Re: [Paddlewise] Drilling Holes

Susie writes, RE: her plastic kayak:
<< I'd like to add some paddle holders to mine.  >>

RE: paddle holders - A very nice paddle holder can be made by using the front 
of the grab line for one blade of the paddle, and then a short length of hook 
& loop fixed to the deck bungies just in front of the cockpit. In use, just 
slide the front blade of the paddle under the front of your grab line on one 
side of the bow, and fasten the hook&loop around the shaft on the other side. 
It's quick and secure enough for all but the nastiest conditions. I put one 
of these on my Romany (fibreglass) boat 3 years ago and it's been a very 
practical thing to have. Last evening I put paddle-parks on two of our other 
kayaks; the whole job took about 20 minutes, materials cost next to nothing, 
no holes in the boat.

RE: holes -John Ferreira's and Chuck Holst's notes on this cover the subject 
well, but having done it wrongly, I've learned that you have to be very 
careful to seal holes, no matter where you drill them. Those washers John 
talk about go on the *outside* (yes, I'm capable of making that mistake 
too!). Bolts or screws can be sealed with 3M5200 or with thickened epoxy; 
bolts can also be sealed with little rubber washers (I make mine out of a 
used bicycle inner tube). 

If the thing you're drilling for is going to be subject to a lot of stress, 
for example if it's going to be for the webbing which holds an 
outrigger-rescue paddle, be sure to buttress the inside of the boat where the 
bolts (no screws for this) go through.

Be sure not to leave sharp points sticking into the inside of your hull. Ruin 
more drybags and use more bandaids that way.... Screw ends can be cut off and 
filed off. Bolts can be shortened. Stanless steel bolts can usually be cut 
and filed short without destroying the threads. Spin a regular nut way up 
onto the shaft of the bolt before you cut and file it, so you can use the 
bolt as a re-threading dye in the (unlikely) event that you wreck the threads 
when you cut the bolt. 

Bill Hansen
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