$.02 installing decklines

Posted by LeeG on Jun 2, 2006

on the drawing of a suggested deck rigging layout it's worth noting a few details that beginners shouldn't take literally.

The immediate foredeck bungie that crosses right at the front of the coaming is a safety hazard in that the bungie can trap the sprayskirt grap loop under it. If you go over and try to pull the sprayskirt off you won't be able to release the skirt as the bungie is inbetween your hand and the skirt. The first bungie should be approximately the length of the grab loop,,around 4" away from the coaming. Look at the Arctic Hawk photos for a reference. The furthest forward cross bungie could also be brought back a few inches.

Tow lines are best set up from the towers perspective with a tow belt and less from the towees. Tow lines are polypropelene or spectra/polypropelene because it floats.

With a tow belt you can quickly release the boat or hand the belt onto another paddler. A tow belt usually has a shock absorber bungie in the line,it helps. This may sound picky but towing someone is a safety skill and shouldn't be an assumed capability with a foredeck cleat and length of line.

Some folks have set-up cleats on their foredeck for various purposes but 4" cleats at that placement will interfere with putting on a sprayskirt and some strokes. I've found ss D rings a worthwhile tie down for the foredeck as they can lay flat under a parallel bungie setup (three pairs of parallel bungies instead of diamond pattern). Wrapping the d-ring strap (the metal part that holds the d-ring onto the deck) with 1" webbing covers the protruding metal so rescued boats don't land on metal and it softens the sound when it's knocked down under the bungie.

The forward anchor for the perimeter line isn't needed as you can criss-cross the perimeter line through the hole in the bow and use that line to hold a hanging toggle down. If you don't like toggles hanging down low and banging on the hull/water you can make a small "grab loop" with 3/16" line and attach the toggle line to that at the top. The toggle can still be pulled clear of the tip of the bow but it won't fall down onto the side and into the water. 3/16" Vectran hollow braid makes a good little loop to attach things to. A grab loop made out of 3/8 line may look "boaty" but it's not a safe way to grab a kayak in the surf or a comfortable way to carry anything for a distance. Try starting a lawn mower with a toggle or a loop of line. Grabbing a 50#kayak by the bow in the surf can pull a lot more than what it takes to start a lawn mower,,toggles work and can be released, grab loops grab and can twist your fingers into a little bundle when the kayak tumbles a couple times. If losing fingers to power tools is an issue it's an issue with kayaks in the surf using grab loops.

For a slippery varnished kayak a perimeter line is more useful than a bunch of bungies.

One of the nice things about flush hatches is the ease of carrying spare paddles.

In Response to: Re: installing decklines by CLC on Jun 2, 2006

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