Yes to what flatpick says…
I drilled mine last season and used 11mm climbing rope I got from REI for about $6 (3 feet), tied knotes in the ends, works perfect…
Amen! NM
Bill Mason…
…is an inspirations to be sure, but some of his ideas might be considered a bit outdated today – no disrespect intended. It takes only about 30 minutes or so to drill a hull and install ling tubes. With the holes properly placed just a few inches above cutwater lining and tracking a canoe is a snap – just grab your rope and go – no messin’ around. Mason’s bridle would need to be tied and untied every time you needed it. In a stream with alternating rapids/rocks and pools tying and untying a bridles would be a major PIA factor in my opinion, even if you’re quick with knots. The reason Mr. Mason used a bridle was that he primarily paddled w/c canoes and his bridle system was appropriate for his preferred hull material. With today’s molded hulls my bet would be he’d drill his boat – he was after all a progressive type.
My 2 cents… on sale today only for one shiny penny! Randall
I agree with that
– Last Updated: Feb-21-04 3:54 PM EST –
That makes good sense, and I may drill the ends of my boat someday. In fact, I may drill below the gunwales to provide tie-down points for bow and stern bags. But what about the idea that in really strong current, you might be better off pulling the boat by an attachment point on the bottom of the boat? I know when towing an empty canoe behind a power boat, the only way to make it ride true and not take off sharply to one side and promptly flip, is to use a bridle. Wouldn't the same principle apply when lining in strong current?
BTW, I rather doubt I'll be taking my Vagabond in the kind of water where I'll have to worry about that. It's just a general question.
Eric
Hhmmmm…. The difference between towing with another boat and lining/tracking by hand is largely one of “angle”, which is to say another boat is low to the water while the person pulling on the line while lining/tracking is well above water level. To further increase the angle in order to keep the bow up (and avoid digging in) the lining tubes are placed just a few inches above the waterline. I could see a slight advantage to Mr. Mason’s bridle over the aforementioned lining tubes when a LOT of line is played out – the more line the less the angle. Knowing the bridle technique as a back-up certainly makes sense.
FWIW, for the most part the times I’ve lined/tracked a canoe were through sections of very thin water rather than through rapids, though I’ve done the later as well. I paddle small creeks a lot and frequently need to get out and pull the boat through so as not to needlessly ding up my hulls. On a run down (or up) a thin creek I might get out and line 10 or 15 times in a day. I’ve found the lining holes are a real bonus. Randall
Done
Just finished installing lining hole set ups as per Cliff Jacobson’s instructions. I did use a Forster drill bit and drill the hole the exact 1/2 " od of the cpvc pipe. Only very minor rat tail file work was needed. They actually look pretty neat, certainly as good or better than the fit and finish on the rest of the canoe. I’ll paint 'em when the weather dries out in a couple of days.
We’ll see how these hold up. I might try the tug eyes and JJoven’s method also on future jobs.