Re: [Paddlewise] retrofitting bulkheads

In a message dated 2/22/2001 4:59:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au writes:


> The thought of having a bad surf landing and putting a foot through the 
> front bulkhead is a fine little nightmare. Anyone have any knowledge of 
> failures or problems?
> 
My standard design (of ten years ago) Pintail has a standard bulkhead, but I 
have a Henderson footpump bolted to it (with one inch standoffs to get it 
back to where it's needed) and, around that, I have a minicell plug that 
takes up all the rest of the room, and serves as a set of footrests.  Very 
comfortable, very solid, and, since it's pretty well configured to the inside 
of the hull, I suspect it absorbs much of the bracing energy, transferring 
some of it out into the hull, but most into the bulkhead (or that portion not 
now obscured by the Henderson pump).  It seems to have done well enough for 
the ten years I've had it, and it easily survived one bow-pole-vaults-in-sand 
surf landing without damage (which is more than I can say for the driver!) 
and a lot of other pretty dramatic stops.

Of course, while the plug takes up cockpit volume, it doesn't save any volume 
in the forward compartment.  If I were doing it now, I'd relocate the 
bulkhead with sufficient room for a nice, soft three-inch thickness of 
minicell plug, and carve it away to provide a natural comfort angle for my 
feet.  Should also take up some of the energy of foot-into-bulkhead 
situations, I'd think.  (BUT I'm a pilot, not an engineer!)

Jack

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