Rob posted: >Some do not like bulkheads as they produce stress on areas of the hull where an inflexible bulkhead is located. And anyway,if one fails a bulkhead can fill up with water quite dangerously.< Yes, a bulkhead create problems though it solves others. The port side of my kayak where the front bulkhead currently has a 4" crack running vertically, revealing a perfect outline of the bulkhead underneath. The crack is 1/8" wide, same depth, by the 4". Looks like someone routed a dado in the hull. I guess I should learn not to jump every log I see floating out there (must be a Canadian ex-logger thing). As far as filling up with water "quite dangerously", is there any other way than dangerously? >Adding a third bulkhead is an intrusion on interior space yet again, and anyway day hatches are a fad. Damn those boats, the Coleman triple burner doesn't fit! What will I do with that 5L box o' wine?< True, but I met a paddler/trip leader in Nootka Sound in a Romany who brought her double-Coleman, and a 4 gallon oblong cooking pot. I'll send you a picture. And yes, she has a day hatch. BTW, I believe Chris Duff, another Romany paddler bypasses the use of dry bags in order to save space/weight. Now that's faith in your bulkheads/hatches. >Are they carrying handles or end grabs, anyway?< No, they are noise makers meant to knock against the bow or stern and scare away wildlife just before you get them in your viewfinder. Not exactly original equipment on Inuit kayaks. >Black rubber hatches are ugly so it is best to create a flush cover and strap it down, some say. Others don't bother to gasket it, they rely on a neoprene slip cover, then a tightened top cover.< Kayaks are now coming out with flush covers, that when removed, reveal am ugly black rubber hatch. Cake and eat it too? >Some of the best hatches I've seen are on home built wood boats...and then some of the worst, were, too. The ones with the little turn buttons, or the ones where a rescuee pulls on the lid as it is only restrained by bungie and it fills the bulkhead up with water.< I like the home made one with little inlaid motifs outlining laughing loons, hooded mergansers, action-fish and guillemots. Haven't seen any little pygmy motifs (but I have a missionary friend, who if he kayaked in the tropics might have little pygmy profiles painted along the deck, like the fighter pilots used to do with their little victories). >A hand pump is best. No, a foot pump is, you fool. Sorry, you're all fools, atey, electric is the way to go.< Yeah, damn those Aussie mates down-under, with their Carter-esq pumpers. They must be pretty awful kayakers to be always falling out of their kayaks to the point their clubs legislate hands-free pumping methods. >The traditionalists think we are all paddling kayak-like boats as a proper qajaq is an SOF of little volume with a sharp stick on the right gunnel, even if it is for fun, and not hunting.< Well, yeah, they're correct. So what's wrong, you need a spear up your bum before you will be convinced otherwise? >I paddle two very different sea kayaks where one is Old School, meaning I'm forced to rely on a seasock, airbags and a small deck bag for lunch, snacks, etc. I use a handpump and my new Chillcheater spray deck has a really cool roll up bale hole that makes it alot safer than pumping from the side of a spray deck. It does have full perimeter lines so it is not entirely Old School. Many of my friends paddle with similar outfitting as we are bag boaters.< Not very Old School at all! Ditch the smelly sock, the vinyl bladders, the "wet" dry bag, and the hand pump. And get rid of the deck lines, replacing them with an endless array of cordage all over your deck, like the Greenlanders used. Don't forget to learn 57 different rolls so you can untangle yourself. If you fall out in cold water, you die. Now that's Old School. (You can forego the hunting, and just gather your snacks of rotting, floating dead blubber from seals shot around Puget Sound by frustrated fisherman). >My New School boat has 3 bulkheads, recessed deck lines, knee tube, fixed seat, D cell submersible electric pump, keel strip, end toggles, color coordinated to deck and hull black rubber hatches.< Oh, "end toggles," is that the correct terminology? And hey, you aren't New School until you retro-fit your kayak with the new perimeter lines featuring light-reflective patterns threaded through the lines. A fixed seat? What school does that leave the Mariner owner in? >If you've made it this far without hitting 'delete' what do you prefer and why...and now I have to do a rescue described in a certain Canoeing book to empty out this hazard to proper navigation! Is anyone right?< Yes, Derek Hutchinson is right ( a very certain writer of kayaking books). He's the only one who is right. No, not the Inuit, not the Greenlanders, not even the other British subjects of kayaking fame. Just Derek. Realize that, and you have got modern kayaking "in the bag." And, don't copy one of Derek's boats, he will fly over and personally smash your splash-mould with a baseball bat (he has told me so). And even if there's a episode of cosmic proportions Peter T starts a Legal Aid service for ripped off kayak designers, he and his plaintiffs still wouldn't realize the same results as Derek would yield within 60 seconds of arriving at your location. Me? I just paddle a kayak with a small cockpit, stay seated at all times these days (okay, famous last words), make sure my kayak is strong enough to at least limp home, and buy new gear to support the economy. If you've read this far, you really need to get a life (or just go out and paddle more, because that IS the life, friends and neighbours). Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** 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. 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