Re: [Paddlewise] deck rigging

Severne Clay asked:
>>>>>.After looking at the different "stock" deck rigging solutions offered
by
stitch-and-glue manufacturers, I'm considering borrowing a deck rigging idea
from skin-on-frame boats for my Arctic Tern:  drilling holes slightly
smaller than the shock cord diameter directly through the deck and threading
the shock cords so that they expand to fill the holes.

Has anybody tried this and want to discourage/encourage me?  Any other
ideas?  It seems like a very elegant low-profile rigging solution(nothing to
hook your clothing during re-entry), and no more holes than other eye-pad or
webbing contraptions.<<<<<<

We have not only tried this we have been doing this for the shock cords in
front of the cockpit of Mariner kayaks for over 20 years now. It works well
(or we would have been doing it differently for about 19 years). The major
benefit is that nothing sticks up (not even a knot) to bark your knuckles on
when paddling. The only trouble it caused was the one time that the holes
were accidentally drilled with a drill bit that was one size too large and
then the holes let a little water drip in (until we epoxied them closed and
re-drilled them smaller). The other main problem they have caused us is when
an old customers who has finally worn out the shock cord and wants to
replace can't figure out how to get that big thick shock cord with the even
blunter splayed out end through that tiny little hole in the deck. So here
is how to do it: cut the cord and then peel back the casing about a 1/2 inch
and cut away the rubber strands (preferably leaving them just a little
longer in the middle of the bundle. Slide the casing back where it was so
that it forms a tit on the end of the shock cord. Melt the end of the tit so
you have a small hard knob on the end that will still fit through the small
hole you made in the deck (but test it first on a scrap piece to determine
the smallest hole size you shock cord can slide through when it is
stretched). Tie a figure 8 knot in the opposite end of the shock cord for a
stop and put the tit end through one of the forward holes from the inside of
the kayak. Grab the end of the tit that sticks out with a pair of pliers and
stretch the shock cord as far as it will go and then slide it through the
hole. Do the same thing going down through the hole on the other side of the
kayak and then move the tit back a row and thread up from the inside again.
We use three cords showing across the deck but you could cross the deck as
many times as you would like this way by using a longer or shorter shock
cord piece. The cord should not be stretched when it is in place but all the
slack should be taken out of it. If the shock cord stretches out some over
time or with use simply tighten it up and tie another figure 8 knot in the
end and cut off the excess and melt the cover so it doesn't fray. In a wood
skin I highly recommend you use the drill/epoxy/re-drill a smaller hole
method that someone already mentioned. If the deck skin is thin you may wish
to reinforce it some inside where you intend to drill the holes.
We have used the black nylon eyelets on the rear deck of many hundreds of
kayaks for over 20 years as well and I can't recall any having ever failed
in all those years (and I personally don't hesitate to pick up a loaded
kayak by the deck lines between two of them). Black is better than natural
nylon color here because the suns rays can't penetrate the surface much
through the black color to degrade the nylon inside. If the eyelets are
farther away from a cockpit or hatch opening than you can reach with a
socket wrench tape the wrench to a stick or vacuum cleaner tube (as we have)
so one person can hold the nylock nut up in place while the other turns the
screw. Make sure the screws are short enough not to stick out beyond the
rounded cap of the nylock nuts (so they don't tear at gear bags) but long
enough to engage the nylock part of the nut (so they won't come loose).
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com

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