Re: [Paddlewise] Tenting _On_ A Kayake (was Re: sailing content)

Ask and you shall recieve..., boy, does that ever fit PW!

Thanks Mark and Ralph. (I knew I should have started your newsletter 
years ago)

Before I forget. The frount seat rib, on an old super, has got a down 
post designed into it. This was because the seat swivled and one could 
set up there. I suppose I could cut it out and that would allow my feet 
to extent past there. I used to just put them on either side, but I have 
sence made a custom set of peddles for the rudder, and they flip up right 
there.

The bivy/tents sound pretty close to what I had been thinking about. The 
spray cover on the super fits on the outside of the combing with snaps 
and I figured the shelter could either fit on the outside of the spray 
cover with velcro, or snap directly to the combing.

The old spray cover had zippers where you get in(seems like klepper 
military ones also did?). I managed to get folbot to make me a complete 
new skin and spray skirt, just before they stopped doing that. The new 
spray skirt is nice(more water tight), but not so friendly for camping in 
the boat thinking.

I had also thought about a shelter that has only one hoop. It would taper 
from the frount of the combing nose(assuming solo)and slope up and back 
towards the hoop, and then slope back down behind.
If cut correctly and the hoop was in pockets, so that it could 
swivel/hinge, the whole thing could be pretty much held up by on point 
behind me. Releasing that one point would allow the shelter to collapse 
to the frount. Also, the taper shape should help the kayak stay pointed 
into the wind while at anchor..?

I would think if the thing is cut on a bias(or is that a caterary cut?), 
that it would stay pretty taunt, even with the wind blowing directly 
against the taper.

Anyone see any design flaws in my thinking, let me know.

I guess if it was shaped corectly that it could be taken off, hang the 
nose part from the mast and call it a spinnaker! :-)

BTW: the super is 37" wide and has a 96X23" cockpit, that is 18" high at 
max.(room for Nanook, wife, kids, AND the dogs)

Thanks again!

James


ralph diaz wrote:
> 
> Mark Balogh wrote:
> 
> > The quick answer is I don't know if my method could be used on a Folbot
> > in the same way because of the difference in the coamings/washboards.
> > The Folbot skin attaches to the bottom of the coaming unlike many
> > folding kayaks where the skin wraps inside the coaming to attach to the
> > top.  Since it would have to be done differently and because I don't
> > know how quick you would need to remove it, I am not sure.
> > I will give a quick overview of my set up but it is a work in progress
> > and I am constantly changing and improving my whole rig.SNIPPED
> 
> > I seem to recall a similar tent set up mentioned on
> > a Klepper in Ralph's newsletter.
> 
> Yes, In the Nov/Dec 1993 issue.  Here is the description:
> 
> A HOME AWAY FROM HOME-TENTING _ON_ YOUR FOLDABLE
> You’re paddling on a long cruise along a marshy coast or river.  Perhaps
> it’s in the Everglades or a wetland part of the New York State barge
> canal.  It is getting dark and you don’t see any spot on shore dry
> enough to pitch your small mountain tent.  Just about at this point when
> you would be feeling very sorry for yourself Jack Flannigan of
> Bellingham, Washington, probably would have a smile on his face
>         Jack has rigged his Klepper Aerius II Expedition with an on-board
> tent.  He recently sent me some photos of his “baby.”  I must admit that
> the photos put a smile on my face.  The tent that Jack uses for his
> on-board tent setup looks strikingly like the old Conestoga wagons that
> opened up the American West.  I can’t help imagining a train of these
> wending their way through a marsh or rafting up for the night off some
> inhospitable shoreline as the leader calls out “round the wagons”.  When
> this issue is published, I know that I’ll get a call from my friend
> David Valverde who has everything else on his Batwing schooner-rigged
> Klepper double -- he’ll be wanting to get in touch with Jack to learn
> how he can make his own on-board tent setup.
>         Fortunately or unfortunately, Jack will be down in Central America for
> the next few months and out-of-touch.  But he was kind enough to detail
> how he went about setting up his folding kayak for attaching the tent.
> 
> The Tent
>         Jack started off with a North Face Mayfly, which is a non-free standing
> lightweight 1-person tent with two hoops.  The Mayfly is 40 inches wide
> by 101 inches long with a 30 inch peak height.  However, a call to North
> Face reveals that the company is no longer making that particular
> model.  North Face does offer something similar right down to the 2
> hoops.  It is the 2-person Leafhopper, but it is 58 inches wide.  This
> is too wide for the 36 inch beam Klepper.
>         A closer size replica of the old Mayfly may be the Gossamer from
> Eureka.  The Gossamer is also a one-person and is 32 inches wide by 96
> inches long (price $109).  It has two hoops similar to the Mayfly.  The
> Gossamer may be a better fit for a folding kayak than even the Mayfly.
> It certainly would put the hoops under less stress.
>         I discussed the issue with Helen Tuers of Campmor, which has a complete
> tenting department at good discounts (1-800-526-4784).  She thinks that
> you have to be careful not to constrain the hoops of any tent.  Jack
> also reports that even the Mayfly’s poles are a bit overstressed since
> he has to press them in to fit within the 36 inch width of the
> Klepper.   The 32 inch wide Gossamer would seem ideal.
>         Whatever tent you use be advised that you will have to cut out the
> floor.  That’s what Jack did in order to fit it over the cockpit of his
> Klepper.  Considering this, it may be best to go with a fairly
> inexpensive tent like the Gossamer.  The last thing you would want to do
> is buy a $400 Moss or Bibler one-person tent and mutilate the thing.
> 
> Attachment To Your Boat
>         This is the hard part.  Jack used a 1 1/2 inch wide strip of velcro for
> the tent itself.  He sewed this strip all around the perimeter of the
> tent using a sewing machine.
>         To attach the tent to the boat he sewed on 2- inch wide strips,
> approximately 6 to 8 inches long, in a ring around the cockpit.  These
> he sewed on to the canvas deck by hand.  Jack reports that this piece of
> work was very time-consuming and labor intensive.  I bet.  The idea of
> that much sewing is not only tiring; it’s downright scary.  He beveled
> each of the 6-8 inch pieces so that they more or less followed the
> contours of the coaming.
>         I have an adversion to sewing anything on the deck.  My preference for
> attachment would be other methods that differ somewhat from the one
> picked by Jack.  One of my alternatives would be to glue velcro strips
> to the coaming itself.  (Klepper is planning to do something similar
> with a new line of spray decks.  So some Kleppers may come equipped with
> such strips in the future. See page 9 in this issue.)  The strips would
> adhere well to the wood surface.  However, before I tried any of that
> velcro stuff, I would experiment to see if the perimeter of the tent
> material might be able to be tucked under the coaming similar to how the
> tuck-under spray deck attaches.
> 
> Other Points
>         Jack sewed heavy webbing patches to the deck at the points at which the
> pole ends would be resting on the canvas.  These webbing strips act as
> reinforcement to avoid wear and tearing of the canvas by the pole tips.
>         Jack also sewed in some extra webbing straps that are used to hold down
> the tie-down tabs at each corner of the tent.  The tabs have two
> grommets each, one which the pole tip goes through, the other to which
> he attaches the deck straps using fast release buckles.  The strap
> attachment to the tie-down tabs helps hold the tent in place.
>         Jack also utilizes the rear deck D-rings (meant to help hold down a
> deck load) to stake out the vestibule and door of the tent.  He also has
> lines running from each end of the boat to the top of each tent hoop.
> This helps hold the tent up since it is not freestanding.  To attach
> these out on the water, Jack crawls out on the deck.  The Klepper is
> stable enough to allow venturing out on the end decks.
>         To use the tent, Jack removes the seats and lays out a Thermarest pad.
> To even off the spaces beneath the pad, he places books and other
> fillers.
>         The tent has worked out well.  Jack has slept some 20 nights on the
> water using this setup.  END ARTICLE
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> ralph diaz
>

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************