A friend helping me load my Dagger Edisto tightened a tie-down through the front grab loop, and he pulled it so tight it pulled the grab loop hardware right out of the boat. Can it be reliably repaired? Would it be better to take to a kayak outfitter for repair, and any idea how much it would cost?
First option: call Dagger (NM)
Plastic welding
You may be able to have the plastic welded and the hardware reinstalled. Check your Yellow Pages for local people who do this type of work.
While you’re at it, slap your friend up aside the head! There is NEVER any reason to make a bow or stern tie down that tight! They are primarily backups to the straps securing the boat to the rack and all you need to do is take the slack out of them. Then again, if the grab loops rip out of the boat that easily, the tie downs are evidently a waste of time.
I was just about to post the same
Front and rear tie downs should never be tight.
Slack is the only way.
Cheers,
jackL
How was the hardware attached?
On my Necky poly touring kayak, some hardware is attached with the rough equivalent of wood screws, that don’t go all the way through the hull. In such a case, you could just move the attachment point and run the screws in to virgin plastic.
So, it depends on how it was attached.
Keepers makes
replacements that fit all the Daggers , but ya may have to use waterproof pop rivets .
M