Re: [Paddlewise] tow rope length

Gabriel L Romeu wrote:
> 
> > The same with carabiners used around kayaks.
> > Paddlers tend to get them with rated load capacities more in line with
> > rock climbing than with what one actually needs on the water.
> 
> My first inclination was to ge a carbiner, that is, until I went to a
> boat store and noticed a brass clip which hook bends out a tiny bit from
> the catch so that you can clip something by just sliding it and hooking
> the other rope even if it is lying flush to the deck.  Seemed to be a
> little better than a carbiner.
> --

Given the rate at which carabiners corrode in salt water, a better solution is
like Gabriel's.  There are also stainless steel biners in marine supply stores
(brand escapes me - made in France) that are very good.  They are teardrop 
shaped, rather than oval or D shaped, and have a heavy wire gate.  The line 
that is "permanently" attached to the biner has a separate hole to tie into, 
so the biner doesn't twist around.

One significant advantage is that these stainless biners have no "hook" where 
the gate meets the biner to engage the wire.  Thus lines can go through
the gate smoothly.  (All my accessory biners in aluminum have had these hooks 
cut/ground off 'cause they snag so much).  Don't confuse these with the larger
stainless biners that do have such a hook.  The larger ones are circular in 
cross section, while the ones I like are teardrop in section as well as in 
overall shape.

Down side is cost - they're twice what a climbing biner is (but they last much
longer!)  They're also somewhat heavier.

Mike
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