Tubular webbing from your local climbing shop would make good kayak saddles if you're not willing to give up your good tow strap. Phil wrote: <<snip>> > - Note Fleet Farm sells quality rope >cheap. It's just like the climbing stuff, but not >trustworthy enough for human life. Most kernmantle climbing ropes are made from nylon--the stuff at Farm & Fleet is usually polypropylene (not stretchy)--definitely not safe stuff to climb with. That said, however, it is pretty stout stuff, and polypro floats. This is basically the same stuff used in non-Spectra throw ropes--cheaper too! Don't confuse this stuff with the cheaper yellow hollow-braid rope, which doesn't wear nearly as well, and is weaker. The good stuff comes in multi-colored braids (the inner core is usually white) and in 3 or 4 thicknesses--you can't push it together and see through it. I wouldn't trust it to climb on, but I'd sure trust it to tow someone to safety. Shawn Now that I think about it, on my way to Farm & Fleet to buy a new kayak tow rope! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>Karen Hancock asked about storage pulleys > >Check out Bicycling Magazine's bike holders _ Pictured >on their website. > >http://www.performancebike.com/profile.html?sku=2268 > >click for a larger image... > So I did, printed it, and went out to the garage to try it out. My existing arrangement had separate pulley systems near each end of the kayak, so the idea of only having to pull on one rope was attractive. After about half an hour it was all rigged, with the free end of the rope coming down near the stern. Start pulling and - up goes the stern, but the bow stays sitting on the cradle. At the point where the rudder was about to wipe out a light fitting I stopped (another reason for not having a rudder?), but the bow had still not started to lift. The rope is 10mm diameter, and the pulleys are ex a yacht, good quality and the appropriate size for the rope, so excessive friction is not the problem. I cleated the rope, went to the bow and lifted it until the kayak was level, and it was quite stable, but when I hauled on the rope again up went the stern only. It took three trips to lift the bow to get the kayak high enough and keep the light fitting intact. A second person stationed at the bow would solve the problem, but I don't normally have one available when I want to do my lifting or lowering. With something as light as a bike this system should be fine, you could pull on the rope with one hand and guide the bike with the other hand if necessary. For single person operation with a kayak it is not so straightforward. Now if I fitted a double pulley about half way, and ...................? Allan Singleton Hamilton NZ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
my three year old system uses cheap pulleys and shackles and cheap cotton rope from a hardware store. Works fine. i effectively have one rope to pull on. I use two extra pulleys fastened to the ceiling/beams in line more or less with the centre of the boat. both the bow and stern ropes run back to, and through, these from their respective pulleys, then down into and through a ring bolt screwed into the wall. THis brings them together so they can be pulled as one, and up goes the boat. nick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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