Papamoa Beach - Karewa Parade
Saturday 19 October, 11 am
We will be on the beach, near the carpark next to 107 Karewa Parade. This is outside the restricted flight zone for Tauranga Airport, and we can demo the drone along with the Seahorse Kontiki.
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$5,750.00 inc GST
The GPS Seahorse Electric Pack is the proven beach fishing package. The GPS Seahorse Kontiki is matched with the Seahorse winch and traceboard, it will give you everything you need. Just get some bait, and your away fishing.
The GPS-controlled Autopilot in the GPS Seahorse uses technology developed by the Team at Seahorse to give the user ultimate control over the direction of their Seahorse Kontiki. Point it in the direction you wish it to travel, and swipe the magnet over the control when ready. The course is set, and that’s where it will go. Once launched, the GPS-controlled autopilot will steer the GPS Seahorse along that course. If a side current exists, the autopilot will adjust and steer the Kontiki into the current so the selected course is maintained. If a wave knocks the Kontiki off course, it will be steered back onto the course.
This will allow the fisher to tackle large surf with the knowledge the Seahorse GPS Kontiki will go straight out where they want. It’s the same with the busy East Coast Beaches. The Fisher can confidently launch, knowing their Seahorse will go where they pointed it. You will also be able to target specific areas of the seabed to improve your catch.
Seahorse has used a unique, patented combination of compass and GPS technology to make the most accurate Kontiki autopilot ever!!. It is the only one that will go where you point it. Based on the ever-successful Seahorse Kontiki and over 13 years of Kontiki production, the Seahorse GPS Kontiki has many improved features that help the GPS Seahorse perform better than ever.
The success of any autopilot system is based on the rudder. Following proven yacht design principles, Seahorse has developed a balanced, hydro-dynamic-shaped rudder that will work in the rough and tumble of surf, where control is needed. The aerofoil shape of the rudder ensures it will work in the aerated water of the surf zone, compared to a flat metal plate rudder that will struggle to work in these conditions.
The GPS Seahorse body has been designed to move the rudder and motor as far forward as possible to ensure the best possible directional stability. Being forward, the rudder gets maximum leverage on the pivot point, allowing a smaller rudder to be used. This helps reduce drag, ensuring maximum distance.
The hatch on the GPS Seahorse Kontiki is larger than on the existing STD Seahorse Kontiki.
This allows easy fitting and removal of the batteries, as it is now possible to put your hand into the Kontiki and hold the batteries as you insert or remove them. The access hole has a higher lip, with a bullnose ridge that holds the hatch seal in place. The newly designed hatch spider has three fingers to allow better and quicker fitting of the hatch.
This hatch is user-friendly, easy to use, and the market’s most secure and best-sealing hatch.
The body of the GPS Seahorses has been designed to ensure the Kontiki unit performs as
efficiently as possible to achieve levels of performance previously not possible. The new body directly develops the very successful Standard Seahorse Kontiki body. The body is very streamlined, allowing it to slide through the waves while staying balanced and level. The motor and rudder are as far forward as possible, which is the best location for keeping the Kontiki going straight. The handle is longer and balanced with or without batteries, making it easier to carry. The hatch is the largest possible to allow easy fitting and removal of the batteries, and the battery position perfectly balances the Kontiki unit in the water, so no power is lost bouncing around in the waves. The Seahorse Kontiki is one of the best-balanced cuts with a smooth path through the surf.
The Seahorse Kontiki units have no drag-producing fins or keels to slow the Kontiki down. The motor frame is a clean, simple design and perfect for the job, and the flat bottom ensures the GPS Seahorse will stand and not fall over.
We started with the Standard Seahorse Kontiki, which has an incredible ability to self-steer through varying side currents and waves. This is a unique ability unmatched by others on the market. The long body length of the Seahorse Kontiki allows for unrivalled longitudinal steering stability. The offset tow point and the forward-mounted motor ensure maximum resistance from waves and rough conditions. The long, low body acts as a rudder, removing the need for drag-inducing keels or fins. The low buoyancy design also allows the Seahorse to dive under the breaking surf and avoid being washed off course. We have found the line towing behind the Seahorse Kontiki works like a kite’s tail, which helps keep the unit straight. The low drag, forward-mounted rudder allows the GPS Seahorse to steer and change direction, therefore keeping the Kontiki unit heading in the direction you pointed it in.
When Seahorse decided to develop an autopilot Kontiki unit, we looked at the different means of controlling direction. We first looked at using a compass, as this seemed an easy and simple way of doing it, but the more we looked into it, the more we discovered it wouldn’t do the job we wanted to be done. With a local Tauranga Boys High student, as part of his technology course, we built a prototype to test the concept, and that highlighted many issues.
We found the compass was good at selecting a course. Still, once the motor was started, it was impossible to get the compass further away from the motor and wires so it wasn’t affected while keeping the body of the Kontiki streamlined. We also found that if the compass got too close to the black iron sand, it affected the compass, so you got a different course when you set the course on the beach than once the Kontiki was in the water. The compass was further away from the magnetic iron sand.
We also found the compass kept the Kontiki unit following a compass bearing and side currents pulled it along the beach. This is because a compass knows where it is pointing but not where it is heading. We also found this behaviour removed the Kontiki unit’s ability to correct itself by tacking into the current, and the compass-controlled Kontiki ended up further along the beach compared to our standard Seahorse.
We then considered using just a GPS unit, but there was no easy way of telling it where to go. A GPS unit only knows where it is and cannot tell what direction it is pointing. We found it difficult to set a course but once launched, it kept track of itself and kept the Kontiki on course.
We finally decided to combine the two and use the strengths of each approach. We now use the compass to find and fix the bearing or course you want your Kontiki to follow, and we use GPS technology to track the Kontiki’s progress along this course and instruct the rudder to turn to keep everything on course.
When the system is developed, you can use it on any beach worldwide, and it will go where you point it. No one else can do this.
A lot of hard work and money was spent to make the autopilot function as easy as possible. Place the GPS Seahorse Kontiki on the beach, pointing in the direction you wish it to travel. There is no need to adjust or allow side currents, as the GPS Seahorse will do that for you. Ensure the GPS Seahorse is clear of the winch and motor vehicles to ensure the electronic compass is not affected. Plug your batteries and attach your line. The GPS control unit takes 5 to 30 seconds to get a lock on the satellites, followed by another 3 seconds to get a solid bearing lock. The controller calculates the way-point the Kontiki will steer towards, and it also will show the two lights indicating the course is ready to be locked in. At this stage, you can lock the course in by swiping the magnet over the sensor, or if needed, the Kontiki can be moved to a new heading. If moved, the control panel will return to a single light, showing the autopilot is getting a lock on the new heading, and after three seconds, the two lights will indicate the course is calculated and ready for you to lock into place.
You can now set the time on the motor controller and launch the GPS Kontiki after the motor has been started.
The Seahorse Electronic Motor Control Unit and the Autopilot control unit are resin-sealed. This resin block is fitted into the polyethene body and held in place with moulded anchor points. The electronics remove a mass of wiring, allowing a clean and simple battery compartment. Two connecting leads attach the two batteries.
On the motor control unit, a row of 10 super-bright LEDs, which shine through the body, indicates your battery status and will indicate if the batteries need charging. The LED lights show your Seahorse’s pre-selected running time. The amount of time is indicated by the number of LED lights illuminating in a bar display. Once the time is set, start the Seahorse motor by putting the magnet near the START switch. You can run the Seahorse until the low battery cut-out switches it off or set the timer to 25, 20, 15, 10 or 5 minutes run time.
The LED flashes fast to show the motor is running, and on the Seahorse GPS 46, the lights will flash slowly to show when the slow speed is selected.
The Seahorse Kontiki is the only Kontiki with a built-in automatic stall protection system. If the motor is stalled, the control unit will automatically stop and start the motor up to three times to dislodge the offending item. – an essential feature for shingle beaches.
The graphs show the Seahorse Kontiki’s performance. They are based on the results from various runs recorded by GPS.
The Seahorse Electric Winch is built to do the hard work in a harsh beach environment. The Seahorse Winch makes launching and retrieving your Seahorse a simple one-person job, no matter the conditions or how many fish you have on the line. The three-speed control unit and pulse function give you complete control, allowing you to fish when you want.
The Seahorse Electric Winch can be used with any electric Kontiki and is perfect for kite fishing. It is also great for those kayak longliners who are exhausted after their long paddle.
The Seahorse aluminium “clip & go” traceboard is lighter, stronger, cleaner, and easier to use than other boards. It is straightforward to use, and it can be used with a wide range of baits. The new, effective two-sided design of the Seahorse traceboard enables easy, fast, and safe attachment of the traces. Because Seahorse Kontiki performs at high speed, we designed a traceboard that makes it easy for the operator to attach the traces safely and efficiently, as well as a winch that controls the line during the launch stage. The traceboard has long traces and longline clips, enabling quick and easy attachment. The fisher stays away from the pre-baited hooks that are automatically dispensed from the far end of the board. The traces are attached between every second or third stopper on the stoppered section of the line. The stoppers are 2m apart, and you are supplied with 120 on the mainline, giving you plenty of extras. The stoppers do not affect line strength and are much better to handle than the cheaper aluminium crimps. The 25 traces can be deployed in under a minute.
The world-leading New Zealand-designed and built electronics bring a new level of technology to Kontiki fishing. The GPS Seahorse uses the proven Seahorse Control Unit, which is responsible for the management and protection of the batteries. It monitors the batteries and will stop the motor if the charge in the battery falls to a low level. It starts and stops the motor, and if a timed run is selected, the electronic timer is used to control the run. The control unit is operated externally by a magnet allowing it to be operated anywhere and in any conditions. The stall protection and recovery feature is an essential feature to protect the motor and batteries from the extensive damage a stalled motor can cause. If the motor is stalled, the control will stop and start the motor 3 times, trying to dislodge the offending item, and allow you to continue fishing. Shingle beaches, such as the Hawkes Bay, and sticks are a major cause of stalled motors.
The control panel is designed for simple one-touch control right up to the moment of launching
The batteries are accessed via the large completely watertight, sealed, submarine-styled, aluminium marine hatch designed by Seahorse. The hatch seals over a large surface area of the rubber seal. The Aluminium hatch provides a total seal without distorting out of shape as the tighter the hatch is closed, the stronger the seal becomes. The hatch seal sits against the inter-ring of the body, allowing the hatch to apply the sealing pressure. We can guarantee this hatch will seal in conditions where other hatches fail. The large bull-nose lip holds the hatch seal securely in place. The hatch has a sealed stainless steel locking bolt, which cannot be over-tightened. The specially moulded battery box will hold the batteries securely in place, no matter how rough the surf gets. The low-down position of the batteries ensures the Seahorse Kontiki is always stable and upright.
Being loaded with design features, it is also the simplest winch on the market to operate.
The marine-grade wiring and external switches are completely waterproofed. So not only can the unit be washed easily, but it is also protected from any unexpected waves hitting the beach.
The speeds are electronically controlled to ensure no battery power is wasted.Below are a selection of our instructional videos. To view all our videos, please go to the bottom of our resources page – click on the link, or view it below.
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