Roto's coaming rim drain holes too holey

I always thought there must be some water getting in through those drain holes. I’m talking about the ones that are molded into rotomold coaming rims, so that when you turn the boat over, water flows out through those as well as from the cockpit itself.



The boat in question is a Jackson Sidekick, and the sprayskirt is a tight-fitting neoprene one. The skirt’s tunnel is very, very tight on me (it’s a kid’s sprayskirt), yet there’s always more water inside than I would expect to seep through. Yesterday I found out why: while side-sculling this kayak, I could both feel and hear the water entering the cockpit through those holes!



Is the sprayskirt too small? It fits tightly on the rim, but is not too hard to put on (normal effort). It must not cover the holes completely, or else how could that much water get in?

One word
Marine putty. Well, OK, 2 words. Plug 'em up.

drain holes??
What coaming drain holes? Coaming arn’t supposed to have holes in them.



Bill H.

Could the skirt be pulling a little?
I am not familir with the Jackson coamings - maybe someday I should update my WW boat from one of the original Inazones… but I am wondering if some of it is the skirt pulling a smidge looser as you scull. I expect that you are rotated around quite well, that may be altering the tension of the skirt and/or its fit over the coaming while you are in that position.

skirt
The coaming may have been designed with a rubber rand skirt in mind.



I wouldn’t hesitate to fill the holes it they’re a problem.



How do you like the Sidekick?

whew
thought you were gunna say your T-165!



whew…



:slight_smile:



steve

I can’t find it now…
…but there was a video for a backband installation that had you cut two slots in the base of coaming. Are your holes where a backband might attach?

a bluebird day Steve '-)

www.mountainsurf.com

T-165s cause all KINDS of problems
A T-165 played a role in my divorce from my 15th husband (but I think it was the spray-paint addiction that tipped the balance) (oh, yeah, and the plastic dog-vomit) :wink:

LOL
Nope, don’t have that problem with the T165. A little water does get in, but that’s from the skirt tunnel (nylon tube topped by a neo-and-Velcro band). Same thing with the no-holes-in-rim Explorer LV, because I use the same type of skirt on that, too.

That’s possible
Yes, I’m rotated around pretty well, and with the tunnel being so tight it probably pulls hard on the spraydeck. Might pull just enough to partly uncover some of the drain holes without popping the skirt off.



One way to tell: I could get in the kayak on the ground and hose the side of the coaming (skirt on), first while sitting normally and then while mimicking side sculling body position.

That’s another possibility
I’ll look around at other skirts that fit this kayak.



I like the Sidekick. I just need to get out to the ww park now that flows have dropped but not too low. Last year I only got in a month of practice before it became a rocky boneyard; this year I’m hoping for a month’s worth in one park and another month in a different place that supposedly is good till October. I can’t wait for the summer crowds to disperse and take their tubes, river boards, floating mattresses, duckies, and dogs with them.



I managed to do a butterfly roll in the Sidekick, and it’s easy to do static brace in. Not exactly conventional use for it, but an interesting foray.