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

And right you are Ralph! It's been assembled since before I left
Alaska... about 10 months, and the skin was exactly as you describe
below. 

I might point out the Umbrella Principle only works if the Remote
Solution Principle has been applied successfully, otherwise you can bear
hug that thing till you drop, but the frame will not come out! I ended
up peeling the skin away from each frame piece from center toward ends;
the sponsons (which I tried to empty of air first thing) would not stay
out of the way! It was a real comedy. Would have been much easier with
another set of hands. (Also, while wetting the skin might have helped,
it would have meant packing it into the bag wet.)

I have to say, previous disassemblies were far easier... the frame just
slid out of the skin, so I was not prepared for this struggle.
 
While getting the frame in and out of the skin isn't particularly
"muscle" intensive, the thing I find requires strength is getting those
2 larger crossribs in and out of position. I've seen the Feathercraft
video, and read how they should just rotate into place, but I cannot get
them to do that. The gunwale bars have to be pulled out to give the
thing enough room to rotate up and into the spot between the pins. It
requires either pulling from outside, skin and all, or pushing from
inside. Both operations require more strength (in the hands I think)
than I've got.

On the other hand, the up side of leaving the boat assembled so long
might be that it will assemble easier next time! I'll find out in a few
days.... (but I'll also have men along to help me!)  ;-)

Thanks to everyone who wrote to cheer me on! 

karen

rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote:
>
> 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."
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- 
Karen Hancock
San Clemente, CA
magpi_at_access1.net
949/487-2602
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