Quad Rails: picking lengths and accessories

Four lengths (with the 44" being the Highlander 100's only option). Bases add 1" each end to the mounting span. Captain's bridge is typically 26" or 32". Works with YakAttack, YakGear, Railblaza, Scotty, and RAM.

Quad Rails are Cajo's modular accessory rail system, and they're one of the top-three accessory revenue lines for a reason — they turn the gear track into a more flexible mounting surface, accept gear from most major accessory brands, and scale from a single rod-holder mount to a full captain's bridge. Here's the consolidated guide to picking the right length, installing them, and choosing what to put on them.

The four lengths

Quad Rails come in four standard lengths. The math you need to know:

Rail length is the physical aluminum extrusion.
Bases at each end add 1 inch to the total mounting footprint (½ inch per side).

So a 26" rail with bases gives you a 28" mounting span — useful when you're working out captain's bridge widths.

Rail length	Mounting span with bases	Common use
12"	~15" max	Throttle controller, transducer mount, single-purpose electronics cluster next to the seat
26"	28"	Smaller captain's bridge, side mount, single rod-holder cluster
32"	34"	Wider captain's bridge, more accessory real estate; common on the Outpost 128
44"	46"	Full forward-to-rear spine on rigid hulls; only length that fits the Highlander 100 (flush-mount inserts)

The 12" is the short-run rail — useful when you need a few mounting positions clustered close together (Power-Pole controller, fish finder, drink holder) without committing to a full bridge.

The Highlander 100 special case

The Highlander 100 inflatable uses only the 44" length, and it installs via flush-mount inserts rather than the standard gear-track method on rigid hulls. This is because of the inflatable's deck geometry — the standard rails don't have a place to seat the same way they do on a rigid.

The 44" length is also intentionally a longer "bend by design" rail — see 44" Quad Rails — bend by design for the engineering note on why it's not a defect.

Captain's bridge configurations

A "captain's bridge" is the rail configuration that spans across the cockpit in front of the seat, where most owners mount their head unit, GPS, primary rod holders, and any RAM-arm electronics.

Two most common widths:

26" bridge (28" mounting span with bases) — fits well on the Outpost 100 and the Terra 116, leaves a bit of breathing room around the cockpit
32" bridge (34" mounting span with bases) — fits well on the Outpost 128, wider mounting real estate for electronics-heavy builds

For the Hobie Pro Angler 12 (PA12), 26" and 32" are also the most common bridge widths — see Quad Rails on Hobie PA12 captain's bridge. Note that on the PA12 the bases extend 1" beyond the rail end, making max mounting widths 28" / 34" — same math as on a Cajo.

Install spacing — the math

The most-asked question is "what's the actual usable space when I install a [length] rail?" The answer:

Usable mounting width = rail length + 1" (½" per base)

So if you have a 30" cockpit and want a rail to span it:

A 28" rail + bases = 30" mounting span → fits
A 32" rail + bases = 34" mounting span → too wide

When in doubt, measure the gear-track-to-gear-track distance on the boat with the rail centered, then subtract 1" from your span goal to land on the right rail length.

What slides — rails or mounts?

A common confusion: do the rails slide along the gear track, or do the mounts slide along the rails?

Both, but rarely at the same time.

Rails are typically fixed in position on the gear tracks after install (you set the captain's bridge width and lock it).
Accessory mounts (rod holders, RAM arms, etc.) slide along the rails to wherever you want them.

So once you pick your install location, you're picking where the rails sit; the accessories then move along the rails as you rerig.

See Rails slide or mounts slide for more detail.

Brand compatibility

The Quad Rails are designed to accept the standard mounting hardware from most major accessory brands:

YakAttack — top-loading or T-bolt-secured mounts, RAM arms, rod holders, camera mounts
YakGear — most mounts compatible
Railblaza — accessory mounts with the standard track interface
Scotty — rod holders, mounts, downrigger bases
RAM — RAM-track mounts via the standard plate

For T-bolt mounts that need to slide in from the end of the rail, that's the standard approach. For top-loading mounts (45-degree insertion into a key slot), those work on Quad Rails too — useful if you're adding mounts in the middle of the rail without disassembling.

See Quad Rails compatible accessory brands for the full list.

Non-Cajo hull compatibility

Quad Rails fit some non-Cajo hulls:

Vibe Shearwater — confirmed fit (see Quad Rails Vibe Shearwater fit)
Hobie Pro Angler 12 (PA12) — untested at Cajo but customers run them; 26"/32" most common
Pelican 110 — unconfirmed at Cajo (customer asked, not formally tested)
Other gear-track kayaks — likely compatible if the gear-track spec matches

For non-Cajo hulls with gear tracks, the install method is the same — T-bolt or top-load. Whether the rail length lines up with your specific kayak's cockpit geometry is the only variable.

Bases — included or separate?

Bases are included with each Quad Rail purchase. You don't buy them separately. The 1" each-end math is built into every set you order. See Quad Rail bases included or separate.

Installing your Quad Rails — quick walkthrough

Decide your captain's bridge width. Most owners go 26" or 32".
Measure your cockpit's gear-track-to-gear-track distance. Confirm the rail you've picked has a mounting span that fits (rail length + 1").
Slide the bases onto the gear track. T-bolt-style — insert through the open end of the track, slide along to roughly where you want them, then snug down.
Place the rail on top of the bases. Confirm orientation; the rail has a top side.
Tighten the bases to lock everything down.
Add your accessory mounts to the rail wherever you want them.

For the Highlander 100 specifically, the 44" flush-mount installation is different — see Quad Rail lengths Highlander 100.

Common configurations by hull

Outpost 100

Two 26" rails as a captain's bridge in front of the seat
Optional: one 26" rail behind the seat for a second rod-holder cluster

Terra 116

Two 26" or 32" rails as captain's bridge
Optional: longer rails along the gear track for sit-stand mounting points

Outpost 128

Two 32" rails as captain's bridge (most common big-water build)
Side-mount accessory rails behind the seat for anchor rigs, camera arms, etc.

Highlander 100

44" only, flush-mount install

Highlander 120 and 140T

All standard lengths work; pick by deck geometry

When the rails launch — and the latest pricing

For launch timing and the current public pricing on Quad Rails, see Quad Rails launch / ship date.