I am just about finished building a Pygmy Coho and have been looking for rigging layouts. almost every home built kayak has bungies only, while almost every factory built has full deck rigging including perimeter lines. I prefer the look of bungies. Is it acceptable to not instal perimeter lines?
safety issue
Perimeter lines are so the kayak can be grabbed and held onto easily.
This is important is you are rescuing someone in the water OR you have ended up out of your boat and in the water.
almost every…
– Last Updated: Jan-10-06 1:54 AM EST –
watch out for generalizations. A lot of home built kayaks are based on ONE designers idea of what's optimum and not a body of paddling experience shared by many.
Perimeter lines are common on "sea kayaks" because it makes it easier to flip them over during t-rescues as well as hold onto for the paddler who's exited their kayak in the water.
A varnished wood kayak is as slippery as snot,,you really will appreciate a solid grab and not a springy bungie during rescues.
Also a well placed perimeter line can provide a stand-off protection for deck whacking on the edge of the sheer panel.
Nylon isn't good because it stretches and shrinks when wet/dry. 3/16"-1/4" is a good thickness.
ps. don't put any rigging on and decide what you need from paddling. There's lots of room under the foredeck for pump/paddlefloat. They don't need to be on the deck.
Criss-crossed foredeck bungies look cool but really aren't more usable than parallel bungies. For carrying a spare paddle you need more than just one set of bungies, you need two sets.
You can run a one piece perimeter line the entire circumference of the kayak, crossing at the ends through the toggle holes and tied at the cockpit. If tied well it can be an emergency line.
Of course it is acceptable !
It is your boat. Do what you want with it.
I had been tempted several times to take it off my QCC, but then I made up some cross bungees with hooks and use it to attach them to.
Cheers,
JackL
Your Boat So It Should Be Your Way
I have used my perimeter lines rather than bungies often to tie deck carried equipment, particularly during camping paddles. They are very handy to tie larger heavyier thing down with where bungies would not work.
Happy Paddling,
Mark
Rigging = safety
First…congrats on building your Coho. I just completed my first boat and am currently building an SOF for rolling practice. Building a kayak has been one of the most extraordinary experiences I have had.
I agree wholeheartedly with Wilsoj2 and LeeG. Having said that, it is ALL up to you and I suspect may depend upon your skill level and how you plan to use the boat. Though…if I were bulding a Coho, I would want to use it in the type of conditions that would (IMHO) demand perimeter rigging.
AND…you have a great opportunity to play with all of the possible ways to rig your perimeter lines. There are MANY ways to set up perimeter rigging. I assume you are familiar with www.kayakforum.com where you can do a search for rigging setups.
You might want to check out Eric Schade’s flush deck fitting approach (http://www.shearwater-boats.com/Flushdeckfittings.htm)as an alternative to the traditional deck hardware option. Newfound Woodworks ( http://www.newfound.com/kayakacc.htm ) offers a number of other options.
I just completed Nick Schade’s hybrid Night Heron, and rigged the perimeter with Joe Greenley’s ‘soft padeye’ approach ( www.redfishkayak.com ).You can see the small polypro web piece emerging from the perimeter line around the deck:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vrex/71014632/in/photostream/
Let us know what you decide and send in some pics…
Enjoy and be safe…
Bob