Thank you for the information. Being a big guy keeping the pump inside with
me is not an option. I can't reach behind the seat very well and I hate to
have stuff flopping around under my legs. The people that run the club that
I kayak with also prefer that we keep them on deck. The reason for this is
so we can help bail someone else's boat without having to open our spray
skirt. I haven't had to do this yet but I see their point. I guess that if
you are paddling alone it is a moot point but when you may need to assist a
fellow paddler it makes sense to be able to do so without exposing yourself
to getting swamped.
On the water situation, have you seen the guys kayak where he placed the
hydration pack in the rear bulkhead and ran a drink tube through a grommet
on the deck very near his left side. He can take a drink and then push the
tube back down. He claims that it stays water tight and has the advantage
(in summer) of keeping the drink cooler than riding on his back. I was
seriously thinking of doing the same. What are your thoughts?
"Melissa" wrote in message
...
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
Hi Ken,
On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 02:50:43 GMT, you wrote:
Very nice kayak.
Thanks! I love it. There's something very special about building a
boat with your own hands and heart.
Yes this will be my first kayak project.
You're going to love it! (but keep a comfortable "moaning chair" handy
for those few moments when it might feel especially appropriate! ;-))
1 - How do you like the hatch latching system you are using?
I like it very much! There's a gasket underneath the hatch cover, and
it compresses nicely with the pressure from the tabs, so the seal is
completely waterproof, and the tabs are very secure as well.
2 - How do you like the web arrangement you have on the front deck?
It looks great and off the top of my head I don't see a real
drawback.
It's great. I usually keep my paddle float, pump, and water inside
the cockpit, so I use the deck bungies just forward of the cockpit
for charts and a Norsaq (used for "assisted hand rolling", not for
throwing harpoons at my seal and whale friends! :-)). I usually keep
my spare paddle on the aft deck, but there are bungies near the bow
for a spare paddle as well, so the bungies closest to the cockpit can
also be used to secure one end of the spare paddle.
I'm now trying to decide if I want to install a permanent compass on
the deck, or just use a "portable" one. If I do decide on a
permanent compass, I'll have to at least make a nice wooden mounting
plate for it.
I usually just have the paddle float, pump and a bottle of water up
front and this looks like it would work well.
It would work well for those things too, but I learned a long time ago
(the hard way, naturally) that if I really want certain things when I
might need them most urgently, I'll keep them inside the cockpit;
each tethered with a short bungie that's secured to the rear
bulkhead. I am considering getting one of those platypus type water
pouches I can wear so that I don't have to open the spray skirt to
get to my water.
- --
Melissa
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
iD8DBQFB9w1ZKgHVMc6ouYMRAmYvAJ97FrebZn6qQrXvdTf5k0 KLRPMdRACghGRO
pQyU9yDjax8Q8AyUkt9Ypng=
=uls3
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
|