A friend just bought a used fiberglass Skerry. He loves the boat but wishes it had better thigh bracing. I've read somewhere that after-market thigh braces are available for some models of sea kayaks. You bolt them onto the the coaming. They are like downward extensions of the forward part of the coaming. Does anyone know if such thigh braces are available for the Skerry? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
<Does anyone know if such thigh braces are available for the Skerry? You could probably find all sorts of usable braces for a Skerray, but have you/has he thought of installing a knee tube, instead? It's practical --- holds stuff up out of the bilge --- and it's excellent fo knee bracing once it's padded out. Designed to be glassed in under the foredeck, but there are probably ways to put it in on a bolt-in basis. Any dealer that handles British Heavies can get it for you, or you can order it from Knoydart in the UK (sorry, don't have the URL). Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>...have you/has he thought of installing a knee tube, instead? >...it's excellent fo knee bracing once it's padded out. > > Jack Martin Thanks for the suggestion. Knees tubes are very useful indeed. But my friend and I both like to be braced in the knees-far-apart position, like in ww boats and in Dagger boats. With a knee tube, you'd have to build it up a lot to achieve this position. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
. Any dealer that handles British Heavies can get it for you, or you can order it from Knoydart in the UK (sorry, don't have the URL). I got it: www.knoydart.co.uk good luck Jochen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 4/9/01 10:50:38 AM, SeaDogJack_at_cablespeed.com writes: << A friend just bought a used fiberglass Skerry. He loves the boat but wishes it had better thigh bracing. >> Jack, Is there enough room next to the coaming to glue in some 3" minicell? When I first got my Explorer I wanted knee hooks and found I could carve some very aggressive ones out of a small piece of 3" foam. I found the 3" foam worked very well as long as I really thought about how I wanted it to fit. I placed mine just behind the head of the femur. It really made a big difference. Jed *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jed, My Romany is fitted with minicell knee bracing exactly like yours. It works beautifully. (Though I must admit that yesterday when I deliberately turned over in some complicated turbulence in the 6.9 knot flood through the narrow Canoe Pass of Deception Pass (WA) to impress the folks who were watching from high up on the bridge, I failed my repeated attempts at rolling and had to take a hairy, high-speed swim. My kayak buddy Earl Crippen rescued me, so the onlookers at least saw a good rescue demo.) Earl is fitting his Skerray with minicell thigh bracing now, but we thought before he started that if there are pre-fabricated bolt-ons or glue-ons, it would save some labor. (Working on a kayak plunked down on the floor of the kitchen-dining area of an apartment not easy!) ----- Original Message ----- From: <SeaKayakNH_at_aol.com> To: <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 6:29 PM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] thigh bracing for Skerry? > Jack, > > Is there enough room next to the coaming to glue in some 3" minicell? > When I first got my Explorer I wanted knee hooks and found I could carve some > very aggressive ones out of a small piece of 3" foam. I found the 3" foam > worked very well as long as I really thought about how I wanted it to fit. I > placed mine just behind the head of the femur. It really made a big > difference. > > Jed *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jack Fu wrote: > > Jed, > > My Romany is fitted with minicell knee bracing exactly like yours. > It works beautifully. > > Earl is fitting his Skerray with minicell thigh bracing now, but we > thought before he started that if there are pre-fabricated bolt-ons > or glue-ons, it would save some labor. (Working on a kayak > plunked down on the floor of the kitchen-dining area of an apartment > not easy!) a couple of things that may make it easier, dollar store serrated knives make quick work of the rough out in the 3" minicell- better than an electric carving knife. a very light coating of contact cement is great for repositioning on trials dragonskin will quickly carve out the nuances of shape. drywall open face sandpaper refines it. I think that Jed has the right idea in placing the brace back from direct pressure on the kneecap. a thin wedge where the top of the leg hit the pad helps to mechanically keep the pad glued in and gives additional gluing surface area You can fill your front bulkhead with ice and insulate the back to provide additional uses in a kitchen-dining area. Anybody have any difficulty with the pre-existing thigh braces in the coaming digging in the upper part of your legs in a Romany? I have skinny legs but very long and am coming up with this problem. > > > Jack, > > > > Is there enough room next to the coaming to glue in some 3" minicell? > > When I first got my Explorer I wanted knee hooks and found I could carve > some > > very aggressive ones out of a small piece of 3" foam. I found the 3" foam > > worked very well as long as I really thought about how I wanted it to fit. > I > > placed mine just behind the head of the femur. It really made a big > > difference. > > > > Jed > -- Gabriel L Romeu http://studiofurniture.com furniture, mixed media http://members.xoom.com/gabrielR a daily observation, photograph ± text http://studiofurniture.com/paint paintings, etchings, photographs and objects *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I have also used a denser closed cell neoprene and had different characteristics of the minicell- denser, heavier, without the wear and ripping associated with the minicell. doesn't give as much though. Where do you get that stuff Bob? Bob Denton wrote: > > What I use instead of minicell is the latex foam that is used for PFDs. It's > available in various densities and in 1, 2 and 3 " sheets. Very difficult to > cut, but doable with shears. > > It grabs and is more comfortable than minicell. > > cu -- Gabriel L Romeu http://studiofurniture.com furniture, mixed media http://members.xoom.com/gabrielR a daily observation, photograph ± text http://studiofurniture.com/paint paintings, etchings, photographs and objects *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 4/9/01 11:14:48 PM, romeug_at_erols.com writes: << Anybody have any difficulty with the pre-existing thigh braces in the coaming digging in the upper part of your legs in a Romany? I have skinny legs but very long and am coming up with this problem. >> That this problem has not been addressed by the designer is unforgivable. I do not have skinny legs, In fact the adjective "skinny" has been conspicuously missing from descriptions of me for the past 25 years. OK, I'm a bit more than portly at 6'1" and 240#. But there's no reason why those "built for the British butt" thigh braces on the Romany & Explorer couldn't be changed to accommodate those of us that love the rest of the boat. The Explorer HV is a ridiculous response to putting a larger paddler into the Explorer. There was no need to raise the coaming at the back and sides of the cockpit. The problem is the da** thigh braces not the coaming! And don't even get me started talking about how inappropriate it is to have breasts on a boat. Are the drugs in England that much better than stateside? Or was there some long lost superstrain of Peyote on Easter Island? Jed *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I noticed a similar problem with Current Designs boats. I was once considering one of their boats. The Canadian built version was impossible due to the thigh braces digging into my legs, while and almost identical version of the same boat built in the States was fine. I was going to cut them out with a dremel and use foam anyway, but didn't like the boat for other reasons. cu *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
What I use instead of minicell is the latex foam that is used for PFDs. It's available in various densities and in 1, 2 and 3 " sheets. Very difficult to cut, but doable with shears. It grabs and is more comfortable than minicell. cu *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This stuff is white and I got a bunch of 12" x 12" squares from Rubatex at a trade show. You could contact a PFD manufacturer or Rubatex in VA. They sell direct in small quantities, as I understand. cya ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gabriel L Romeu" <romeug_at_erols.com> To: "Bob Denton" <gulfstream_at_flinet.com> Cc: "Jack Fu" <SeaDogJack_at_cablespeed.com>; <SeaKayakNH_at_aol.com>; <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 12:30 AM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] thigh bracing for Skerry? > I have also used a denser closed cell neoprene and had different > characteristics of the minicell- denser, heavier, without the wear and > ripping associated with the minicell. doesn't give as much though. > Where do you get that stuff Bob? > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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