Re: [Paddlewise] Women assembling/disassembling folding kayaks!!!

From: <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 23:13:55 -0800
Karen H. wrote:

> it together (this is when I go screaming for a man to help), I struggled
> FOREVER with sliding the two end frame sections out of the skin on
> disassembly, even longer than I struggled with getting those two struts
> OUT of place!

It seems that you left your K-light assembled for quite awhile before
knocking it down.  If any folding kayak is left assembled for a long
time, the skin really hugs the frame and it can be difficult to pull the
halves out.  With the K-Light, it would help if you wet the deck.  The
cordura gets stretchy and things will loosen up.

Two of the principles of the 6 I have outlined in various places apply:

The Remote Solution Principle.  While you have to pull the frame half
out the cockpit and are finding it stuck, the solution may be at a place
remote from where you are doing the work, namely the very ends of the
boat.  Try grabbing the bow or stern end and give it a good shaking up
and down and pull.  That helps break the adhesion of skin to frame at
the ends of the boat.

The Umbrella Principle.  The long pieces of the frame are pushing out
against the skin, which is what they are supposed to do like an
umbrella's frame.  If you cradle the ends of the gunwale and chine bars
in your arms and squeeze them in toward each other, you relieve the
outward push of these long pieces against the skin.  While pressing them
inward with the inside of your arms, pull toward the cockpit and the
frame halves will come out.

None of this takes strength just some savvy.

ralph 
-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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Received on Tue Mar 16 1999 - 20:32:30 PST

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