Cajo auto-pilot and GPS-anchor: not yet
No. Our focus is on configurable hull designs that fit a wide range of third-party motor options. We don't plan to develop our own motor or autopilot system.
No. Our focus is on configurable hull designs that fit a wide range of third-party motor options. We don't plan to develop our own motor or autopilot system.
Why we're not building one
A few reasons:
- Specialization. Building a marine-grade GPS-anchoring trolling motor system is a deep specialty. Minn-Kota, Newport, MotorGuide, and now Old Town's ePDL system have all invested years in the software, hardware, and supply chain. Building from scratch to compete with that ecosystem means pulling focus from the work we do well: hull design and fishing-kayak engineering.
- Owner choice. By staying compatible with third-party motors, we let our owners pick what fits their fishing — a Minn-Kota Riptide if they're saltwater-and-spot-lock-focused, a Newport NK180 Pro if they want budget-friendly bow control, a MotorGuide Xi3 if they're a longtime Mercury/MotorGuide owner.
- Cost. Developing our own GPS-anchor system would meaningfully push the price of a Cajo kayak. We'd rather keep the boat affordable and let owners spend that budget on the motor they actually want.
What we DO support
Every Cajo rigid is built with bow and stern bolt patterns designed to fit major aftermarket trolling motors. The bow mount on the Outpost 128 accepts a Minn-Kota RTA-17 bolt pattern. The stern accepts a Power-Pole base pattern. The electronics pod is sized to fit common LiFePO4 batteries on their sides.
The result: you can run a full GPS-anchoring setup on a Cajo kayak by adding the motor of your choice. The kayak does the kayak work; the motor manufacturer does the autopilot work.
What "Old Town's system" refers to
The question often comes up specifically because Old Town's ePDL+ system integrates motor + electronics + autopilot into the kayak itself. It's an impressive system — and a closed one. If you want their specific feature set, you buy their boat.
We made a different choice: stay open. You can rig a Cajo to do everything an Old Town ePDL+ does, by adding the third-party motor of your choice. The autopilot brain comes from your motor; the kayak provides the platform.
A note for spot-lock-focused anglers
If GPS spot-lock is your top priority, a few things to consider when rigging a Cajo:
- Bow-mount trolling motor (Outpost 128 has the bow bolt pattern) gives the best autopilot performance — control from the front of the boat
- Minn-Kota Riptide Terrova with i-Pilot, MotorGuide Xi3 Pinpoint GPS, Newport NK180 Pro — all proven compatible setups
- Battery sizing: Plan on at least a 30Ah LiFePO4 for a full day of spot-locking; bigger if you run long days or heavy current
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