Cockpit cover

Advice
#1

I’d like to transport my Manitou II tandem kayak with the cockpits upright. This means the boat will fill with rain so I bought a set of Seals cockpit seals. They fit both cockpits very snugly. It’s a job to get them on. They also come with a strap that encircles the boat.

So I put them on and left the boat out and it rained a monsoon. The back cockpit seal sagged under the weight of the water and pulled the rim grip off and filled the boat with water. Not the result I had hoped for.

So even though the rim seal if very tight, the cover itself is not taut allowing water to pool. I’ve already had a disaster when taking the boat off the car when it had water in it.



Any suggestions as to how to make the seal taut to prevent water pooling and entering the boat?



Thanks.



Doc

#2

Cut cover to coaming size
Use plexi-glass, aluminum, etc. Place over cockpit, install Seals in usual manner.

#3

I’ve had similar experiences with
cockpit covers, even with those I made myself. I now usually carry decked boats inverted.



Is there a strong reason why you don’t want to carry your tandem inverted? Does it just have to do with your loading routine? Can you roll it up there and then invert it? I think you’ll even save a little mpg if you carry it inverted.

#4

beach ball
Inflate a paddle float, or a beach ball or something. Put it in your seat. Put on the cockpit cover. Viola! :slight_smile:

#5

Heard any good viola jokes lately?

#6

Beach Ball
Now I know what to do with those 2 extra beach balls!

#7

Carry inverted
My routine now is to carry the boat inverted. But it’s on top of a Yukon Denali, and as you suggest, I slide it up on the racks upright, then try to flip it over once it’s on top. Given the weight of the boat (about 80 pounds) and the height of the truck, loading and unloading is quite a job.



Doc

#8

many uses

– Last Updated: May-24-10 11:32 AM EST –

When you get to the put-in, you can take the beach ball along, and keep it between your belly and the paddle shaft! You'll impress all the paddling coaches. They tell you to PRETEND you've got a beach ball in your lap, but you've got the REAL THING!

And if you capsize, you can just roll up with your rainbow-colored Avataq! So the skinny-stickers will be impressed too.

#9

Hey Doc…
Hope your new life in Athens is great!..As I used to sing “Way down in Athens county”…" by Johnathan Edwards…

#10

Carry inverted
I thought kayaks weren’t designed to be carried (or stored) upside down, because the deck isn’t as strong as the hull. I think I read that in the Old Town owner’s manual.

Though I’m not sure the stress of the tie-down straps across the deck is any less than that of the foam cushions underneath.

Signed,

A Confused Newbie

#11

Life is good
I get to play with my tractor, and we have our garden in, and the only problem is not enough time on the water. We hope to remedy that soon.



Thanks for the good wishes.



Doc