RE: [Paddlewise] Paddle Float Storage?

I mounted a couple of small-diameter bungee cords on the after bulkhead of 
my Romany's cockpit. The bungees run vertically, and hold one or two folded 
paddle floats against the bulkhead quite nicely. I find it quite easy to 
remove the paddle float after a capsize and exit or by reaching behind me 
if somebody else needs it.

To mount the bungee cords, I made fittings of fiberglass and tent pole 
sections. To make similar fittings, scuff up a piece of small-diameter 
aluminum tent pole about three or four inches long with coarse sandpaper, 
and lay it on a flat sheet of plastic -- a freezer-weight gallon Zip-loc 
bag will do. Mix up some West System or equivalent epoxy resin and brush it 
onto the pole section and onto the plastic for about an inch on either side 
of the pole section. Center a piece of fiberglass cloth about 3 inches long 
by two inches wide over the pole section, and gently prod it into the resin 
using a matchstick. Brush more resin on the cloth until it is saturated.  
 Lay another plastic bag over the assembly and weight it down by placing a 
chunk of two-by-four on either side of the pole section, almost touching 
it. Let the resin cure, then peel off the plastic and slice the pole 
section and fiberglass into four pieces, each about 3/4 inch long, using a 
hacksaw or, preferably, a cutting disk on a Dremel Moto Tool or similar 
small grinder. Trim excess fiberglass with a scissor, and remove any burrs 
or sharp edges with a sharp knife such as an X-Acto knife with a number 11 
blade.

To mount the fittings on a fiberglass bulkhead, mark where you want the 
fittings, and then roughen the areas slighty with sandpaper. Also roughen 
the flat bottoms of the fittings. For holding a paddle float, the fittings 
should be mounted in pairs with the tubes of each pair in line, so that you 
could sight through them if the cockpit coaming weren't in the way. They 
should be at least an inch farther apart than the folded paddle float is 
wide. If possible, stand the kayak on end, bow up. Mix up more epoxy, apply 
it to the fitting bottoms, place the fittings on the bulkhead, and tape 
them in place until the epoxy sets.

Now tie a figure-eight knot in the end of a length of bungee just small 
enough to fit through the tubes of your new fittings. Push the other end of 
the bungee through one of the two in-line pairs of fittings. Stretch it to 
the tension you want, and tie a figure-eight knot in the other end of the 
bungee. The bulk of the knots should be large enough to keep them from 
slipping through the fittings. Do the same with your other pair of 
fittings. Then insert your paddlefloat, check the tension of the bungees, 
adjust if necessary, and cut off any excess bungee.

These fittings, which are fairly low-profile, also work for tethering a 
hatch cover to the inside of its compartment.

Chuck Holst



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