It is currently March 19th, 2024, 3:36 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 27 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
PostPosted: May 15th, 2021, 5:47 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 20th, 2001, 7:00 pm
Posts: 3926
Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada
About devising hoops for the end of the deck (around the cockpit). I know someone who made hoop support using a piece of PEX tubing (plumbing dept.) put inside aluminum conduit (electrical dept.). The PEX on it's own is too floppy, the conduit on it's own can "fold up / kink but the combination worked well for him and definitely helped to keep water from running down the deck and entering via the cockpit area.

When I was using a cover with a tunnel the water would pool in my lap, a surprisingly large amount of water that was so heavy that it impacted my ability to reach way out for a high brace.

I was shown by a (at the time) much more experience paddler, that 90% of my problems running rapids was due to me not knowing the value of proper bracing skills. Once I developed that skill I stopped rolling and falling out of my boat (most of the time!) and found I could navigate long rapids with very few actual paddle strokes and for the most part never having my paddle blade out of the water.

_________________
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 16th, 2021, 11:21 am 
Offline

Joined: March 23rd, 2006, 11:21 pm
Posts: 1298
Location: Burns Lake, BC
recped, you ought to start a "deep thoughts" thread by Recped Handy.

Start with these two gems...

"I loved my covers when I first had them, it allowed me to run bigger rapids which gave me more experience and over time reduced the need for a cover at all once I became more skilled at avoiding being swamped. "

"I was shown by a (at the time) much more experience paddler, that 90% of my problems running rapids was due to me not knowing the value of proper bracing skills. Once I developed that skill I stopped rolling and falling out of my boat (most of the time!) and found I could navigate long rapids with very few actual paddle strokes and for the most part never having my paddle blade out of the water."


Just like Jack's, good shit. :clap:


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 16th, 2021, 9:46 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 16th, 2011, 8:02 pm
Posts: 347
Location: Edmonton area
I will prowl my local Lowes and Home Depot and see if I can play with the PEX in the conduit idea; thanks Recped, great tip. It probably more or less is somewhat bendable to shape it optimally to shed water. Cool.

Yes, it is amazing how much stability just keeping your blade in the water provides. I really love canoe tripping.

Canoeheadted, right you are, those are some pearls of wisdom layed out for us all. Maybe there should be a quotable quotes page on the site?? Cheers all.

_________________

Ubique



Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 17th, 2021, 6:11 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 8th, 2019, 2:06 pm
Posts: 20
My apologies for the hijack.
I'd love to see some pics of the bungee cord and paracord clip deck fasteners. (I'm just installing a Northwater spray deck now). Any chance you could post up a pic?
Mark


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 17th, 2021, 10:37 pm 
Offline

Joined: March 23rd, 2006, 11:21 pm
Posts: 1298
Location: Burns Lake, BC
Hey Mark, here's a shot of a skirt.
The S-hooks attach to Northwater hull loops.

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 18th, 2021, 10:28 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: December 20th, 2003, 9:27 am
Posts: 1095
Well, well, once again I have forgotten how to post pictures. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, here

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qtcay2KGrWeWKWGx5

is access to a small album that shows:

Canoe with permanently installed paracord:

Close ups of clips. These clips were what I could find at the time. I think that there are better clips available now but none of these have broken so I didn't need to replace them.

Close up of deck installed:

Showing how you can open the ends of the deck for access without removing the whole deck:

The album comes up for me but please let me know if it works for you.

R


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 18th, 2021, 2:29 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 16th, 2011, 8:02 pm
Posts: 347
Location: Edmonton area
The album came through fine Ralph, thanks for those pics. I can see why you like that system.
Cheers!

_________________

Ubique



Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 19th, 2021, 1:07 pm 
Offline

Joined: January 11th, 2005, 4:58 pm
Posts: 2283
Location: Manitoba
The Photographs were great. Simple. Adjustable. Quick clip.

The 2 lines of cord look a bit redundant but I know it’s probably because of the fact of using a manufactured spray deck differently.

Do the plastic clips interfere with paddling—do you hit your fingers on it?

_________________
Brian
http://www.JohnstonPursuits.ca

 


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 19th, 2021, 2:05 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: December 20th, 2003, 9:27 am
Posts: 1095
I haven't used the spray deck for a while but I don't recall that hitting the clips when paddling being an issue.

The two cords might appear to be redundant but it there are a lot of reasons why I found this system to be better than the one cord/weaving system.
Partly due to the time involved in the threading and unthreading (is that a word?) process especially when hands were cold.
Partly due to the wear and tear on the little loops which the friction of the cord would cut through when pulling the cord when removing the deck. Cutting a loop required replacing the loop and the backing patch (unless someone else has another solution).
Partly because I found it a challenge to get the deck tight by pulling on the one cord - of course, this could have been my issue and not a problem with the one cord system. Getting the deck tight with two cords is easy. The first time you put the deck on the boat, you make all of the adjustments in cord length (you can adjust both cords) on dry land in
your yard. By the river you just put the deck on and it is already tight. If you have a higher than usual load you can easily loosen one cord slightly to accommodate the higher load. This system is self-leveling because the cord can move easily through the clips - not so with one cord going through the little boat loops.
In addition, if I recall correctly, the connecting cord did not go through one loop then up to the deck and then back to the next loop and then back to the deck. There were places when the cord went through two of the deck loops then back to the boat loops. This made it difficult to get even tightness across the deck.

R


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: June 10th, 2021, 5:42 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 16th, 2011, 8:02 pm
Posts: 347
Location: Edmonton area
So, I've completed the installation of the air flotation bags, and I've made and installed the spray deck, and with gratitude to all who helped advise me about this, here are some pics:

Image
A view with the bags installed and normal tripping kit on board

Image
A side view of the deck installed

Image
Some detail of the front piece showing the map case and glovebox

Image
Some detail of the paddle garage

Image
And some detail of a little widget that I put together half as an experiment. It's an articulating water diverter (does that sound geeky enough) A piece of pool noodle encased in a flap on the deck, sewn so that as water beneath it rises, so does it (pool noodles float), and it will rise as the water beneath it deepens. It (in theory) lays flat at 2.5" high, so it's not so much of a wind dam, and it can rise with rising water to a height of 6.5". We'll see if it was time well spent, or a colossal waste of thread. Part of the fun.

Ralph, I used the clips that you recommended, and think that they are perfect for the job, thanks.

And again, thanks to all contributors for helping me getting the juices flowing and the gears engaged on this. I will possibly utterly destroy it on the Coulonge River in September, but that's fine, it cost very little to make, and I learned a ton. Good project.

A special thanks to CCR member Laura P, who gave me the fabric that I made the deck from. It was an old body from a Sears Special Hillary tent, and it went to its maker in fine form. Not only did it make this deck, and the bag it's carried in, it also provided the fabric for a reversible sidewall that I made for my tarp, to accommodate shifting winds on islands.
Thanks Laura, cheers.

_________________

Ubique



Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: June 10th, 2021, 5:50 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: December 20th, 2003, 9:27 am
Posts: 1095
That spray deck looks great and very functional. I especially like the articulating water diverter (both the name and the device) and I'm interested to hear how it works in the field.
Have a great trip!
Stay well.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: July 13th, 2022, 10:27 am 
Offline

Joined: October 6th, 2018, 9:48 am
Posts: 2
I know this thread has been quiet for a while. Lots of good info about the usefulness of spray decks too!

I am decking a Northstar B17 and going to try some YKK self-adhesive SNADS as the anchors on the hull. They are. male snaps with 3m self-adhesive. Then I am making some u-shaped webbing loops with female snaps that will serve as places to thread the paracord through.

Worst-case, the snaps aren't reliable or strong enough and I wind up drilling and gluing the standard anchors.

For one or two awkwardly-placed anchors over a flotation tank, this may be a good alternative.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 27 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group