Help! I have an emotion spitfire 9 kayak. It has a hatch for storage but the entire inside of hull is open. I need some advice on how to store a dry bag inside this hatch without it sliding all over the inside of the boat!
use an anchor
Bond an anchor or two to the inside hull bottom and use a mini-carabiner or short length of 2 or 3mm diameter nylon accessory cord or paracord to secure your bag(s) to the anchor.
You can buy anchor patches with stainless steel or webbing attachments from a variety of vendors such as:
http://www.amazon.com/PVC-D-Ring-Patch-inch-Aqua/dp/B001IY7UVE
There is one small hitch. The adhesives that are typically used to bond this type of patch will not work well on the polyethylene material your boat is made of. G Flex epoxy made by West System will work but you have to flame oxidize the hull surface with a propane torch first, and the epoxy will cost you at least $25 or so.
But since your anchors will not be subject to much distracting force, you can simply glue them in using a contact cement such as DAP Weldwood:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/20370938?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227016774385&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=35416107636&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=50563902876&veh=sem
The bond with contact cement is not terribly strong, and the patch might eventually come loose, but when it does, just glue it back down with the same stuff.
anchors
thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely get those anchor patches and glue. Thanks again!
bolt or stuff
– Last Updated: May-21-14 3:07 PM EST –
Then idea above of providing a tie down point is good. Not sure if many glues bond to the plastic, though, so you may need to bolt through the plastic. I added some Sea-Lect Designs pad eyes in this way (http://www.sealectdesigns.com/groups/2619-pad-eye) to the inside of a SOT surf kayak I have when I added a hatch to it. I would run the bolt holes through the deck, not the hull, so if you don't seal as well as it should be it won't sink the boat.
The other option would be to put other stuff in there that would prevent the stuff from moving around. You could buy some flotation bags and inflate them to the sides. The inflation pressure would hold the float bags in place, and the float bags could be placed such that they prevent the dry bags from moving about. A cheaper option, if they fit well (can jam in to hold in place), would be those foam pool noodles.
Is your hatch tethered?
If it is use the same point to tie off to.
If it isn’t then when you install an attachment point, attach a hatch cover tether while you’re at it.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The RIver Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
3M
3M 5200 from Home Depot works. Buy the quick cure and allow a week’s cure in warm temps. DIY patches with rings are acceptable.
Hey, I know this post is kind of old so hopefully you found the solution you were looking for. I’m new to the forum and relatively new to kayaking but I had the same issue. This was my solution. I attached a small line holder to the bottom of the cover and used carabiners and Paracord to hook to my dry bags. Make sure to use marine grade silicone sealant and stagger the cord length. Hopefully this helps someone.
