskiff with a decent trailer to start with and call it good. At least on the soloskiff the front end of the boat was basically worthless. Too narrow and tippy to stand up there and try to fish. I tried. That little experiment cost near 7 grand. I donated to Boat Angel to use as a tax deduction for 5000. No one wanted to look at the package for over 3000. Fair warning guys. Disclaimer: I have never been on a Bote. So can't really comment on that. But this thing looks very similar to a soloskiff in principle.


----------



## Rover

GoGataGo52__20 said:


> So how fast do you go on it? I'm sure it's not a speed demon just curious?


BOTE was originally claiming 16MPH, they since revised it to 19MPH in some of the online videos... Once my Yam is broken in properly I'll do some "high-speed" hahahaha runs on the river near me with my GPS mounted to it and see how it goes loaded, and unloaded. I'm guessing going too fast would get kind of scary fast as you'd start to spear any waves. Though due to the design of the rear end any water that you'd take on will immediately drain off the back so besides wet feet that's not terrible.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Sooooooooo had my first water test......BOY I LOVE THIS THING.
> 
> It’s not as quick as I imagined, but it’s lightyears ahead of the solo skiff I had. It’s also not as stable as I pictured but its going to work fine. I fell off trying to stand on the gunnels. Glad I had my inflatable life vest. But you can absolutely stand all over the front deck. I had a 45qt yeti in the back for the first run. Though I’d want a bigger cooler but it was a different boat with it out. So it may just be a fish bag kind of boat.
> 
> Lighter is def better with this craft. I do think the motor mount hole do cause an enormous amount of drag. I’m going to buy some flew seal tape and cover those things up. Ill play more on it tomorrow and let y’all know how I’d does with some tweaking.
> 
> On a last note, the trailer is a must. And so many people have come up to me, flag me down on the road or at a red light to ask about the boat. It’s. A sure head turner.





commtrd said:


> Been there done that with a soloskiff / trailer. For the money spent there is no freakin way i would do that again. Just put the money into a legitimate microskiff with a decent trailer to start with and call it good. At least on the soloskiff the front end of the boat was basically worthless. Too narrow and tippy to stand up there and try to fish. I tried. That little experiment cost near 7 grand. I donated to Boat Angel to use as a tax deduction for 5000. No one wanted to look at the package for over 3000. Fair warning guys. Disclaimer: I have never been on a Bote. So can't really comment on that. But this thing looks very similar to a soloskiff in principle.


I’ve never seen a SoloSkiff so I can’t comment either. It does look like TXRotor will be able to offer us a comparison in stability speed and anything else we’re wondering.

My reasons for getting a ROVER was I was only comparing it to a fishing kayak and this seemed way more stable to stand on plus the deck is fairy snag free when fly fishing.

It’s nice to have options for smaller water. Again I don’t live anywhere near the Ocean so a traditional flats boat is of no real value to me. Hopefully the Rover is a good option for fishing the smaller water up here by myself.


----------



## TxRotor

The solo was great in theory. It’s just to damn heavy. I had both the fiberglass and rotomold versions. I had a 3hp, 5hp, 6hp, and 9.9 on it. It just never amounted to a good fishing platform. As already commented, the bow is useless. The seat storage is useless. And it’s just to heavy to paddle or pole well. 

Now the solo if a big wave came it would plow through it like a torpedo, not diving just through it. I had the solo in 1’ chop on the lake in 12kt wind. The bow beefing up out of the water made waves even other big boat wakes easy to handle and amazingly stable. 

Im 215 and at wfo the rover tracks true and steady. Standing in The solo would chime walk at wfo and the 9.9 just Made it want to torque roll. Never felt safe over 12mph in the solo standing. sitting in it it would ride fine no issue. 

Now the rover is a much wetter ride than the solo. The bow wake breaks under the grab rail and has a tendency (probably for a fat boy like me) to spray over the gunnels. I am still playing with weight, stance, and location to find the sweet spot. 

I ran out of gas in the solo once about 1/2 mile from landing. It took about 30 minutes to paddle back to the dock in a crosswind. Yesterday I ran out of fuel on the small tank and was about 1/4 mile from my dock. I paddles for about 2min then pulled up the motor. HUGE DIFFERENCE. The thing glides with the motor up. I wish they had deployable skegs because it would have been even better in the wind. I’ll be glad when my experiment with the Roto pax is ready to water test.


----------



## GoGataGo52__20

I think they are cool man, it's not my cup of tea but its really cool. You can def get into some skinny waters and catch em up. Personally for me I'd rather have a gheenoe, but that's just me. But I think the paddling if you run out of gas is a cool deal too.


----------



## TxRotor

My skiff with me 215lbs, 20qr yeti, grab rack, throw cushion, and rotorpax in slick water gets 15mph wot. 1/2 throttle it’s goes 13mph. I’m ordering the 9 pitch propeller and will let everyone know how it runs. Unfortunately I won’t be back on the water for 2 weeks but a very good initial testing weekend. I never got the solo over 11mph even empty. Plus this thing turns like on rails. The solo was a barge.


----------



## krash

Saw a Rover today while heading home form Tampa... N. side of 275 behind some storage/warehouses sitting on a trailer half covered.. was it someone on this site ?

While I was at Nautical Ventures last week they had a fully decked out rigged and ready Rover with OB for $6300.00 sitting directly next to a rigged out SoloSkiff with a Torquedo.. if any one wants to do a look, stare, and compare.


----------



## rex hungerford

Smackdaddy53 said:


> You guys looking for a way to kill dissimilar metal corrosion between stainless fasteners and aluminum should try TefGel from the very beginning and you will never have corrosion issues around your fasteners.


Corrosion X


----------



## rex hungerford

I was not thinking of threading the Roto to make a gas tank. I was thinking it would be a pinch between 2 washers. Let us know of the thread is holding up. Did you put a nut on the inside? I was going to use brass at the top right next to the fill so I could get my hand on the inside to put a nut on the threads. Just got back from Florida. Only fished twice. One day on steel and a big red was working by me. Did not want my lure. Next day I had shrimp and a big something maybe 3 feet with a forked tail was working the surf. Did not want my shrimp. You know how it goes. I did get my first alligator Gar in a canal behind my mother in laws place. Interesting fish.


----------



## rex hungerford

Rover said:


> Boy that really does look good. Kind of the best of all worlds there. You have the additional capacity of a gas tank but in the same out of the way spots of the RotoPax. Is that hose quick disconnect/ sealing from the tank by any chance? That's the only thing that could make it better. The ability to swap to a second tank if needed. Although if you just kept a second tank onboard for emergency's that would probably be more than enough. Or even strapped on a single 30oz MSR fuel bottle enough to get your home.
> 
> Any idea how the venting is going to work out? I've been thinking something like a check valve/ or a vent valve like on a dirt bike gas tank (with a small hose going up) would prevent sloshing and losing gas. Just a thought.


Roto sells a vented cap.


----------



## rex hungerford

TxRotor said:


> The solo was great in theory. It’s just to damn heavy. I had both the fiberglass and rotomold versions. I had a 3hp, 5hp, 6hp, and 9.9 on it. It just never amounted to a good fishing platform. As already commented, the bow is useless. The seat storage is useless. And it’s just to heavy to paddle or pole well.
> 
> Now the solo if a big wave came it would plow through it like a torpedo, not diving just through it. I had the solo in 1’ chop on the lake in 12kt wind. The bow beefing up out of the water made waves even other big boat wakes easy to handle and amazingly stable.
> 
> Im 215 and at wfo the rover tracks true and steady. Standing in The solo would chime walk at wfo and the 9.9 just Made it want to torque roll. Never felt safe over 12mph in the solo standing. sitting in it it would ride fine no issue.
> 
> Now the rover is a much wetter ride than the solo. The bow wake breaks under the grab rail and has a tendency (probably for a fat boy like me) to spray over the gunnels. I am still playing with weight, stance, and location to find the sweet spot.
> 
> I ran out of gas in the solo once about 1/2 mile from landing. It took about 30 minutes to paddle back to the dock in a crosswind. Yesterday I ran out of fuel on the small tank and was about 1/4 mile from my dock. I paddles for about 2min then pulled up the motor. HUGE DIFFERENCE. The thing glides with the motor up. I wish they had deployable skegs because it would have been even better in the wind. I’ll be glad when my experiment with the Roto pax is ready to water test.


I am thinking of punching a new hole in the skeg so I can put it on an off without having to fully unscrew the square washer.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

rex hungerford said:


> Corrosion X


If you are going to argue at least research the product I recommended. I wouldn’t post about it if I did not know it worked. Yes CorrosionX red anx green are both great sprays but need constant reapplication and are not specifically formulated for fasteners. TefGel is one and done, not a light spray but more like thick caulk that never cures and remains sticky. It is impervious to heat , water, uv rays and even pressure washing. There is a reason Austrailian sailors started using this on their sailboat fasteners where stainless, brass, copper and aluminum meet. It creates a barrier that stops corrosion. Check it out, it’s badass stuff.


----------



## rex hungerford

Smackdaddy53 said:


> If you are going to argue at least research the product I recommended. I wouldn’t post about it if I did not know it worked. Yes CorrosionX red anx green are both great sprays but need constant reapplication and are not specifically formulated for fasteners. TefGel is one and done, not a light spray but more like thick caulk that never cures and remains sticky. It is impervious to heat , water, uv rays and even pressure washing. There is a reason Austrailian sailors started using this on their sailboat fasteners where stainless, brass, copper and aluminum meet. It creates a barrier that stops corrosion. Check it out, it’s badass stuff.


Huh, not arguing, just noting what I have used for years, Seeks to work well. I will look at what you use. I don't see it in your reply.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> Roto sells a vented cap.


Do you have a link? I looked a week or two back and didn’t see a vented cap. That would be perfect.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> Huh, not arguing, just noting what I have used for years, Seeks to work well. I will look at what you use. I don't see it in your reply.


He mentioned TefGel a few pages back and in this post. Stuff looks awesome. I used regular old Anti-Seize because I had it and i don’t live in a Marine environment. But it (TefGel) looks amazing!


----------



## TxRotor

Roto’s Vented cap is a cap for the back of a gas can with a molded vent. If you read the ID is only 3/4. I’m working on some magic, I’ll let you know what comes of it. 

No I did not put a backup nut as there is no access. I knew it was a long shot with threading but it’s holding up very nice. Plenty of thickness for 3 threads and it’s tapered thread so it only gets tighter as it bottoms out. I knew I can plastic weld the hole closed if I had to so I tried to strip the threads with a wrench and they held with no slip.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Rover said:


> He mentioned TefGel a few pages back and in this post. Stuff looks awesome. I used regular old Anti-Seize because I had it and i don’t live in a Marine environment. But it (TefGel) looks amazing!


I use CorrosionX red can (thinner) under the cowling on my motor, on the jackplate and CorrosionX green can (thick) on my trailer axle, hubs and places I need it to stay but both need reapplication. TefGel is for fasteners and will not come off, it’s salt, heat and waterproof. I get mine off Amazon in the 2oz tub and use it on every stainless fastener especially when rigging boats. Put that on fasteners and get it around the head on stainless fasteners that mount powdercoated, painted or raw anozized aluminum and it will never start corroding there like you see on so many boats. I even take stainless fasteners out of LED light housings and put it on them and they will stay like new instead of bubbling corrosion cancer that likes to get under the powdercoat.


----------



## Rover

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I use CorrosionX red can (thinner) under the cowling on my motor, on the jackplate and CorrosionX green can (thick) on my trailer axle, hubs and places I need it to stay but both need reapplication. TefGel is for fasteners and will not come off, it’s salt, heat and waterproof. I get mine off Amazon in the 2oz tub and use it on every stainless fastener especially when rigging boats. Put that on fasteners and get it around the head on stainless fasteners that mount powdercoated, painted or raw anozized aluminum and it will never start corroding there like you see on so many boats. I even take stainless fasteners out of LED light housings and put it on them and they will stay like new instead of bubbling corrosion cancer that likes to get under the powdercoat.


Ok. I’m sold! I’ll order some today. Heck why not right? If it keeps things a little nice I’m all for it.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Rover said:


> Ok. I’m sold! I’ll order some today. Heck why not right? If it keeps things a little nice I’m all for it.


----------



## commtrd

Rover said:


> He mentioned TefGel a few pages back and in this post. Stuff looks awesome. I used regular old Anti-Seize because I had it and i don’t live in a Marine environment. But it (TefGel) looks amazing!


We used that stuff on the thru bolts, flats, nuts when lifting the motor on my JP. Mac is correct not a smidgen of corrosion to be seen on dis-similar metals. The stuff works as advertised.


----------



## rex hungerford

I transport my Rover on the roof of my truck so I made a storage in my garage or I can slide it right off and onto a rack


----------



## rex hungerford

TX you still good with the gas fitting. I am still in the air. Thinking of a Bulkhead fitting I can pinch a Viton O ring against on the inside. Then maybe put an angle on it and turn a hose to the bottom. Just worried about wall thickness and durability. Let us know how it holds up. Thanks


----------



## TxRotor

ok todays update.....after 4 days of gas in the tank, there is absolutely no sign of seepage. looks just like the day I installed it. I had pulled pushed, jostled and every other movement and no leaks......AND I solved the vent issue. Just remove the yellow cap, leave the spout in the locked closed position, and I can turn it everyway except directly upside down with no leak. I can bounce, and splash and nothing but air goes in and out. I tested it with my mouth before adding gas to see if air could go through with it close or open. it actually has like a small check valve inside it and its works like a charm.


----------



## TxRotor

I have not had an on the water test of usability as I will not be out of town this weekend for memorial day. but I have ran the engine with it for 30 minutes using the fuel line. it works as designed


----------



## Rover

Very cool. Nice work TX, looking forward to doing something similar on mine. Looks like you’ve at very least shown proof of concept. Thank you.


----------



## eightwt

Interesting thread, but how many fish are in the boat?


----------



## Rover

eightwt said:


> Interesting thread, but how many fish are in the boat?


I know for my Rover -0.... though I finally got my MSO and got it registered yesterday so my next free day (I’m working 12’s all week) I’ll be out looking for some toothy fish. I haven’t even gotten my Hull wet. I’d be interested to see how other people are doing though too. As far as i can tell there are only 4 of us posting on here with Rovers and most of us are still kinda “dialing them in” it’s still very new.


----------



## Rover

Along the lines of registration, here in NY my Rover has to be registered (and titled) as a boat, so I actually need a fire extinguisher as well as an anchor and a few other things to make it legal. Anyone here running a fire extinguisher? Where did you mount it? I’m thinking I’m gonna use something like this http://www.quickfist.com/index.php/...nt-and-two-super-quick-fist-clamps-90020.html to hold it to the grab rack. Maybe horizontal below the brace. Looks like a Kidde 5 will just fit.


----------



## rex hungerford

What a joke. A fire extinguisher. Hahaaa. I am going for ling again this weekend. Will see how I do. Getting use to the boat too. I just ordered those rotor grip for the paddle. I need to get a rail grip for my pole holder. I will put it on the grab bar.


----------



## rex hungerford

Still suffering over the gas can. At least the top vents. I will probably purchase another little yellow inside cap and drill a small hole in it. I am going to try a compression type fitting at the top.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> What a joke. A fire extinguisher. Hahahaha. I am going for ling again this weekend. Will see how I do. Getting use to the boat too. I just ordered those rotor grip for the paddle. I need to get a rail grip for my pole holder. I will put it on the grab bar.


Ha well your post made me dig into this a little more. You're right the Rover falls under an exemption and doesn't require a Fire Extinguisher since it's small enough and outboard motor powered. Looks like a Life Jacket, Anchor and Whistle is all that is "required" gear. Those things I can live with. Thanks Rex... I was wondering why the heck I needed one, glad I waited.


----------



## rex hungerford

Bring 2 life jacket. One tonsure on the Kola and the other to wear. The edge of that round thing will eat up your butt. 

I forgot a whistle. Thanks.


----------



## TxRotor

So after my water test this weekend and my couple trips in the drink I have decided to build a different burn bar. I’m specking it out now but it will allow me to use the whole deck with out walking around the grabar. It will utilize both starboard mount holes but be a single pole with hand grip. 

Until then I’m using the second par of rotograb to hold the grabar when I lay it on the bow. I have seen a couple people do this and it will do till I get my new burn bar. 

Also I’m not a fan of using the handle to hold the boat on the trailer, so I used the vertebrae to make and alternative bow attachment. I ordered a second set of vertebrae today from Bote to replace the ones I used on the bow.


----------



## TxRotor

Something like this


----------



## rex hungerford

So what are you trying to do? Why did you fall in?


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> So what are you trying to do? Why did you fall in?


I’m curious as well? Are you saying walking around the grab rail doesn’t give you enough room, so a single pole is easier to maneuver around? 

Looking forward to how it turns out.


----------



## rex hungerford

I never even walked on the front. I tried to once, but its pretty slick. The deck is also quite big. If your going to design something and think you have a way to get it welded, I want a rail that will fit into the 2 pole holder holes in the front deck. You know the ones Im talking about?. They could slip in there and rap the front with a place to stick the grab rail just up on the front deck. That would give all sorts of extra room and be strong enough to really lean against. My piece is too far forward and a fall would not have good support. I was generally just turning my grab rail around and it lays pretty far down allowing me to cast easy.


----------



## TxRotor

When I try to get around the Grab Rac to get to the front of the boat, it’s is very tipsy. I fell in multiple times testing the limits of where I can stand, walk, cast, etc. I found that using the gunnals to step around is to unstable. 

So there are four holes in the main deck. I plan to build a removable handle that will use both of the ones on the right side of the deck. This will allow me to walk to the front and stand on the deck. 

The Grab Rac is pretty much useless unless you only plan to stay on the lower deck. So may prefer to fish here. I were deck shoes that are very good one wet, slick surfaces so it will not be an issue for me. 

I’m a minimalist fisherman. One pole, couple baits, and lots of water. So top speed and low weight is key for me. The single grab bar like pictur d below will serve my only need in that I need to have a handle while running standing up. I have multiple good aluminum shops around that rig boats. I’ll be contacting them today.


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## RickNe

Hey All! Great to see this thread. Bought my Rover in Nov. 2017. JUST put it in the water Memorial Day weekend. Really enjoyed the discussions and look forward to being part of it. So full disclosure, my first sea trial ended very quickly. I installed the large fins ( recommended by a sales rep at BOTE Ft. Walton Beach for stability and tracking) and the board will not steer under power. Is anyone using either fin set with the outboard? The other possibility is that this an engine mounting problem. I'm using the Merc. 6hp that was part of the package. From what I can tell the motor rack is correctly in place and the motor is properly mounted on the rack. 
Thoughts?
BTW, I live in southern Maryland near where US Hwy. 301 crosses the Potomac River.


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## Rover

RickNe said:


> Hey All! Great to see this thread. Bought my Rover in Nov. 2017. JUST put it in the water Memorial Day weekend. Really enjoyed the discussions and look forward to being part of it. So full disclosure, my first sea trial ended very quickly. I installed the large fins ( recommended by a sales rep at BOTE Ft. Walton Beach for stability and tracking) and the board will not steer under power. Is anyone using either fin set with the outboard? The other possibility is that this an engine mounting problem. I'm using the Merc. 6hp that was part of the package. From what I can tell the motor rack is correctly in place and the motor is properly mounted on the rack.
> Thoughts?
> BTW, I live in southern Maryland near where US Hwy. 301 crosses the Potomac River.


I may be wrong... but my understanding is the Fins are only to be used when paddling. When the O/B is in the water it will supply the stability and tracking you need. Ditch the fins and try it again.. I’m pretty confident you’ll be happy.

BTW welcome and thank you for contributing.


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## RickNe

Thanks. I've already removed them and going to launch again tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.


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## TxRotor

There is a guy on Facebook who uses the small fins with the outboard. He says it’s works well. I have not tried.


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## rex hungerford

Interesting, I find it turns a little to fast. I had the small fins on at one time but snap them the first day out. I forgot they were on when trying to get my boat out of the water and destroyed one. I have not tried the large fins as there is no way to install and uninstall them while the boat is in the water.


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## TxRotor

It would be nice to have them deployable for when you want to paddle and then use the motor


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## Guest

This is interesting. So you're supposed to stop the boat after you've used the motor to get to your destination and install the fins so you can paddle? Then when you want to move the Bote to a new location, take the fins off, power up and then repeat the whole process?

Am I missing something?


----------



## richg99

Sounds like there is room for a new improved model.


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## rex hungerford

I still can't figure out how to use the wheels. I bent mine tilting it on its side to get them on and off at the water's edge. It's a fun product. It fishes very well. For a personal craft that is. It does paddle pretty decent. At least to keep my drift where I want it to be. Ultimately, it would be better with a through the whole flip and a Propel system that pushed forward or back. I still miss the native Slayer propeller for the ultimate control of a small craft.


----------



## RickNe

RickNe said:


> Thanks. I've already removed them and going to launch again tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.





Rover said:


> I may be wrong... but my understanding is the Fins are only to be used when paddling. When the O/B is in the water it will supply the stability and tracking you need. Ditch the fins and try it again.. I’m pretty confident you’ll be happy.
> 
> BTW welcome and thank you for contributing.


Here's an update on the steering issue I was having. Removing the fins fixed the problem. It steers now. Sure is fun! Not as responsive as a transom mounted outboard, and will take some time to learn how to get the most out of the boat motor combo. Thanks for the advice.
Now here's something else to chew on.: how do you know if you have the motor set at the right angle? I'm trying various angles to see how the boat rides, planes, steers, how high the bow is, how much the stern drags.


----------



## Rover

RickNe said:


> Here's an update on the steering issue I was having. Removing the fins fixed the problem. It steers now. Sure is fun! Not as responsive as a transom mounted outboard, and will take some time to learn how to get the most out of the boat motor combo. Thanks for the advice.
> Now here's something else to chew on.: how do you know if you have the motor set at the right angle? I'm trying various angles to see how the boat rides, planes, steers, how high the bow is, how much the stern drags.


I believe most of the info you’re looking for is here...






In summary the anti-cavitation plate should be parallel with the bottom of the Rover about two inches below. That is the recomendation from BOTE. 

My Yamaha is definitely less than 2” but lines up parallel in the 3rd hole up If i remember correctly. Obviously other motors may be different. 

Glad you’re enjoying yours!!!


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## TxRotor

Here’s a video from this morning. 

https://www.facebook.com/Rotorman007/posts/1858780354172600


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## EdK13

at least its official.


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## rex hungerford

I quit Facebook years ago. Not able to view the video. Was it good?


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> I quit Facebook years ago. Not able to view the video. Was it good?


I don’t have, nor have I ever had a Facebook account and it played on my IPhone when I clicked on it. 

Yes, it was just a cool little drive by of his Rover


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## TxRotor

So I have been tinkering with weight trim and prop. The 9pitc( is just to much prop. Same speed less RPMs and I don’t like that it badly makes 60% of what it should anyway. The 8 that comes with it is good but I’m still going to get the 7 and try it. I also sat on the front deck while running, and got 18mph. It was super squirrelly but it was faster. The bottom pin makes my outboard hit the motor rack. So I moved the motor back 1/2 in and will run on the bottom pin tomorrow to see if I can gain some more speed. I’m also still working on my new burn bar. Waiting on some answers from bote about it.


----------



## rex hungerford

I have the same issue. How are you going to move it back. I didn't notice it was hitting until I put a nice gouge in both the motor and rack. Do you know of a thick robber to adhere there.


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## rex hungerford

By the way, nice shot of you and the kid. I bet you're both having fun


----------



## rex hungerford

Anyone figured out how to use the wheels. I assume we all have the same trouble. They won't come off when it's in the water. They are also incredibly difficult to put on when you pull out. Has anyone attempted to make a PVC set of wheels.


----------



## TxRotor

After my first trip with the wheels I bought the trailer. The wheels are useless unless the motor is not on the bote. 

I used a 3/8 sheet of plywood. If the position works I will get a sheet of nylon to replace the plywood.


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## richg99

Tons of YouTube videos on making PVC kayak carts. I've made three sets over the years. If you add a forward extension and tie your line to it; slide the line through the bow fitting, you can tow her without worrying about the boat jumping off of the carrier. I should have a pix that will show what I just mentioned.


----------



## rex hungerford

' I have made a few in the past, but never thought to put a rope pull on it. good idea.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> So I have been tinkering with weight trim and prop. The 9pitc( is just to much prop. Same speed less RPMs and I don’t like that it badly makes 60% of what it should anyway. The 8 that comes with it is good but I’m still going to get the 7 and try it. I also sat on the front deck while running, and got 18mph. It was super squirrelly but it was faster. The bottom pin makes my outboard hit the motor rack. So I moved the motor back 1/2 in and will run on the bottom pin tomorrow to see if I can gain some more speed. I’m also still working on my new burn bar. Waiting on some answers from bote about it.





rex hungerford said:


> I have the same issue. How are you going to move it back. I didn't notice it was hitting until I put a nice gouge in both the motor and rack. Do you know of a thick robber to adhere there.


Any pictures of where your motor is contacting the Rack? I don't see it hitting with my Yam, but than again embarrassingly I haven't even got my Rover wet yet. Though it looks like I'm finally going to have a little time this weekend to play with it. Thanks in advance.


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## TxRotor

Have fun on it. It’s about time you get it in the water. Here’s a pic of mine pushed back with the plywood and where it hit before while on the lowest pin.

The rovers design about raising the bow out of the water is great. But it creates ALLOT of drag. So to minimize the drag running on the bottom pin will allow a little more stern lift without placing the bow in the water. It results in 2 mph better speed.

Now there is a guy in GA that has a 9.9 on his rover. This has me all wound up. Now he carries about 200lbs of gear each time he fished so the 9.9 is needed for that. He gets 18 mph with his boat full. I’m hoping to be able to try one this week. When I went to a 9.9 on the solo it became very unstable and would chine walk horribly. I do not think the rover will do this but we will see.

I also have the 7 pitch prop arriving this week. I think a combination of higher rpms, and pushing the engine back may be the trick on the 6 hp motor. But all will be revealed soon.


----------



## rex hungerford

Got the same damage on mine. I'm actually a little irritated about the design flaws all over this thing. Motor to tilted back. Pole holders all wrong. Grab rail lacking anchor points. Useless fins. Useless wheels. Wish I had spent the additional 15k and just got a real boat. Seat also needs a back. I could sit in my kayak longer. I get pretty tired on a bucket all day. 

Been out 4 times. I was able to paddle some, but really miss the pedals for stealth. Also really need a depth finder. Not many good places to put one. 

Carefull with piles in the back, water sprays all over them. As in drenched. They are better up front when motoring, but there on the wrong side of the grab rail in your face and blocking your hands. 
I sound like a crab but I really thought the basics would be worked out. Not so many details that are just wrong.


----------



## richg99

Unfortunately, most brand new designs have to be worked on. The first buyers are guinea pigs. 

Maybe the manufacturer will work with you if you ask.


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Have fun on it. It’s about time you get it in the water. Here’s a pic of mine pushed back with the plywood and where it hit before while on the lowest pin.
> 
> The rovers design about raising the bow out of the water is great. But it creates ALLOT of drag. So to minimize the drag running on the bottom pin will allow a little more stern lift without placing the bow in the water. It results in 2 mph better speed.
> 
> Now there is a guy in GA that has a 9.9 on his rover. This has me all wound up. Now he carries about 200lbs of gear each time he fished so the 9.9 is needed for that. He gets 18 mph with his boat full. I’m hoping to be able to try one this week. When I went to a 9.9 on the solo it became very unstable and would chine walk horribly. I do not think the rover will do this but we will see.
> 
> I also have the 7 pitch prop arriving this week. I think a combination of higher rpms, and pushing the engine back may be the trick on the 6 hp motor. But all will be revealed soon.


Ah perfect thank you. I was having trouble picturing it because I have mine set on the 3rd pin back (I went with trying to make mine level per Bote and of course haven't tried it to learn any different yet). 

Yes it is way past time for me to get out on it, I have had some fairly serious work commitments this past 3 weeks and I squeezed in a vacation (not a fishing vacation) with the wife so I've just not had the time. I will definitely get it out before long. Be interesting to see a 9.9 on one, though the added weight and torque applied by the motor thrust will hopefully not be an issue. 

Sounds like Rex is having a bit of trouble which is unfortunate I hope I don't run into the same things. I will report back and post come pictures of how things go. Also my wife wants to try it together... so that Might be interesting. 

Thanks for the great info.


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## catsNcoyotes

Hey Guys, new here and thanks to all of your posts. 
I have a rover and have fought through all the problems, or most I've read here.
The wheels are not easy to attach. I launch mostly at boat ramps and I carry a yoga mat with me to lay the board down to keep from scratching. No worries with the motor on if tipped tiller handle down. But, I scratched mine not knowing this. On the beach, grass or dirt they work adequately. I'm not a fan..... so I bought a trailer.
Its easy to launch with the trailer.
I finally was able to GPS speeds with mine also. I also have the Merc 6hp. My top speed is 11.8 mph. Much slower than advertised. After some measuring and getting my hard head out of my arse, I realized my cavitation plate is only about 1 inch below bottom of the board. Also appears to be about 1 inch of space between the bottom of the motorac and the stops inside the mounting holes. 
Here's my question. 
Is your rack pushed all the way into the mounting holes and touching the stops at the bottom? If so, how did you get the rack in that far? When the dealer mounted my motorac he had to spread the rack a little and forced it into the mounting holes. Hopefully I asked this so you know what i mean. Thanks.


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## rex hungerford

You are going to pull out, or push in the arms on the motor rack using the hitch of a truck. You need the large hitch with nothing in it. The legs on the rack will fit in the hole. Before you start bending stand the rack up and look at it. When your done you want it standing up straight. A leg or two is cocked in or out. Figure out which way you have to bend. Take the motor rack and sit behind your truck. Put one leg into the hole of the hitch. Insert it all the way up the plastic foot. Don't jerk it. Slow deliberate pull or push. Bracing a foot on the wheel helps. Try not to overbend. Slow deliberate movement. 

Again, look how it is out of alignment before you start.


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## rex hungerford

Also, the motor is going to ram the frame at the lowest setting. You have a couple choice. I have not decided myself. 1, build it out. Difficult as it is already a wide transom and maxes the clamps. 2. Use a hammer and ball peen to create a divot in the cross tube. I started to try this method and it took stronger blows than I anticipated. I want to get a loose peen to strike the hammer on before proceedings. It is necessary to do one or the other to tilt the motor lower and get the Rover to plane flat. Otherwise it is ass low and front up creating lots of drag.


----------



## catsNcoyotes

Rex thanks,
Yeah, mine drags ass low and I feel like it could plane out a little better. But, when I tilt my motor all the way forward the cav plate is not parallel to the bottom. Will this be an issue?
I just took my rack off and it is bottomed out. I see what you are saying. I'm gonna tweet it a tiny bit with a handyman jack.
But it is bottomed out. Will not go lower.
When you mounted your motor, did the cavitation plate sit 2 inches below the bottom of the board?
Mine is 1 inch. And the bottom cross member of the rack is 3 7/16" from the top of the board. I'm wondering if I should cut the frame down?


----------



## rex hungerford

You might want a tiller extension for 2 reason. 1 it gets you more forward and flattens the plane. 2. It gives a longer lever to control. I did not fish last day of ling season yesterday because I don't have one yet. It was a large tide and where I am, the large tides make standing waves and whirl pools. I was not comfortable with my ability to maintain control under those conditions. Some of our whirl pools suck down to a couple hundred feet. You don't come back from those. Be careful, it does move fast when set up correct but is pretty squirrelly.


----------



## rex hungerford

catsNcoyotes said:


> Rex thanks,
> Yeah, mine drags ass low and I feel like it could plane out a little better. But, when I tilt my motor all the way forward the cav plate is not parallel to the bottom. Will this be an issue?
> I just took my rack off and it is bottomed out. I see what you are saying. I'm gonna tweet it a tiny bit with a handyman jack.
> But it is bottomed out. Will not go lower.
> When you mounted your motor, did the cavitation plate sit 2 inches below the bottom of the board?
> Mine is 1 inch. And the bottom cross member of the rack is 3 7/16" from the top of the board. I'm wondering if I should cut the frame down?


When on a plane my cavitation plate it skimming the top of the water.


----------



## TxRotor

So after today’s adventure I can say the 8 pitch prop is the best prop. I have run the 7 and 9 for a while and the 16mph with the 8 on the second pin is the best I can get with the 6hp Tohatsu. Monday I pick up my 9.9 and am very excited to try it out. Had a stowaway while fishing today. He loved the rover and didn’t want to leave.


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## catsNcoyotes

Hey Texas,
Hitchhiker wasn't eating part of your finger you left on the prop, was he? LOL

Tohatsu is the same as Mercury right? Is your cavitation plate parallel to the bottom of the board? What is the spacing, mine is 1 inch? 

Did you make your motor rack? What is the square tubing in the pic?


----------



## TxRotor

Yes Merc Nissan and Tohatsu are the same. The square tube is an outboard motor lock.

So cavataion plate... I have messed with this thing obsessively for weeks now. I purchased 2 extra props, moved the Rac up down, motor back so it doesn’t hit on the lowest pin. But in the end the second pin with the 8 pitch that came with the motor is correct. My plate is 1.5” and tilted bow Down. 

I’m 215, I bring about 20 lbs of gear and a 25qt yeti with ice and snacks. I get 14-16mph. Not bad considering I have been paddleing for years at 3 mph. But I want a bit more. I think 20 would be best for me and I think the bote can handle it. So I’m going to try a 9.9 next week. There is a guy in GA that has a 9.9 on his rover and he loads it way over 500lbs and gets 18.

And I seriously hate the grab Rac. I’m trying to get a different grab bar fabricated but no luck so far. The front deck is so awesome to stand on and fish but each tine my fat ass tries to go around the bar I look like a seal on a beach ball.


----------



## catsNcoyotes

Tex, I'm smellin what yer steppin in brother. There are too many things about this board that are less than perfect. I've had issues from day one. But for me, the motor, stability, quietness, ease of poling/paddling and shallow water capabilities outweigh the issues. 
I'd say I have 6 rod holders that are worthless. Power pole bolts holes starboard side don't line up. The finish is sorry, and an oyster shell can scratch it like somebody went after it with a skill saw. The wheel rack takes about 3 people to insert and remove. Velcro tie downs are worthless in the sun. I could go on, but I still love the idea and I hope to make it perfect.
I appreciate all your posts, as they've helped with my mods.
Your speeds are really good. I carry less gear, and weigh about 175 and I can't get more than 12 mph. That's downstream. 8 upstream. We get some pretty good currents here. I'll try your setup and see. I have the luxury of NOT fishing on the weekends, so tomorrow.
Thanks again.


----------



## rex hungerford

When I am actually fishing, the only thing that beats it's deck space is a real boat. And real boat don't adjust the drift with a quite paddle. It is a nice platform to fish.

I love the Roto pole holder. That was a great suggestion.

I need to try some Scotty rail mounted pole holders on the rack. I need a place to stick the pole when I grab the paddle.


----------



## Piggy

Hey folks,

New to the forum, been fishing my Rover for about one week. Love the platform and the fishability but I am having serious issues.................................... I have been fishing is shallow rivers the past week with a top speed of 1MPH (No Motor on my board) yesterday I noticed a small 1 inch crack in the Gatorshell obviously this was concerning considering I thought the Gatorshell would protect against slow movement around river logs and rocks. I explained my use to multiple Bote sales reps and they assured me Gatorshell was the way to go......I guess not.................. I took the Bote off the trailer and into the garage to get it cleaned up assuming I would need to get the crack repaired (Very Small easy to fix). After cleaning the Rover and contacting Bote to talk about Repair, I noticed that my board was leaking a significant amount of water out of the motor rack mount. Has anyone else had this problem? I explained the situation to the Bote rep and he said "We have had multiple Motor Rack leaking issues, we are working on a solution"...........24hrs later I spoke with my rep on the phone and he said the solution was for them to develop a part and once its done they will send it to me for installation by a "fiberglass repair shop"..........................I just spent 4k on a product why would I get a third party repair shop involved and if I am not the first to have this problem why are they continuing selling Boats they know might possibley leak or have a major manufacturing flaw. Any help or anyone else with this type of problem please advise as I am getting worried about next steps. Thanks.

Piggy


----------



## coopdog

I stopped by the Bote store yesterday to take a look at the Rovers in person. They are now offering the Rover with a Bote branded motor (he believed it was the Tohatsu/Mercury) for $4,000. The motor only comes with a 30 day warranty.


----------



## TxRotor

Ok so i got bored an made a mock up of what I’m going to have fabricated in aluminum. I will try it out this weekend while trying out the 9.9 motor i bought. Should allow free access to the bow for fishing and permit me to move more forward to increase top speed.


----------



## catsNcoyotes

Okay, I got a little tied up and wasn't able to get out until today. 
I used Tex's setting for my motor and the results were similar. Although I didn't GPS my speeds, it was definitely not 6 mph faster. 
I went to a little place that is very narrow and windy and it was plenty fast for there. 
Something I wanted to mention that I wasn't sure if you guys have experienced. While making the tight turns going up the river, into the current, the bote would occasionally experience what I would describe as wheel wobble. It happened to the point of me having to throttle down to regain control. I actually felt as if I might tip over without slowing. Never experienced this in a boat before. It was quite strange. It might be the fact that I am standing and holding onto the grab rac in the front position with a tiller handle extension. Weird.
I will put some more effort into the speed issue out in the big water.


----------



## catsNcoyotes

That is cool Tex. I was thinking of removing my grab rac and using a rope tied to the bow handle for stability and extending my tiller extension. Need a longer kill switch cord too.


----------



## Tailer

catsNcoyotes said:


> Need a longer kill switch cord too.


You can make a short tether out of any cordage you have laying around and attach it to your standard kill switch cord. I first saw this setup on one of Steve Huff's skiffs and I've been using it since on all my skiffs. Here's a pic of the setup on a Gheenoe I had a few years back. I use hollow braided dacron cord that's typically used for sail rigging. It's easy to splice and comfortable to wear around your wrist.


----------



## TxRotor

So GREAT test this weekend with my Rover. Took it up to my parents lake house to play and test the new outboard. My $250 9.9 i found works like a charm. This skiff is a totally new boat with the 9.9. Very stable, very fast (20mph) and still sips gas. 

The 2 stroke gets all the rpms it should unlike its 4 stroke counterparts. I did find out that the tiller extension i have is just too flimsy so i built a new one out of PVC. It’s 3 ft long and allows me to step much more forward on the deck to run. The outboard is heavier, but about 15lbs, but that doesn’t amount to much on the rover. It still sit very high in the water and rear spray is the same as the 6hp tohatsu. Only real difference is increase speed. I’m very confident that the 9.9 makes no increase in torque on the transom, or any negative effect to the board. I spent allot of time looking at the motor rac as i ran to look for any difference between the 6hp and the 9.9. 

The prototype grab bar was very flimsy so I built a second version out of SCH 80 Grey PVC Conduit and its rock solid now. I will not have to build a metal version because this is plenty stable enough to use. And the deck is totally usable now. 

The lake house has very limited internet so pictures is all i can provide, but i will shoot some drone video and some running video to show how it does with the 9.9 next weekend.


----------



## richg99

I have to say that I am impressed! Well done.


----------



## rex hungerford

nice job on the single bar. I like. What size PVC is it? 1.5"


----------



## rex hungerford

So I have a real question. Has anyone had a problem with the Rover taking water into the hull. I keep mine in my garage on a roof rack. After my last trip there was water on the floor. It would not go away. I started looking for a leak in the bathroom but found nothing wrong with the house. I finally started feeing around the boat thinking I left water on the deck. It was bone dry. A little more searching and I found water leaking from the moto rack hole. There is a little ledge a couple inches up and water was dripping out of it for 2 weeks. At this point 2 weeks into the mess I put a pan below it and in a couple days had a couple cups water. It finally stopped but I assumed there was more in there so I tilted up the opposite side from the leak and sure enough it started again about 1 drop per 2 seconds. Over the next 24 hour another cup of water came out. I asked Bote about this. I sent the best pictures I could. So far I have only received request for more pictures form Shelby. I tried today but it's impossible to see the actual leak as there is a ledge to set the drop of the moto rack. It blocks visibility to the ledge below. 

Kind of bummed. I like my Rover but it may be too squirrelly for me, a 52 year old guy in the San Juan islands. We just have big water. Tides moving up to 7 knots that make standing waves and big whirl pools. I get pretty freaked out when I have to work through some spots I get into. I have to climb behind my cooler and lay on top of it, gripping the rack to hang on. I would never go out in bad weather, but for example, in a Friends 19 foot Hewes with offshore bracket, I about pooped my pants as a passenger coming back from a shrimping trip. The wind picked up and tide went out making standing waves a good 6 feet tall. That is unusual but can happen. I will probably have to sell my bote, but a boat with a leak is not sellable. I kind of fear they will tell me I live to far to do anything and the hull is full of foam so ignore it. I really don't know what they will do. It sucks any way, for me and them.


----------



## krash

Don;t have a Bote... but in general as an SUP/Paddleboard person water intursion inside the hull can become a real problem as the water gets trapped and can cause mold. I believe both builds the Epoxy and GatorShell have an internal eps-foam inner structure and even though the foam is supposedly closed cell foam water can penetrate the cracks and crevices in the foam.
Think of a bean bag you rip open and thousands of tiny different size and shape little styro-foam beads spill out everywhere... now scoop up a few hand-full's, add a little adhesive, compress them into a block, now shave that down to the shape of the board... there will be little cracks, crevices, and tunnels that if soaked with water will hold that water for long time. Water is tricky stuff when it comes to finding the path of least resistance to flow downhill.

There are many post are around the internet about how to try and get that water out without totally ripping off the outer layers covering the eps-foam. Gravity, Heat, Vacuum....

I'd strongly suggest pushing hard on the dealer/distributor you purchased it from and/or Bote, on the issue as a possible warranty issue so long as you have not voided the warranty in any way.


----------



## TxRotor

rex hungerford said:


> nice job on the single bar. I like. What size PVC is it? 1.5"


It’s 1” sch 80 pvc.


----------



## Rover

coopdog said:


> I stopped by the Bote store yesterday to take a look at the Rovers in person. They are now offering the Rover with a Bote branded motor (he believed it was the Tohatsu/Mercury) for $4,000. The motor only comes with a 30 day warranty.


I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.

Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.

I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units. 

I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....


----------



## Rover

@TxRotor awesome job with everything, I (we) appreciate all the work you're doing and posting to keep us all informed on how your Rover is doing, and the work you're doing with it. How has the gas tank solution been? 

I apologize I've been offline here for at least a couple weeks, I have been ridiculously busy at work, but I should be getting some time off (about a week) over the holiday. 

My Rover has been awesome, it actually paddles surprisingly well, I was more than impressed. No real photos of me rocking it in the river but it was a good time. I'll agree with all the others that stated, the wheels, SUCK... I mean they're great to jockey the Rover around my garage but as far as launching, or worse yet getting them back on they are *@&%-ing ridiculous, I am working on designing something better and fabricating it, perhaps something that tilts up off the rear rack. Truthfully almost anything would be better. I haven't bought a Jet Ski trailer yet, but I imagine that's in my near future.


----------



## TxRotor

So the rotopax did eventually leak. The bouncing with the fuel line on was the culprit. I had abandoned the idea of an external tank until I got the 9.9. I’ll be out in the rover tomorrow morning and will have some cool video to share.


----------



## TxRotor

Quick edit video

https://www.facebook.com/groups/454928238272970/permalink/489694374796356/


----------



## Rover

TxRotor said:


> Quick edit video
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/454928238272970/permalink/489694374796356/


This one won’t play if I’m not a FB member, which I’m not....


----------



## cmoss

Can yall share how you have your fish finder, battery, and transducer are installed on the bote rover?


----------



## Keith Maestas

And then there is the inflatable Rover...


----------



## Rover

Keith Maestas said:


> And then there is the inflatable Rover...


Yeah, they launched it on instagram a few weeks back. Kind of intriguing it’s a little shorter and a whole lot easier to move around. 

My apologies for being checked out of this thread for so long... it is after all summer, and as I’m sure most of you are it’s silly busy. 

Hope everyone is out enjoying themselves on their Rover or whatever craft they choose. I haven’t been on the water much at all do to work obligations and vacations but fall is an amazing time to fish up here. 

Hope everyone is doing well!


----------



## Kamp

Hello all,
I’ve thumbed through this thread looking for some info. I’m looking to order a rotopax set up and I’m trying to figure out the largest one I can fit on my Rover with a 6hp Merc. It seems that Bote recommends the 1 gallon size. As of now I only want to mount one so I’d like it to be more than a gallon. Anyone able to utilize a larger size? 

I also figured I’d comment on some of the past threads. So far I’ve been enjoying my GS classic with the 6hp Merc. I ordered the wheels but sent them back after the frame bent under the weight of the whole set up as well as the tires developing a oval memory. I built a pvc one which folded under the weight. Built a metal one with wheelbarrow tires which works great. I’ll try and post some pics later. Ive been using marine epoxy to fix dings and scratches. I’ve had in a lake, bay, and about a mile out in the surf and I’ve been pleased with the performance. I appreciate the thread on mounting the Rotogrips. Been planning to purchase those soon since the existing paddle slot is kinda useless. I’ll share any more discoveries as they come.


----------



## Rover

Kamp said:


> Hello all,
> I’ve thumbed through this thread looking for some info. I’m looking to order a rotopax set up and I’m trying to figure out the largest one I can fit on my Rover with a 6hp Merc. It seems that Bote recommends the 1 gallon size. As of now I only want to mount one so I’d like it to be more than a gallon. Anyone able to utilize a larger size?
> 
> I also figured I’d comment on some of the past threads. So far I’ve been enjoying my GS classic with the 6hp Merc. I ordered the wheels but sent them back after the frame bent under the weight of the whole set up as well as the tires developing a oval memory. I built a pvc one which folded under the weight. Built a metal one with wheelbarrow tires which works great. I’ll try and post some pics later. Ive been using marine epoxy to fix dings and scratches. I’ve had in a lake, bay, and about a mile out in the surf and I’ve been pleased with the performance. I appreciate the thread on mounting the Rotogrips. Been planning to purchase those soon since the existing paddle slot is kinda useless. I’ll share any more discoveries as they come.


1 gallon is the absolute biggest. Without question


----------



## Rover

Clearance is VERY VERY close the next size up while it may not seem like it is much larger..... of course an Aluminum or Stainless plate on those rear power pole holes could provide addition options although at that point why not just throw the second one on there in the spot that’s there i suppose.


----------



## Kamp

Thanks for the response. I guess it still better than strapping those 1 litter trufuel cans to the rack like I’ve been doing.


----------



## Rover

Kamp said:


> Thanks for the response. I guess it still better than strapping those 1 litter trufuel cans to the rack like I’ve been doing.


No problem. But now you owe me a picture of your cart...

Also another option might be an MSR fuel bottle. I’ve had very good luck carrying extra fuel in those and while it might not mount it could certainly strap to the deck or sit in a bag. Check them out. They’re designed to carry white gas.


----------



## Kamp

I went out to the closest oil rig off crystal beach the other day carrying about 4 1 liter trufuel cans. Only used 2 of them. I think I’ll stick with that method for a while. Here’s some Picts of the dolly I build. I was able to briefly stand on the Rover while on the dolly. It’s pretty much a beefed up replica of the one Bote offers.


----------



## Kamp

The one I built works great for loading and unloading as well a storing the Rover at the house, but as far as getting it in place at a launch point I’ve been using a C-Tugg a friend gave me. I outfitted it with a ratchet strap to hold it in place. This was a lot easier to get in place in the water.


----------



## richg99

As far as your DIY trolley/dolly..Nice work...However, from my kayak days, I remember that most of the leaks that people had came from Scupper mounted dollies. It seems that the pressures put on the holes from the dollies working back and forth weakened the thin plastic. Makes sense. I know that Hobie sells scupper mounted dollies,....but?? 

I made a number of PVC dollies for my yaks. I eliminated the need to strap the dolly on by using a PVC extension in front of the axle and tying a "pull rope" onto it. By leading that rope through the forward handle, the dolly followed along easily. Just FYI.


----------



## Kamp

I see that working as well, I’ll try putting a guide rope on the C-Tugg so I don’t have to ratchet into place.


----------



## richg99

If you add a rope to any trolley that doesn't have the extension, you will have to make it a ..V.. shaped connection to keep the rope centered. I'm sure that you knew that, but......


----------



## Shane Eikenberry

New here! Actually joined because of this thread. I have the Rover Gatorshell Classic with 6hp Merc. The board has been incredible! My only issue is the MotoRack, my manual and the sticker on the board said "RotoPax Compatible" however when i went to mount my RotoPax the mounts didn't line up, contacted Bote and they said they switched to a new "JerryKan" mount (their version of RotoPax), they sent me 2 of them and they're terrible, the spout doesn't fit into the can once removed, there are shards of red plastic falling on the inside and the overall plasticy(?) feel it just bad. Has anyone found a way to continue to use the RotoPax with this newer MotoRac? *Also Don't get the WheelRac it's just a hassle, i'd go with the Malone Rack on Amazon.


----------



## Shane Eikenberry

Sorry to hear this, Interested to see how it plays out. My overall experience with the board has been great...the experience with the company has been another story. Ive had multiple issues since owning it (3 months) and the company has been terrible to deal with. Please keep us posted on the results. Good luck!



rex hungerford said:


> So I have a real question. Has anyone had a problem with the Rover taking water into the hull. I keep mine in my garage on a roof rack. After my last trip there was water on the floor. It would not go away. I started looking for a leak in the bathroom but found nothing wrong with the house. I finally started feeing around the boat thinking I left water on the deck. It was bone dry. A little more searching and I found water leaking from the moto rack hole. There is a little ledge a couple inches up and water was dripping out of it for 2 weeks. At this point 2 weeks into the mess I put a pan below it and in a couple days had a couple cups water. It finally stopped but I assumed there was more in there so I tilted up the opposite side from the leak and sure enough it started again about 1 drop per 2 seconds. Over the next 24 hour another cup of water came out. I asked Bote about this. I sent the best pictures I could. So far I have only received request for more pictures form Shelby. I tried today but it's impossible to see the actual leak as there is a ledge to set the drop of the moto rack. It blocks visibility to the ledge below.
> 
> Kind of bummed. I like my Rover but it may be too squirrelly for me, a 52 year old guy in the San Juan islands. We just have big water. Tides moving up to 7 knots that make standing waves and big whirl pools. I get pretty freaked out when I have to work through some spots I get into. I have to climb behind my cooler and lay on top of it, gripping the rack to hang on. I would never go out in bad weather, but for example, in a Friends 19 foot Hewes with offshore bracket, I about pooped my pants as a passenger coming back from a shrimping trip. The wind picked up and tide went out making standing waves a good 6 feet tall. That is unusual but can happen. I will probably have to sell my bote, but a boat with a leak is not sellable. I kind of fear they will tell me I live to far to do anything and the hull is full of foam so ignore it. I really don't know what they will do. It sucks any way, for me and them.


nter


----------



## paint it black

Rover said:


> *I looked hard at Hobies and Jackson’s but in the end being able to stand and cast a clear deck (with a fly rod) was a way bigger selling point to me over the motor.* And i just couldn’t live with the limited range of a SUP alone.


I have a Jackson Kayak Mayfly, it was designed specifically for standing up while fly fishing. I love the Jackson. I also have a couple Live Watersports L2Fish boards that I love, which guys have been putting motors on them as well. Have you checked out the new Blue Sky Boatworks? They run motors on those too. 

This Rover looks cool, and has intrigued me. A few years ago, I fell in love with the idea of fishing alone. So I sold my skiff and bought a Cayo paddle board. I learned quickly that it was a huge mistake. haha Not to knock the board, it performed well. I just hated that I had to pick and choose what days to fish. Fast forward, I have upgraded paddle boards, have a few kayaks and a couple skiffs. I would still love to add a Rover or two to my arsenal. The ability to fish alone, but still go far is what excites me. I have some bonefish grounds where the Rover would be ideal. Most manufactures are starting to get into this market space. The market is waiting for this, with Solo Skiff coming out quite a few years ago, it has pushed others to make a product to compete. You will see a lot of manufactures coming out with a product for this category. So far, I like what I see from the Rover. It appears to be the first one designed specifically for fly fishing with a motor. It's like a finalized Solo Skiff. As if the solo skiff was a rough draft for the Rover. 

While the videos so far that Bote has put out are showcasing them running around like jetskis, I believe they can be a powerful tool to get to hard to reach places. If someone would make a real fly fishing film using Rovers, I'm sure more people will see the value in such a small platform that can get you to places paddling simply wouldn't.


----------



## paint it black

Rover said:


> Im open to any part... but from my Brief research it seems the Beaufort Area is TOP notch. I’m open to any suggestion and i would love water access for my Rover from the campsite but if not something at least near by.
> 
> I’ll be camping out of an “overlanding” built Tacoma so I’d like to find a tent sight with facilities near by. Everything else i can handle. I’m very open to suggestions.
> 
> Dates I’m looking at are Oct 1-11


I should be in Beaufort SC Oct 1-4 fishing the floods. That's my favorite area of SC to fish. You can watch one of my films from fishing out there.


----------



## rex hungerford

Have you seen there is an inflatable Rover now. Still 67 lbs. Must be pretty heavy fabric. Rover went into the pacific a few weeks ago. Did well. I drilled 2 holes in the top and set it upside down for a day to drain. I guess that deals with the leak. I am thinking of taking the cooler rack and mounting plywood on top and putting a seat with a back there. I need to sit at times. I could put a swivel base on it for ease of driving.

Anyone found a way to deal with the motor bottoming out on the rack rail? I tried to bend the base post but that is not happening. I could pound it out, or cut if out, but I don't like radical changes as such.


----------



## Rover

I haven't been on here much, this summer has been insane for me at work, and I've barely used my Rover, in fact I posted I was going to sell but the wife wants to keep it.

On that note what is the best trailer for it? My real issue with the Rover is transport, I wanted it to use in my truck bed but that's virtually impossible, I saw a single person jet ski trailer I think that looked awesome and seemed to fit perfect. Anyone have any really good trailering solutions?

Also any killer pics with your Rover and some fish to get me in the mood to wet a line? I'm thinking I might spring for a trailer and fish fall/ late fall musky...

Hope everyone is having fun!


----------



## benjiewise

rex hungerford said:


> So I have a real question. Has anyone had a problem with the Rover taking water into the hull. I keep mine in my garage on a roof rack. After my last trip there was water on the floor. It would not go away. I started looking for a leak in the bathroom but found nothing wrong with the house. I finally started feeing around the boat thinking I left water on the deck. It was bone dry. A little more searching and I found water leaking from the moto rack hole. There is a little ledge a couple inches up and water was dripping out of it for 2 weeks. At this point 2 weeks into the mess I put a pan below it and in a couple days had a couple cups water. It finally stopped but I assumed there was more in there so I tilted up the opposite side from the leak and sure enough it started again about 1 drop per 2 seconds. Over the next 24 hour another cup of water came out. I asked Bote about this. I sent the best pictures I could. So far I have only received request for more pictures form Shelby. I tried today but it's impossible to see the actual leak as there is a ledge to set the drop of the moto rack. It blocks visibility to the ledge below.
> 
> Kind of bummed. I like my Rover but it may be too squirrelly for me, a 52 year old guy in the San Juan islands. We just have big water. Tides moving up to 7 knots that make standing waves and big whirl pools. I get pretty freaked out when I have to work through some spots I get into. I have to climb behind my cooler and lay on top of it, gripping the rack to hang on. I would never go out in bad weather, but for example, in a Friends 19 foot Hewes with offshore bracket, I about pooped my pants as a passenger coming back from a shrimping trip. The wind picked up and tide went out making standing waves a good 6 feet tall. That is unusual but can happen. I will probably have to sell my bote, but a boat with a leak is not sellable. I kind of fear they will tell me I live to far to do anything and the hull is full of foam so ignore it. I really don't know what they will do. It sucks any way, for me and them.



Whatever happened to your warranty claim?


----------



## KurtActual

Looks basic to me. The Academy Sporting Goods stores in Texas sell trailers like these for $499


----------



## Rover

KurtActual said:


> Looks basic to me. The Academy Sporting Goods stores in Texas sell trailers like these for $499


Looks perfect to me. That’s just what I need.


----------



## miki_dora

@Rover hey thanks for all the info/ pics you've shared here... I just ordered the same Bote, with the same truck and intentions, but it sounds like you'd do things a bit different? Before I break out the Wheel Rac and Boonedox bed extender... sounds like you'd tell me to just spring for a trailer? 

my goal/ hope was to be as lean as possible (no trailer)... and capable of solo missions. most of your challenge was loading/ unloading at the ramp or...?


----------



## Rover

miki_dora said:


> @Rover hey thanks for all the info/ pics you've shared here... I just ordered the same Bote, with the same truck and intentions, but it sounds like you'd do things a bit different? Before I break out the Wheel Rac and Boonedox bed extender... sounds like you'd tell me to just spring for a trailer?
> 
> my goal/ hope was to be as lean as possible (no trailer)... and capable of solo missions. most of your challenge was loading/ unloading at the ramp or...?



Yes. It’s just about impossible to get off the wheels and in and out of a truck solo. Even with my wife’s help it’s barely doable. With a trailer it’s a 1 min job. 

My advice is get a trailer for sure. It’s worth the small expense.


----------



## Dwargo440

Hello All,
After well over a month my account has finally been accepted by microskiff.com

I want to thank everyone for their contributions to this forum especially towards the Bote Rover. It has helped a lot in setting mine up and getting the most out of it.
View attachment 45130


----------



## Dwargo440

There is a "BOTE Rover Owners" group over on facebook as well with 80+ members and a fair amount of knowledge as well.


----------



## Shane Eikenberry

benjiewise said:


> Whatever happened to your warranty claim?


I had the same issue. My leak was coming from the Motorac mounts. Bote Sent me some epoxy and PVC to fix it. Very disappointed in how they handled it.


----------



## Dwargo440

Shane Eikenberry said:


> I had the same issue. My leak was coming from the Motorac mounts. Bote Sent me some epoxy and PVC to fix it. Very disappointed in how they handled it.


Any photos of the repair?


----------



## miki_dora

couple maiden voyage pics of my Rover few weeks back. still trying to figure out the best solo transport method in and out of the truck bed... is it really a DIY PVC dolly, or modified C-Tug? would love to see Landing Gear make a custom solution, not sure if anything they offer modifies well? planning to get a trailer for ease... but still want the optionality of a versatile and solo truck bed solution for stealth remote launches, 300 mile treks up/ down I-75, etc.


----------



## rex hungerford

If you have the Bote wheels, pull the plug off the end. Shove a 1/2" stainless tube steel down the hole. It will just fit. When it bottoms out, pull it back up a quarter inch then saw it off flush with the top of the wheel tube. Knock it back down as far as you can and put the plastic cap back on. When you go to launch, I pull the motor off and lean it against the cooler, then tilt the bote over on its side and pull the wheels out. 

Got the salmon this year.


----------



## rex hungerford

Dwargo440 said:


> Any photos of the repair?


I drilled 2 small holes in the top at the very back. When I get home I have to drop it in my yard, flip it over, raise the front and let it drain. It's a pain in the xxxxxx. I use to hose it off well on my car, they put it on its garage rack. Lot more headache now. Takes hours to drain out. 

I carry it on the top of the car. See my Jerry rig rack. Best rack I ever had. Super solid. Oddly Its easy to one man load. I put a yoga mat with a towel at the correct distance from the car to line up the butt of the Bote and front to rack edge. Huuuuu. Let me go on. When I lift the from, I lay it in the crotch of the side and front rack rail. Then I start pushing from the back forward up the side while lifting. It slides right on and off. I'm probably having to lift 60 lbs but its easier than lifting it with a buddy and putting it up.


----------



## Douglasfishing

Hi All,
I am new to the forum and just purchased a Rover a few weeks ago. I have it powered by a new Mercury 6HP and I am having issues with it. I am relatively new to owning boats myself so I was hoping someone with more experience could help me out.

When using the internal tank it seems every time I tilt the engine up to paddle in shallow areas it will not start back up. Usually waiting 15 minutes or so will do the trick but recently it did not start up even after waiting about a half hour (gas level was fine). It’s almost like unless I have this thing straight up and down it floods and will not start back up. Does anyone else have this issue? In the manual it claims you can transport the engine tiller side down and I assumed you would be able to tilt it as well without any problems. I have followed all instructions to exactly the way the manual states. Any input would be much appreciated, I am a rookie. Thanks ahead of time!


----------



## rex hungerford

You should not have this issue. You should be able to power it with it tilted part way up for shallow water use. it should tilt all the way up for launching or what have you, then go back down and start right up. Talk to Bote. It should be under warranty.


----------



## richg99

I know nothing about your motor but did find this reference on the web. I wonder if you have a fuel valve or switch that should be turned off before you tilt, and turned back on after tilting. It sounds like your motor is getting flooded.

https://theboatgalley.com/outboard-wont-start-101/
"Tank Switch. If your motor has both an in-motor gas tank and an external tank, there will be a switch to choose which tank the motor is using (it’s usually on the front of the motor). Make sure it’s set to the correct one! It can easily get bumped to the wrong position when the motor is removed or put back on the dinghy, or when the motor is tilted up and down."


----------



## taffrail

TxRotor said:


> Quick edit video
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/454928238272970/permalink/489694374796356/


For some reason this link won't work for me. I live in the Coastal Bend. I am wondering how the 9.9 is going. Going to be buying a Rover in the next few weeks and have to make a decision about the motor. You Tube guy, Thresher Fishing, put a 9.9 on his, did one video with it and not another word about it. Did you order direct or use a dealer? Any help is greatly appreciated. I am 72 and am so looking forward to this board, skiff, boat.


----------



## taffrail

Rover said:


> I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.
> 
> Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.
> 
> I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units.
> 
> I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....


Here is their story. https://www.hideaoutboardmotors.com/

That deal for $600 is really cheap compared to their MSRP.


----------



## rex hungerford

I'm gonna sell my Rover complete. Merc 6. Gas tanks and mounts etc. Interested 
(206) 949-5739


----------



## taffrail

Spoke to Katy at Bote via e-mail. Company line is: Motor Rac leak issue is fixed, 9.9 hp is fine to use, no problems, customer service (as opposed to sales) is open 7 days a week, and boards are built "overseas". In my reply I asked them to change the hp rating to 9.9 or 10hp.


----------



## Guest

Fun bump!


----------



## Rover

Starting to plan some trips south with mine now.... FL Keys here I come!


----------



## Guest

Post pics!


----------



## Ryanva

I plan on getting one in March, I can’t wait.


----------



## Francisco

Rover boat for sale text me for more info: 407-6804545


----------



## Francisco

taffrail said:


> For some reason this link won't work for me. I live in the Coastal Bend. I am wondering how the 9.9 is going. Going to be buying a Rover in the next few weeks and have to make a decision about the motor. You Tube guy, Thresher Fishing, put a 9.9 on his, did one video with it and not another word about it. Did you order direct or use a dealer? Any help is greatly appreciated. I am 72 and am so looking forward to this board, skiff, boat.


I have a rover boat for sale, brand new with accessories, engine and trailer


----------



## taffrail

Francisco said:


> I have a rover boat for sale, brand new with accessories, engine and trailer


I am sorry. I will never buy another boat motor that does not have warranty time left. Lots of it. As to the Rover, I want the gator shell camo IF any Rover at all.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

Francisco said:


> I have a rover boat for sale, brand new with accessories, engine and trailer


Are you the guy that sank his?


----------



## Francisco

taffrail said:


> I am sorry. I will never buy another boat motor that does not have warranty time left. Lots of it. As to the Rover, I want the gator shell camo IF any Rover at all.


It’s gatorshell


----------



## Guest

Francisco said:


> It’s gatorshell


Pics, or it didn’t happen!


----------



## trekker

$500 for a Chinese motor. Nah.


----------



## taffrail

trekker said:


> $500 for a Chinese motor. Nah.


$1050 for a 9.9 Chinese motor. Check out where your motor was made.


----------



## Rover

Tohatsu- Japan
Merc- Japan (by Tohatsu)
Suzuki- Japan
Yamaha- Japan 

This is for small outboards. I do think most of these companies have multiple sites, for instance Yamaha has a plant in Brazil as well...


----------



## Francisco

Boatbrains said:


> Pics, or it didn’t happen!


----------



## Francisco

Yamaha 6 hp for sale 2016


----------



## Rover

Are you a BOTE dealer?


----------



## Francisco

Rover said:


> Are you a BOTE dealer?


No, I just need a bigger boat


----------



## taffrail

I am very sorry I brought the subject up. For instance Evinrude produces all of the ETEC motors in the US but their small motors are made by someone else. Mercury and Yamaha make parts for each other. Tohatsu makes motors for about everyone (all Nissan products). And (GASP) some of the parts used, if not complete motors are made in China. (suprise.....). However nailing all of this down could take weeks if not months. There is much error involved. So forget I asked. I will say this: Hidea seems to be a very reputable company with a good product. Don't know. This is the motor Bote uses for the Rover. Bote does offer it at a serious discount from MSRP only with a board from them.


----------



## Chris Sautter

Rover said:


> View attachment 27366
> 
> Micro Power Pole down
> View attachment 27367
> 
> Paddled with motor
> View attachment 27368
> 
> As a Fly Fishing platform
> View attachment 27369
> 
> Under Power
> View attachment 27491
> 
> "Wheel Rac"
> View attachment 27489
> 
> A view of the "paddle sheath" and 2 add on Roto-Pack gas cans
> View attachment 27490
> 
> General Rover Info, where stuff goes.
> 
> 
> 
> (all pictures borrowed from Google Images)
> 
> Have one? Want one? Think they're the stupidest thing ever designed? or the greatest thing since high modulus graphite? Everyone is welcome to share their opinions!
> 
> 
> *Disclaimer- I have absolutely no affiliation with Bote or any other watersports company*
> 
> 
> Now that we have all that out of the way let the fun begin:


----------



## dak

What is the height at the back of a BOTE from the bottom to the deck? It looks much thicker than a standard paddle board.


----------



## taffrail

Bote says it is 6 inches.


----------



## dak

taffrail said:


> Bote says it is 6 inches.


Are you refering to where it says COCKPIT DEPTH? I thought that was referring to the rail height.


----------



## taffrail

You are right. The sides would be a bit deeper. Wait. No they show that from the outside when speaking of stability. It is the thickness.


----------



## Silvertt

Hey guys - Great info on here. I am trying to decide between the Rover Gatorshell and the Rover Aero. 

My use case is a very short trip (about 3/4 mile) to where I moor our boat for me and one of my small children or wife (if possible) if not, will just be me solo to get the boat. May also use it for fishing in some of the shallow water ways. Will run the Hidea 6hp. The trick is I have to drag / roll it over about a 50ft section of sand / rocks. So the Aero was initially interesting to me but I hear you have to flip it over to use the wheel rac...and the wheel rac also pretty much sucks from what I hear. 

So has anyone run both boats back to back or have any experience between the two? I don’t see any comments really at all (after reading through all 18pgs!) on the Aero. If anyone has one...would really be great to hear some feedback good / bad, etc. Thank you.


----------



## BonfireNSB

What if somebody could make it better in America? What if it cost half as much? 
What if it weighed half as much?
Any takers?


----------



## krash

Could you make it weigh and cost half as much ?

What is that diamond hatch work material on the exterior ?


----------



## BonfireNSB

Everything black is carbon fiber. This is an unpainted prototype. All of the dual reinforcement areas (six circles in the foredeck and four circles on standing area as well as bow and stern) have hi density foam insterts carefully routed and sank with epoxy to make the Accessories attachment points bulletproof. I honestly only made it because I couldn’t believe how much they wanted for a rover. I have made thousands of paddle boards and surfboards here in Edgewater Florida for the past 15 years. I could honestly make these all day for 1/2 the price and half the weight. I’ll post some build pictures later.


----------



## taffrail

Don't see any side rails. Do see a 2hp instead of a 9hp motor. No racks?? Board actually looks pretty good.


----------



## kbanashek

Silvertt said:


> Hey guys - Great info on here. I am trying to decide between the Rover Gatorshell and the Rover Aero.
> 
> My use case is a very short trip (about 3/4 mile) to where I moor our boat for me and one of my small children or wife (if possible) if not, will just be me solo to get the boat. May also use it for fishing in some of the shallow water ways. Will run the Hidea 6hp. The trick is I have to drag / roll it over about a 50ft section of sand / rocks. So the Aero was initially interesting to me but I hear you have to flip it over to use the wheel rac...and the wheel rac also pretty much sucks from what I hear.
> 
> So has anyone run both boats back to back or have any experience between the two? I don’t see any comments really at all (after reading through all 18pgs!) on the Aero. If anyone has one...would really be great to hear some feedback good / bad, etc. Thank you.


Looks like the board does not require to be flipped over to wheel it:
https://www.boteboard.com/uploaded/thumbnails/attachments-wheel-rac-04_4925_500xauto.jpg

Product page w/demo vid: https://www.boteboard.com/product/wheel-rac/


----------



## LTChip

BonfireNSB said:


> Everything black is carbon fiber. This is an unpainted prototype. All of the dual reinforcement areas (six circles in the foredeck and four circles on standing area as well as bow and stern) have hi density foam insterts carefully routed and sank with epoxy to make the Accessories attachment points bulletproof. I honestly only made it because I couldn’t believe how much they wanted for a rover. I have made thousands of paddle boards and surfboards here in Edgewater Florida for the past 15 years. I could honestly make these all day for 1/2 the price and half the weight. I’ll post some build pictures later.


Interested


----------



## BonfireNSB

These are pics of the board before glassing. All of the green is hi density foam. It was all layered 3” with epoxy and flush sanded. I don’t believe it’s very safe to be flying around at 15mph on a paddle board. That is what my flats boat is for. This board I made keeps it very simple. It floats in nothing. I can carry it with one hand and the motor in the other. The motor is just for putting to your destination. No gizmos means no weight and less holes to fail and cause water intrusion. Just bring a spinner and a bucket livewell or a fly rod and a bottle of water. This board is 12’ long x 36” wide and that is plenty stable. Even for me and I am 6’4” and 250lbs. IMHO if you have 5k to shell out go buy a skiff and trailer that sucker to the ramp. I will make this board for anybody anytime and they can customize the attachment layout however they want. Including a transom bracket and pad for 1600 bucks. DM me on here Or if you have Instagram look me up @halifaxglassing


----------



## richg99

Bonfire...I suspect that the reasons that the rover and other small craft cost so much more than yours.... are...
#1. Retailers can nearly double the cost to them. 
#2. Shipping is a big part of the cost involved..
#3. Patents and advertising all take their toll on the final price to the user. 

That said, if you can make a profit and sell a comparable board for a better price, your local market should keep you busy, as long as you can get the word out. Wish you were in Texas, so I could see your product in person.


----------



## Salt N Blood

BonfireNSB said:


> Everything black is carbon fiber. This is an unpainted prototype. All of the dual reinforcement areas (six circles in the foredeck and four circles on standing area as well as bow and stern) have hi density foam insterts carefully routed and sank with epoxy to make the Accessories attachment points bulletproof. I honestly only made it because I couldn’t believe how much they wanted for a rover. I have made thousands of paddle boards and surfboards here in Edgewater Florida for the past 15 years. I could honestly make these all day for 1/2 the price and half the weight. I’ll post some build pictures later.


I own a Bote Rackham with every accessory. It tracks beautifully and the way you can set up the board to fish with them is great BUT I’d have to agree the Rover seems overpriced. I called and emailed them to see if they’d offer me a deal as a repeat client and nothing...Also, the boards which are not gatorshell, like mine, are VERY fragile. They should sell them with epoxy and fiberglass diy videos. ‍♂. Hopefully they’ll become more reasonable down the line.


----------



## krash

Its what the market will bear... price has come way down on knockoffs and mass produced for the big box store recreational SUP's, but not specialized "fishing" boards.


----------



## Salt N Blood

Well my board, the rackham, which is specialized for fishing went from $2400 to $1800 (a 25% reduction in price) now so it has come down, but it’s been out on the market longer.
The Rover looks like a modification of a board from New Zealand without the rack receivers http://stealthkayaks.co.za/kayak-range/powerfisha-14/#accessories. I guess we need some more competion in the one man skiff market here in the states.


----------



## rex hungerford

I'm coming into my second season of using this bote. It's a unique craft and if your looking for a solo person, stealth craft, it's quite good, but had 2 major issues I had to overcome.

1. See the new seat I added. Sitting on a no back cooler all day was killing me. I added a seat. Note I built up 1.5" of plywood and epoxy finished it. I believe it is necessary to take load off the rear deck inserts and put it on the front. I put a quick release on the seat. I was going to make the footer wider to distribute weight, but it does not seem necessary, and the smaller foot is designed to fit all the way up front seating. Who knows, may never be used but I like options.

2. What a joke they never put a grab rail holder in the front deck. I added one. I bent 1/4" x 2" aluminum and made a frame. The grab rail sets into a Scotty base I drilled out with my drill press.

Both these changes are mandatory in my book. I told Bote about them but they seem to not find them of interest.


----------



## rex hungerford

Bonfire, the motor is the bomb to get you places. You need to make your hull strong enough to withstand pounding in chop. The Rover is surprisingly strong feeling.

If you can make a rover style bote and add a center hole to drop a set of Hobie foot pedals!!!! That would be the best. I would be ecstatic to have the ability to really sneek up on my spot, or just use my feet to keep the drift correct. The paddle on the rover is not very effective. The board is heavy and dropping your rod to work a paddle is not effective fishing. IMO.


----------



## Rover

Awesome Rex, looks really. Nice. You really made it your own. Nice work.


----------



## rex hungerford

The problem with the wheels is they float. When you role the boat into the water, the wheels will not come out. You have to role the whole schebang on its side to get the wheels out, then drag it into the water. And, your wheel frame will fold under the boat and F the gel coat. IMO, a well designed PVC set of wheels is far superior to any manufacturer wheels I have seen. I have not made a set for the Rover yet. I say yet. I have made them for other kayak. So much stronger, better etc. And, the kayak/board rolls off and into the water. Plus PVC wheels sets are much stronger and pull over odd terrain much easier.


----------



## rex hungerford

Note to anyone car topping the Rover. It travels best backwards. When forward, it grabs the wind and tries to pull the nose up into the air. backwards I don't have that issue.

Also, I may have mentioned this before. I made the total backwoods rack of wood. I took the side rail to the outside of my roof racks. If I put a yoga pad with a beach towel under the butt of the Rover and position the front where I can lift it and swing it onto that rack rail. I can then pick up the back no problem and push it up and onto the roof. Its easier than 2 guys trying to move it around.


----------



## rex hungerford

I'm open to fish finder mounting. How are people doing it, and where are you putting the battery?


----------



## Salt N Blood

I was going to ask if you had the gatorshell or fiberglass finish I’m thinking it’s the fiberglass because of the design on the board (my favorite color).
Question: Is the bow of the board damaged? I know my bote sup is very susceptible to chips, cracks...are you having similar issues?


----------



## rex hungerford

I have fiberglass. I have no issues with the hull except the leak in the transom. I bought some stuff that is suppose to seal it forever. I need to get it applied.


----------



## Rover

rex hungerford said:


> I'm open to fish finder mounting. How are people doing it, and where are you putting the battery?







I kind of like how this one’s set up personally.


----------



## Rich T

Hey, what's lighter on the rover?....the epoxy or the' gatorshell'


----------



## Rover

Rich T said:


> Hey, what's lighter on the rover?....the epoxy or the' gatorshell'


The glass board is a few pound lighter than Gator Shell


----------



## Rich T

Thanks!...hard to find THAT data in bote website!


----------



## Rover

Rich T said:


> Thanks!...hard to find THAT data in bote website!


No problem. Only place I’ve seen it mentioned is in a few YouTube videos.


----------



## Rich T

That Stealth NZ board/skiff/SUP vs Bote Rover

Thoughts ...pros...cons....anyone?


----------



## Salt N Blood

I don’t own one but I do own a Bote. I’d say pros of Rover...looks and accessories...cons durability, leaking, etc. The solo skiff, power fisha, don’t have all the accessory plug ins but you can probably beach them without chipping away at your $5000 paddle board. 
The first time I beached my board at maybe like 3-4 mph I scratched and even dinged the board. Love the bote design but the fiberglass boards are powder puffs, I’ve heard of them taking on water, warp etc. Don’t know about the gatorshell.


----------



## Rich T

Thanks for the insight!


----------



## Rich T

Btw, currently have a 12 foot portabote (folds) with a 6 HP motor....it ROCKS and is almooost indestructible....


----------



## Rick Brown

Hello Guys! I just ordered my Rover Classic Gatorshell and should have it in a week. I am looking at cooler options and was hoping one of you guys could tell me the width or widest cooler I can get inside the Rover gunnels. I currently have an rtic 45 but it is 26 1/2 inches wide at the base. I guess I could turn it longways? A measurement would help me out a lot. Thanks and I look forward to being a new Rover owner!


----------



## Rick Brown

I also made a chart to help me with an outboard selection. I wanted the most HP with the lightest weight. I ended up ordering the Tohatsu 9.8 HP. At 82 lbs I figured the difference between .1 of HP would be negligible. I was also considering the Merc 9.9 as it was about 10 lbs lighter than the others in its class but would have been $300 more than the Tohatsu 9.8. I will post up more once I actually get the bote and motor. These prices are current as of early April 2019 and are from onlineoutboards and include shipping.


----------



## rex hungerford

As far as I know Bote has done nothing about the Moto rack on the Rover. If you tilt the motor all the way down it will bang the bottom of the shaft into the Bottom Rung of the rack. That means you have to keep it up one click. Up one click means under power you need to get your weight as far forward as possible as the boat has its nose too far in the air and bangs and doesn't Plain as well. In short, you want the least amount of weight possible in the back of the boat.

I'm pretty darn crafty and done a lot with my Rover to get it working more efficient and comfortable. I have not found a way to resolve the motor issues outside of someone physically cutting the rack bending the arms and rewelding them.

I really like the seat I configured and put on the Rover. You might find you on a back rest at x 2 as sitting on a cooler all day is exhausting. A game bag keeping your ice and Fish on the front nose of the boat it's a good way to shift the weight that a cooler putts on the back, up forward.


----------



## Rick Brown

Rex - I like your set up. I was thinking I may use the grab rack as a back rest? I was planning on sitting on the cooler and back it right up to the grab rail. It may not be comfortable as you would be sitting up straight. Once I get my Rover, it will be fun to try different configurations. Still looking for a side to side measurement in the Rover so I know how wide of a cooler will fit. Thanks!


----------



## rex hungerford

I don't have gatorshell so I don't want to say. I'm not sure how much the differences are between the fiberglass and Gator as far as Dimensions go.

I don't think you want the grab rail behind you blocking access to the engine. I fish saltwater a lot and there's times when you want to grab the ripcord, pull to start and go for repositioning or gettig out of the way of trouble. The grab rail doesn't always pull in and out as easy as you would like. Sometimes it's a little tight from suction in the holes. You might find with the grab rail that drilling the plastic hole out in the bottom helps facilitate moving the rail as sand and other muck might get in there blocking the hole and a vacuum is created making it require a lot of effort to pull it out from the hull of the boat.
My seat is positioned where the tiller handle just misses the back of the seat when it's up. I'm going to take it out in the next week or two for its maiden run with the new seat. I believe the way it's reconfigured is going to work well as I can put the grab rail in the forward set of holes in the hull and shift my weight comfortably forward to keep the boat flatter on plane.

The space I have created under the cooler rack is also a good place to slide tackle boxes. Alternately I am thinking that's where I might mount the battery for my fish finder as it stays fairly splash free there. I think I'm also ditching the rotopax and putting a gas tank on the floor behind the seat. Again, I fish a lot of water that can get wavy and rough at times. I ran out of gas crossing a straight at one point and it was not fun being sloshed back and forth while trying to keep water out of a fuel system and refill a tank. It's kind of a stupid idea in my mind and somewhat dangerous. 1 blurp of splashing water into your fuel system and you could be dead in the water. Trying to paddle the Rover in those conditions is going to do nothing other than maybe help orient you into the chop and waves and keep you from rolling. Remember, for all intents and purposes this craft is pretty fast. You're going to go places that are somewhat sketchy because you can. It would really be best to have a buddy with a Rover. Without a buddy, you need to put more consideration into safety. Keep the lanyard on whenever you're under power. Also, wear your life vest. These little rovers are sportsmobiles that can want to throw you right out of them. Big following rollers will have a tendency to start swinging you like a surfboard. You're going to want to hunker down as low as possible and grip the grab rail as tight as you can. I have found myself laying on top of the cooler holding on tight to keep from flying out of the boat in rough following water.


----------



## JB Fishp

Rick Brown said:


> I also made a chart to help me with an outboard selection. I wanted the most HP with the lightest weight. I ended up ordering the Tohatsu 9.8 HP. At 82 lbs I figured the difference between .1 of HP would be negligible. I was also considering the Merc 9.9 as it was about 10 lbs lighter than the others in its class but would have been $300 more than the Tohatsu 9.8. I will post up more once I actually get the bote and motor. These prices are current as of early April 2019 and are from onlineoutboards and include shipping.
> 
> View attachment 68394


Basically the 9.8 Tohatsu is the same motor as the 8 with with different tuning. The 9.9 is the same as the 15 and 20 but tuned down for 9.9hp. That tells you that you can probably convert the 9.9 to a 15 or 20. You could make the 9.9 a screamer.


----------



## rex hungerford

Don't listen to JB. Thats a good way to die when the hull fails and you drown.


----------



## Rick Brown

Haha..I will stick with the stock 9.8.

On another note, I got the base of my Simrad GO9 XSE ready for mount. I installed a piece of aluminum stock underneath with a ram ball. I am a little skeptical about mounting a brand new $1000 chart plotter on this thing until I get some comfort with it. I like your idea of mounting it to the grab bar to keep it higher up. I am thinking of some way to mount a smaller 17AH battery on the grab rail and hang the transducer over the side. I also thought about placing the transducer on the rear grab handle but not sure there would be too much prop wash and turbulence back there. I have seen one setup where he uses a flexible ram ball and goes over the side. I will post some pics once I get it all coming together.


----------



## Rick Brown

Is it safe to transport the rover with the motor attached while towing on a trailer?


----------



## Rover

Ok, I’ve officially decided I’m going to sell my Rover. I won’t lie I love it, but I’ve used it only a handful of times and without a trailer I just don’t feel it’s viable for me to use. I have a truck camper and carrying it the bed is no longer an option so rather than throwing more money at it I’m simply going to accept the loss and sell it. My set up has been detailed every step of the way including the prices I paid throughout this thread. I’m going to list it for sale with everything included EXCEPT the two rotopax and the rotopax mounts (not the Rover part). 

I have a like new Gatorshell Rover, with 6hp Yamaha, Cooler Rack, Kula, and Bote Sandspear. 

Located upstate New York so I know I can’t get top dollar like I could in Florida. Make me an offer and let’s see if we can work something out. I have about $6500 invested. 

I also have a Yakima tailgate extender I can include to anyone who’s interested. 

Let me know any questions.


----------



## jeffb

OK so I've had my rover now for about a year and a half and decided to sand it down pretty good to repaint new colors. I had many scratches on the old turquoise color and the bottom was looking pretty rough sliding in-and-out of the bed of my truck. I've pretty much repaired the bottom but the new paint is really soft still. Does anyone have any experience yet with a really hard clear coat I can put on top of this new paint? If this doesn't work out my next step is to take all the fixtures off including the foam of this board and re-sand it to have and have the entire thing line X'd. I bought this hoping I could get 15 - 20 years out of it.


----------



## jeffb

Rick Brown said:


> Is it safe to transport the rover with the motor attached while towing on a trailer?


i would put a strap that goes around your motor that hooks onto the trailer as well


----------



## jeffb

rex hungerford said:


> The problem with the wheels is they float. When you role the boat into the water, the wheels will not come out. You have to role the whole schebang on its side to get the wheels out, then drag it into the water. And, your wheel frame will fold under the boat and F the gel coat. IMO, a well designed PVC set of wheels is far superior to any manufacturer wheels I have seen. I have not made a set for the Rover yet. I say yet. I have made them for other kayak. So much stronger, better etc. And, the kayak/board rolls off and into the water. Plus PVC wheels sets are much stronger and pull over odd terrain much easier.


Check out wilderness systems heavy duty kayak cart and get the plastic wheels. It has been 10X easier with that setup. I used Botes wheel rac and over time the wheel rac cracked the bottom of my board where the holes are. I repaired that with flex seal and went with that setup, haven't looked back. Check out austinkayaks.com its free shipping. REI wanted $$$ to ship


----------



## jeffb

Rich T said:


> Btw, currently have a 12 foot portabote (folds) with a 6 HP motor....it ROCKS and is almooost indestructible....
> View attachment 67160


That wheel isn't looking to happy


----------



## Rich T

jeffb said:


> That wheel isn't looking to happy


She's fine, clamps on side of boat....kinda leans inward sometimes...it's a tubeless wheelbarrrow tire


----------



## rex hungerford

Any pictures on deprh finder mounting and battery placement


----------



## Rover

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/bote-rover-for-sale-excellent-condition-w-yamaha.64280/

Listed my Rover for sale. Still an excellent little boat just doesn't work with my current lifestyle and I could use the Money and Garage space back. Thanks for looking!


----------



## jeffb

rex hungerford said:


> Any pictures on deprh finder mounting and battery placement


I dont have any pictures but i mounted mine to the grab rac. ran the cable for the transducer to the back grab bar and mounted that there. battery is small and sits in one of my tackle bags. last me about 20 hours of use


----------



## Douglas Geis

catsNcoyotes said:


> Hey Guys, new here and thanks to all of your posts.
> I have a rover and have fought through all the problems, or most I've read here.
> The wheels are not easy to attach. I launch mostly at boat ramps and I carry a yoga mat with me to lay the board down to keep from scratching. No worries with the motor on if tipped tiller handle down. But, I scratched mine not knowing this. On the beach, grass or dirt they work adequately. I'm not a fan..... so I bought a trailer.
> Its easy to launch with the trailer.
> I finally was able to GPS speeds with mine also. I also have the Merc 6hp. My top speed is 11.8 mph. Much slower than advertised. After some measuring and getting my hard head out of my arse, I realized my cavitation plate is only about 1 inch below bottom of the board. Also appears to be about 1 inch of space between the bottom of the motorac and the stops inside the mounting holes.
> Here's my question.
> Is your rack pushed all the way into the mounting holes and touching the stops at the bottom? If so, how did you get the rack in that far? When the dealer mounted my motorac he had to spread the rack a little and forced it into the mounting holes. Hopefully I asked this so you know what i mean. Thanks.


----------



## Douglas Geis

Put a stitck down into the mount hole and mark the depth. Transfer that witness mark to the bottom motor mount tubes. 

If there are any burrs on the bottom of the mount tubes that could dig into the plastic file them off (I would slightly chamfer the tubing all around to make sure it doesn’t dig into the plastic) use a little ky jelly or vegetable oil and press the mount in place. If it doesn’t bottom out as measured by your witness mark call Bote.

Cavitation plate parallel is just a recommended starting point I would start one hole from the lowest position given the others experience. Never change the trim setting in deep water (don’t ask).

Outboards are regularly run with the plate a few inches above the transom. As long as the motor always gets cooling flow and the prop doesn’t 
“Ventilate” (cavitation is not the proper term it is related to imperfections in the leading edge of the blade that causes the water to separate from the blade) you are good to go. Less lower unit in the water = less drag, greater speed, less turning authority. 

This hull would probably benefit with weight fwd loading.

Perfection can be the enemy of good.
Hang it, Fish it, Experiment as long as you enjoy experimenting, after a few trips it will be the best Bote for you.


----------



## Douglas Geis

Rover said:


> I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.
> 
> Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.
> 
> I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units.
> 
> I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....


----------



## rex hungerford

Take the motorack and put one of the post bottoms into the square hitch of your truck. Then push or pull as needed to adjust the spacing.


----------



## rex hungerford

TxRotor said:


> Thanks love my truck.
> 
> So tank install went well. Found right drill bit and tap, was expensive though, same price as the dang tank. But the ends justify .....
> 
> Threaded in very tight and sealed with seal all. I’ll let cure for 48 hrs then 7 day gas test. I didn’t place it in the bottom so that if a lil water or trash gets in it won’t pick it up.


TX, is the gas tank plug holding without leaking?


----------



## Douglas Geis

My understanding is it is identical to Yamaha as in they are produced for Yamaha. Alibaba has common replacement parts (much lower price than Yamaha) I purchased a Yamaha service manual


Shane Eikenberry said:


> the





Rover said:


> I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.
> 
> Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.
> 
> I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units.
> 
> I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....


----------



## Douglas Geis

Douglas Geis said:


> My understanding is it is identical to Yamaha as in they are produced for Yamaha. Alibaba has common replacement parts (much lower price than Yamaha) I purchased a Yamaha service manual


----------



## Douglas Geis

I received my Hidea 9.9 today. It is a Yamaha not a copy just a Yamaha for less $ and different stickers. At 90 lbs it is a beast and trailering is my only reasonable option. I am considering purchasing a 6 and selling my 9.9 already however the 9.9 is so much smoother than the 6 because it is a 2 cylinder. This unit even comes with a spare impeller.


----------



## rex hungerford

Sometimes people get to infatuated with HP and forget the weight issue.


----------



## Rover

Douglas Geis said:


> I received my Hidea 9.9 today. It is a Yamaha not a copy just a Yamaha for less $ and different stickers. At 90 lbs it is a beast and trailering is my only reasonable option. I am considering purchasing a 6 and selling my 9.9 already however the 9.9 is so much smoother than the 6 because it is a 2 cylinder. This unit even comes with a spare impeller.





rex hungerford said:


> Sometimes people get to infatuated with HP and forget the weight issue.



Agreed, I think the 6hp is a more reasonable choice due to weight and power. Even if the 9.9 wasn’t so heavy that’s a lot of motor on a small craft. How fast can you really go? Just my opinion of course plus the heavy motor out back requires even more weight up front.


----------



## Flatbroke426

WOW 90 is a beast. My Tohatsu 20 only weighs 94 thanks for sharing


----------



## Rover

Flatbroke426 said:


> WOW 90 is a beast. My Tohatsu 20 only weighs 94 thanks for sharing


Just looked over Tohatsu’s website and the 9.9, and 20hp are all the same displacement and weight. Just a tune/ fuel injection etc that probably changes the power. Stands to reason they weigh the same. It is suprising they use that same powerhead on such diverse outboards. For the record Tohatsu claims 95lbs for both.


----------



## Rover

Douglas Geis said:


> I received my Hidea 9.9 today. It is a Yamaha not a copy just a Yamaha for less $ and different stickers. At 90 lbs it is a beast and trailering is my only reasonable option. I am considering purchasing a 6 and selling my 9.9 already however the 9.9 is so much smoother than the 6 because it is a 2 cylinder. This unit even comes with a spare impeller.


That’s interesting. What makes you think it is a Yamaha? Looking at pictures of the 6hp Hidea it does not look like my 6hp Yamaha... colors, shape of cowl, gear selector, tiller handle, everything about it looks different. Predator engines from Harbor freight are near exact copies of Honda engines even parts can interchange. That doesn’t make them Honda’s. Not saying thats even a good or bad thing but what makes you feel it is a Yamaha? Though with the global world we live in i believe it’s possible some Yamahas for the Asian market may be made there? But i don’t know for sure.


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## DSampiero

my 2016 yamaha 9.9 on my sailboat's dinghy weighs 64lbs dry... so how is the Hidea the same critter?


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## Rover

My 2018 weighs 62 (short shaft). I’m pretty confident it’s not the same motor. Seeing as it’s 75% less expensive.


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## Douglas Geis

Rover said:


> My 2018 weighs 62 (short shaft). I’m pretty confident it’s not the same motor. Seeing as it’s 75% less expensive.


Let’s see:
Look at the specs
Weight = same my new Hidea short 9.9 87lbs
Displacement same
Bore and stroke identical
Gear ratio identical 
Fit and finish superb

Oh by the way I went to a local Yamaha dealership and removed the hood. Identical including the black factory marks placed on the bolts after final torque. 

Even the hour meter had the same .3 run in test time

Oh by the way go to Alibaba same parts listed are for both Yamaha 
and Hidea 

I like to support buy American. But when corporations have things manufactured overseas, import and brand them Japanese or USA, mark them up 200%-300% and charge me I fail to see the advantages to the American workers. Look the other way if you wish but our government allowed Big Business to sell us out and now globalization is going to bite us in the but. Meanwhile I will be running an outboard with a Chinese name on the same Chinese manufactured hull you are and the slower one is the one that is rigged the lightest and the one broken down will be the poorly maintained or abused one.


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## rex hungerford

I'm in my second season using the Rover. I predominantly use it in salt water. I understand quite well the paddling ability of it is nothing like a 10 lb paddle board with nothing on it that moves quickly through the water. The Rover is a tank and the paddle only provides minor maneuverability. I don't know anything about the reliability of the Hidea, but this is your life and safety you're dealing with out in the open water.


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## Flatbroke426

N


Rover said:


> Just looked over Tohatsu’s website and the 9.9, and 20hp are all the same displacement and weight. Just a tune/ fuel injection etc that probably changes the power. Stands to reason they weigh the same. It is suprising they use that same powerhead on such diverse outboards. For the record Tohatsu claims 95lbs for both.


o the new 20was redesigned to be lighter and stronger. It’s there new generation motor


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## rex hungerford

Even if the Hidea were to have the same DNA as a Yamaha, that does not make it the same quality. I'm also very big into audio gear. I can tell you, because a product has the same family line and shares similar design styles, the components that make up the less expensive product are not of the same quality. Take for instance steel in a motor. You do know there are all sorts of grades of SS. You also know the tolerances of machines cutting that steel vary quite a bit from plant to plant. Do you think OEM actually means its made in the same plant by the same parts. It does not. It very often is a trunk slammer who has the design and cuts the product with what ever metal he finds on his less than professional machines.

I honestly know nothing of the Hidea vs Yamaha motors. I would only assume they are made in different plants with a lower grade of materials by less skilled technicians on lower quality tools. That is my guess. I highly doubt they come out of the same factory off the same assembly line with parts from the same vendors. Maybe they are assembled at the same plant, but the vendors supplying the parts are probably not the same. I know 10 or so people who own manufacturing facility and if they have similar product and one is less money, it has lesser quality parts in it. 

Ok, I have beat that one enough on my end.

FYI, if I had a lake boat, I just may purchase a Hidea. Why not. Its cheap and not used in a life safety application.


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## jeffb

I wish someone would manufacture a 15-20 hp that weighs 50 lbs. Maybe a future mod.


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## Pete Brown

Rover said:


> I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.
> 
> Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.
> 
> I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units.
> 
> I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....





Rover said:


> I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.
> 
> Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.
> 
> I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units.
> 
> I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....





Rover said:


> I just want to clarify this for anyone who may be curious. I got the Email blast from BOTE a week or so ago about the Rover w/ Motor for 4K deal, in the email they state that the motor is made by Hidea. I'm not saying this is bad or good, just please don't think you're getting a Merc/ Tohastsu motor. You're getting a Hidea (made in China) that said considering the Rover is about $3500 you're getting a 6hp outboard for 500 bucks. My Yamaha was ~$1600, I know the Merc is similar, Tohatsu (without Merc stickers) is just a little less.
> 
> Just be aware of what you're getting, if you can get parts, who can/ will service the engine if it has problems? for $500 it's ALMOST "disposable" but it's still $500 bucks. I don't know anything about them, they might be awesome just do your research.
> 
> I just did a little goggling, there is VERY little info on Hidea Motors anywhere, appears there is a distributer in MA, but their website says almost nothing, The 6hp is available to buy on Alibaba for ~$600 w/ a minimum order of 5 units.
> 
> I would definitely dig into this farther if I was considering buying that motor, just make sure it's serviceable somehow....


---> You can check out hideaoutboardmotors dot com to get more info on the engines that Bote is packaging their Rovers with. In full disclosure, Hidea's North American site, located in Brownsburg, IN, is a client of mine and I use their products. I'm at the office/warehouse daily and while some have needed troubleshooting over the phone or via email, they've only swapped out a handful out of over a hundred sold. That goes for the 6 hp and 9.9 hp models.


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## Douglas Geis

Pete Brown said:


> ---> You can check out hideaoutboardmotors dot com to get more info on the engines that Bote is packaging their Rovers with. In full disclosure, Hidea's North American site, located in Brownsburg, IN, is a client of mine and I use their products. I'm at the office/warehouse daily and while some have needed troubleshooting over the phone or via email, they've only swapped out a handful out of over a hundred sold. That goes for the 6 hp and 9.9 hp models.


The Hidea and Yamaha are both Parson outboards my 9.9 is now broken in as is my 6 Tohatsu. I am 100% confident that I can get any Hidea part needed from Hidea and Yamaha. I would feel as comfortable with my Hidea as any other in any application. I’m telling you guys these motors are identical to the Yamaha. A look under the hood and all tooling marks and assembly marks as well as the shades of exposed ss and paint are identical. They simply have to be made in the same factory with the same parts and the same processes.


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## rex hungerford

Pete Brown said:


> ---> You can check out hideaoutboardmotors dot com to get more info on the engines that Bote is packaging their Rovers with. In full disclosure, Hidea's North American site, located in Brownsburg, IN, is a client of mine and I use their products. I'm at the office/warehouse daily and while some have needed troubleshooting over the phone or via email, they've only swapped out a handful out of over a hundred sold. That goes for the 6 hp and 9.9 hp models.


Do they make the motors at the IL plant? Is it also a Yamaha plant.
Can you ask if they are exact Yamaha engines or OEM units


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## Pete Brown

Here's some overview of Hidea. Hidea isn't exactly Yamaha engines; their original builds from a decade ago were a collaboration with a former Yamaha engineer, so they've evolved since.


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## rex hungerford

I took the Rover out 3 tumes last 2 weeks. Limited on 2 days on Lingcod. The seat I put in is 100% better than the bucket. You have to do it. No question.

I also made pvc wheels. Way stronger and easier to use.

Also made a tiller extension. The extension is also necessary. I find the Rover rides much better with my weight forward. Where I 
Located my grab rail should be a standard feature. Its way way nicer to drive with your weight centered. I don't see how anyone is using a 9hp without being more forward. Too much weight in the rear. 

I also created what I call a sissy bar. Its a simple U made from 3 pieces of 1" pvc. The 1" fits right into the existing holes in the deck. Its is really a short grab rail in front of the seat that is not so in your way like the tall one. You can stand over it. When driving in rough chop you can hold it. 

I have never figured out how to deal with the motor tilt. It wants to tilt down more, but rams into the bottom rail of the mount, the mount should be pre bent slightly to add a tilt like all transom seem to have. i have not found a way to do this with such a short piece protruding. It should have been done at the factory.


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## Jknuckle

rex hungerford said:


> I'm coming into my second season of using this bote. It's a unique craft and if your looking for a solo person, stealth craft, it's quite good, but had 2 major issues I had to overcome.
> 
> 1. See the new seat I added. Sitting on a no back cooler all day was killing me. I added a seat. Note I built up 1.5" of plywood and epoxy finished it. I believe it is necessary to take load off the rear deck inserts and put it on the front. I put a quick release on the seat. I was going to make the footer wider to distribute weight, but it does not seem necessary, and the smaller foot is designed to fit all the way up front seating. Who knows, may never be used but I like options.
> 
> 2. What a joke they never put a grab rail holder in the front deck. I added one. I bent 1/4" x 2" aluminum and made a frame. The grab rail sets into a Scotty base I drilled out with my drill press.
> 
> Both these changes are mandatory in my book. I told Bote about them but they seem to not find them of interest.
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Awesome idea! how is that hull holding up?


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## rex hungerford

Jknuckle said:


> Awesome idea! how is that hull holding up?


Hull is fine. I had a leak in the transom as I noted before, but used marine sealant and it is not an issue any more. The strength of the hull is fine. It scratches like any fiberglass. Nothing real deep that is an issue. My Native Slayer in the gatorshell type material had many more scratches than the fiberglass does with the Rover.

If someone wanted to move the grabrail, Bote seems to make angled bases as an accessory that could go on flat rail. Way more easy to install.

I also installed the depth finder. I ended up landing 2 legal Lingcod using it. Such a help with bottom fishing.


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## Salt N Blood

“My Native Slayer in the gatorshell type material had many more scratches than the fiberglass does with the Rover.”


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## Kamp

“2. What a joke they never put a grab rail holder in the front deck. “


Rex I couldn’t agree more about being able to move the grab bar to the bow. I will be constructing my own grab bar base using some of your ideas. 

I also broke down and bout a Jon boat trailer tor the Rover and it was worth it. It’s made everything easier. 

As far as sonar I got a Deeper Sonar as a gift recently and it works well as far as saving weight, space, ect. It’s only down fall is it’s not able to work at speeds over 3-5 mph. I ordered the mounting bracket which conveniently fits the Rovers mounting threads. 

I’ll post pictures of everything when I’m done. I’m currently waiting to hear back about possible warranty issues with my Rover. After my last trip I noticed the gator shell I separating and peeling off on the bottom of the Bote. If any one else has had this issue I’m curious to now hot to resolve it.


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## Jknuckle

jeffb said:


> OK so I've had my rover now for about a year and a half and decided to sand it down pretty good to repaint new colors. I had many scratches on the old turquoise color and the bottom was looking pretty rough sliding in-and-out of the bed of my truck. I've pretty much repaired the bottom but the new paint is really soft still. Does anyone have any experience yet with a really hard clear coat I can put on top of this new paint? If this doesn't work out my next step is to take all the fixtures off including the foam of this board and re-sand it to have and have the entire thing line X'd. I bought this hoping I could get 15 - 20 years out of it.


Hows that paint holding up ol boy?


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## Jknuckle

Kamp said:


> “2. What a joke they never put a grab rail holder in the front deck. “
> 
> 
> Rex I couldn’t agree more about being able to move the grab bar to the bow. I will be constructing my own grab bar base using some of your ideas.
> 
> I also broke down and bout a Jon boat trailer tor the Rover and it was worth it. It’s made everything easier.
> 
> As far as sonar I got a Deeper Sonar as a gift recently and it works well as far as saving weight, space, ect. It’s only down fall is it’s not able to work at speeds over 3-5 mph. I ordered the mounting bracket which conveniently fits the Rovers mounting threads.
> 
> I’ll post pictures of everything when I’m done. I’m currently waiting to hear back about possible warranty issues with my Rover. After my last trip I noticed the gator shell I separating and peeling off on the bottom of the Bote. If any one else has had this issue I’m curious to now hot to resolve it.



A friend of mine had that issue and actually had water inside the hull.


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## Car7x

TxRotor said:


> Wires up nicely. Just need to shorten the hose. Have to let it cure another 24 hrs then I’ll let it sit in has a week. Then we are on.


Nice gas mod - waiting on my aero to arrive. Would you mind posting up a materials list for those of us who want to try the same? Thanks!


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## SeminoleFL

Anyone Car topping their Rover? I'd like to bring the airstream on my weekend trips south. Problem is I only get 1 trailer at a time.

Rack weight limit is @ 165 and I've carried at least 125 in Kayaks before.

If so could you post some pics Id like to get an idea of how it lines up.

Thanks,


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## Stxguide

Bought my Rover yesterday and trying to decide what outboard to put on it. What kind of speeds are yall topping out at with the 6 hp and 9.9?


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## Car7x

Stxguide said:


> Bought my Rover yesterday and trying to decide what outboard to put on it. What kind of speeds are yall topping out at with the 6 hp and 9.9?


I've got a 54# 8hp Johnson on my Aero, get around 18 so far. Will get it out again (MN guy) when it warms up; it porpoises a little on lakes if I get a weird cross wake or chop. I think by playing with my weight, dry box seat & tackle rack locations it could have a little more in it.

Bought a raft, which is more practical for me, so will be selling it after ice out. Great rigs in the right context!


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## Stxguide

Well I bought a 6hp mercury brand new thinking I could get an external 5 gallon tank for it but now looking at the weight of the 5 gallons that's roughly an extra 30 lbs added. I hate the fact you can only put 1/2 gallon in the outboard. What kind of mileage are yall getting per gallon with the 6hp? Is 5 gallon over kill or will the 2 one gallon rotapax tanks putting me at around 2 1/2 gallons enough for around 50+ miles of use...


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## Stxguide

has anyone come up with a good way to mount the transducer to the rover?


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## Smackdaddy53

Stxguide said:


> has anyone come up with a good way to mount the transducer to the rover?


Have you looked into a shoot thru hull transducer? I used to have one in my kayak for drift fishing and locating oyster reefs and dropoffs. It worked great and there was no external transducer to mess with.


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## SeminoleFL

Stxguide said:


> Well I bought a 6hp mercury brand new thinking I could get an external 5 gallon tank for it but now looking at the weight of the 5 gallons that's roughly an extra 30 lbs added. I hate the fact you can only put 1/2 gallon in the outboard. What kind of mileage are yall getting per gallon with the 6hp? Is 5 gallon over kill or will the 2 one gallon rotapax tanks putting me at around 2 1/2 gallons enough for around 50+ miles of use...



Did 3 days in 10k islands, launched out of Chokoloskee. full 3 gallon and brought 2.5 gal.. Had gas left in the can I brought with when we landed. You're typically not running the motor the entire time you're on the water. Try to look at it as hours and not miles. allegedly math says a 9.9 will burn .66 gal. per hour so roughly about 5/6 hrs. (running) ?


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## BullRed

SeminoleFL said:


> Did 3 days in 10k islands, launched out of Chokoloskee. full 3 gallon and brought 2.5 gal.. Had gas left in the can I brought with when we landed. You're typically not running the motor the entire time you're on the water. Try to look at it as hours and not miles. allegedly math says a 9.9 will burn .66 gal. per hour so roughly about 5/6 hrs. (running) ?


5-6 hours at 20mph and that thing has some range to it


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## Stylez0805

rex hungerford said:


> Bonfire, the motor is the bomb to get you places. You need to make your hull strong enough to withstand pounding in chop. The Rover is surprisingly strong feeling.
> 
> If you can make a rover style bote and add a center hole to drop a set of Hobie foot pedals!!!! That would be the best. I would be ecstatic to have the ability to really sneek up on my spot, or just use my feet to keep the drift correct. The paddle on the rover is not very effective. The board is heavy and dropping your rod to work a paddle is not effective fishing. IMO.





rex hungerford said:


> I'm coming into my second season of using this bote. It's a unique craft and if your looking for a solo person, stealth craft, it's quite good, but had 2 major issues I had to overcome.
> 
> 1. See the new seat I added. Sitting on a no back cooler all day was killing me. I added a seat. Note I built up 1.5" of plywood and epoxy finished it. I believe it is necessary to take load off the rear deck inserts and put it on the front. I put a quick release on the seat. I was going to make the footer wider to distribute weight, but it does not seem necessary, and the smaller foot is designed to fit all the way up front seating. Who knows, may never be used but I like options.
> 
> 2. What a joke they never put a grab rail holder in the front deck. I added one. I bent 1/4" x 2" aluminum and made a frame. The grab rail sets into a Scotty base I drilled out with my drill press.
> 
> Both these changes are mandatory in my book. I told Bote about them but they seem to not find them of interest.
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Hey man. I just got my Rover and came across this post in the forums. I know it was so long ago but that is tremendous work.. any chance you have that seat piece or willing to make one for me.? Pls let me know before I tackle it on my own.


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## BrettMat

ROVER

Hey dude I appreciate your rover owner info. My wife bought me one and I have it all set up I am just curious which RotoPax mounts and size gas cans you bought that are shown in your pictures? Thanks for the help!
Brett


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## Fishguy240

I was about to pull the trigger on the Rover then came across the HooDoo Hero 130. Are there big advantages to the Rover I’m missing? The price difference is substantial. From what I can find the Rover may be a bit more stable and you have the trade off of a solid hull vs the hollow molded hull but overall they seem pretty comparable. I’m in costal SC and worry about oysters chewing up that gatorshell. Of course punching a hole in the Hero wouldn’t be good news either. Thoughts?


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