Re: [Paddlewise] GP Feathercraft Klatwa-spare paddle holder

Hi Peter,

I just re-rigged my Feathercraft with spare paddle holders that are now quite 
nice. My prerequisite is to be able to attach and detach spare paddles while 
afloat without assistance. This is what I did:

At the stern of the Feathercraft is the junction of the perimeter deck lines. 
On the starboard side is a noose knot with a plastic tension block that acts 
as a deck line tension device. On the port side of the perimeter lines the 
bight side of a bowline is run through the stern end of the deck and onto the the 
third eye of the tension block on the starboard side. Undo all the knots and 
set the tension block aside for a time.

At a typical hardware store you will find some black rubber plumbing 
Pipeconx. (Mine are made by Uniseal and they come with a metal band and set screw. 
Discard the band and setscrew into your hardware cabinets extra parts bin.) They 
are basically cylinders that are about 10-12cm long and 6-8cm in diameter. I 
chose the hard rubber material as it will save wear and tear on the deck fabric 
of a folding kayak and even the gelcoat of a hardshell. Drill a pair of holes 
midway along the Pipeconx so that the holes reach from one side and penetrate 
the far side perpendicularly. That should leave you with two holes on each 
side of the Pipeconx.

Pull the deck lines through the fabric or urethane perimeter line sleeves. 
Now run the deck line through the first hole, pulling it taught, then through 
the second hole. I did mine so that the least amount of deck line is inside the 
interior of the Pipeconx which meant starting on the outside forward position 
and finishing on the outside rear position. Do the same for the otherside.

On the starboard side of the deck lines run your tension block with the pair 
of holes closest to each other through a bight and then re-tie your noose. 
Pass the port side deck line through the third hole and re-tie your bowline. Be 
careful to replicate the knots Feathercraft uses as they are quite well done 
and necessary to maintain the tension capabilities of the perimeter lines.

Now, you should have a pair of holes on the inner side of each Pipeconx. Run 
a length of shock cord through each hole, again with the least amount of cord 
in the interior of the Pipeconx, and tie it off with a single knot. Be careful 
to leave enough line to re-tie the knot so as to keep the Pipeconx-Spare 
Paddle Holders mildly tensioned in the center of the stern but not so tight that 
they pull overly hard on the perimeter lines. It took longer to type this post 
than it did to actually install them.

You should be able to pull out a spare blade and replace it securely while 
afloat without assistance. Additionally, it will save wear and tear on the deck 
fabric as their is usually a 2cm wide fabric belt that runs across the beam 
which many Feathercraft owners slide the shaft of the spare paddles under. It is 
impossible to replace the paddle shaft under that belt by yourself at sea, 
which is why I came up with this system.

Feel free to post back if you have questions.

Rob G
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