> Erik Sprenne > on the Prairie Coast > True, but I'd like to think that paddlers would be aware of how tightly they > are tying/strapping/attaching their boats to the transporting vehicle. > Ideally, one should strive to attach the boat loosely enough so that there > are no induced stresses imposed on the boat, but tightly enough so that the > boat will not fly off the rack at highway speeds, even in the instance of > sudden braking, or (heaven forbid!) a collision with some other moving or > inanimate object. As with paddling itself, transporting the boat involves a > risk assessment, and a choice of whether or not to use bow/stern lines and > possibly extra attachment points. There *is* a learning curve to be climbed > in transporting boats. Yep I've experianced this "learning curve", but some staps are simply designed to strap the load with more force then a kayak can take. I started out with cam straps, only to find that they work loose over a long journey (especailly gravel roads). Then went on to rachet tie downs, which only suceeded in deforming my plastic kayak, or if not done up as tight - working loose. Now I'm trying simple snap lock staps (like on a PFD but more heavy duty). For piece of mind I modified them by adding a couple of D buckles (above the male lock) which are a first line of defence in the snap locks breaking, they also keep tension on the strap to stop it from slipping through the locks. So far they have never worked loose, survived gale force winds when driving, and have the added advantage of taking less time to do up. You can also never over tighten them enough to deform or crack a kayak. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Aug 09 2000 - 01:12:53 PDT
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