spare paddle and deck rigging question..

I have a fiberglass Betsie Bay Valkyrie which I’m looking to add deck rigging to. Currently it has extremely limited rigging (think greenland SOF) and I don’t have an easy way to store my paddle. What would be the best way to add rigging to my kayak? Is drilling involved? The kayak doesn’t have rigging recesses so there is currently nothing to attach rigging to. I really like the bead setup that many Greenland style paddlers use. I’d optimally like easily store a full size greenland paddle on the bow as well as on the stern.



On a related note, regarding carrying a spare paddle, would it make sense for me to carry a spare Euro paddle with me? Most of the people I paddle with are not experienced with Greenland paddles and if they ever needed a spare, I’m not sure how they would do with one. Can I somehow setup rigging to accomodate both GPs and Euros?

spare

– Last Updated: May-25-05 5:42 PM EST –

Can't help you on GP's, but look at what Nigel Dennis does for spare paddle holders. There's one for the front and one for the back, designed for two piece paddles. I saw someone run the bungee cord at the far ends of the boat (for the shafts) through clear plastic tubing to hold it up and open - purpose being that this way you can put a paddle in the holder from the cockpit, rather than only removing it. I used about 6-7" pieces of 3/8" from the home center to do this. It's just enough to keep it up but not enough that the paddle will come out on it's own.

Hard to explain but it should be pretty evident by looking at it - even from the pictures on his website. Or email me and I can send you a picture of mine.

paddle rigging…
Check out the replys to “paddle clips” of May 25.

This fellow uses three holes and a hook. Pass the bungee through the holes and tie inside. Pull up and over paddle, and hook.

Similar system with two hooks available at Old

Town Canoe’s website, under kayak accesories.

By the way, where do you find a Greenland style paddle?

Thanks,

Tom

Sources for greenland paddles
Here’s a list of commercial suppliers of greenalnd paddles.

http://www.qajaqusa.org/Equipment/commercial_paddles.htm

I hear good comments about the Beale, Compass Rose, Superior and Tuktu paddles.



And of course you could make your own: http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/makegreen2.pdf



NelsonL

Ideas
http://community.webshots.com/album/74165007sqIhvG

yes i’ve looked at brian’s pictures
many times and i love his setup! my current problem is that unlike those kayaks, my Valkyrie doesn’t have any rigging holders built in.



Actually come to think of it, I think Brian as a Betsie Bay as well. I wonder what he did on his Aral.

builders
I’ve seen some elegant recessed deck fittings on some of the kayak-building sites. One common technique seems to be making a round-bottomed hole or slot in a block of wood with a ball-end mill, pressing a stainless pin across the opening, and then epoxying that under a matching hole in the deck.


Here in the Pacific Northwest…
most of the people I paddle with use the setup seen in the link to John Walpole’s site. The photo is Flatpick in John’s Romany. Simple plastic tubing with an elbow cut flush with the deck. The advantage of this set up is that is really helps keep the spare in place when in surf, and allows you to put the spare back without help while under way. There may be better photos elsehwere on John’s site.

Bob



http://www.cs.pdx.edu/~walpole/pics/kayak/lookout3/28.html

I don’t have to deal with surf
so I cannot speak to this method, but for my use I have rigged bungie cord in a “V” pattern on my stern deck, similar to the VCP rigging on the GRO website. Very quick to deal with.



Jim





http://www.grokayaks.com/Kayaks.html

bungie knots
one of the things I’ve done to stabilize takeapart paddle shafts under bungies is to make a slipping fishermans knot that the shafts can fit into. The same works on the foredeck bungies to hold a waterbottle neck or a flashlight and not letting it slide off to the sides.

So imagine this on the fordeck cords or aft deck where there would normally be one or two elastic cords going from sheer to sheer,the ones where you simply put ‘stuff’ underneath: with a slipping fishermans knot the single piece of bungie has two middle sections of bungie between the knots. It’s a way to take up slack or allow slack but primarily it holds things in one place.

Prostripe pads

– Last Updated: May-26-05 1:17 PM EST –

Brian,

I've seen these photos a while ago and then I lost track of the e-address, I'm happy to find you again.

I would like to know where do you buy the Prostripe pad, if black is the only color and if it is self adhesive. Finaly, does the adhesive holds well after time spent in salt water?

It is painful to see what the shafts of the breakdown paddles can do to the gelcoat after some time, I want to cover the deck where it contacts with the shafts of the spare paddle with something that would not require re-doing the work over and over.

Thanks in advance

JB

Funny you should ask…
I just shot some photos of my Aral’s deck rigging for you and posted them in the Deck Rigging album. Check it out again and you’ll find them at the end of the album.

So far, so good.
The Pro Stipe tape has held up well after several trip in the Anas Acuta. I also use it under the mounting pads of my Saris car rack. Due to the pressure on it in that application, it does move a bit over time, but it’s been fine on the kayak.

You call that a paddle???
What the heck is Flatpick doing with that thing in his hands? Where’s his GP? :wink:

yeah…
and now that we own AT paddles guess what I gotta paddle with…???



:wink:



and it even has a bent shaft!



steve

Prostripe
Where is it found?

I ordered mine…
…through a local auto body supply store. I haven’t found any online sources for it.

You have my sincere condolences
:smiley:

awesome thanks!
Did you have to install those anchors yourself? Also for the stern rigging, it looks like you drilled some holes. How do you prevent those holes from leaking water into the bulkhead?



I’m terrified at drilling into the kayak even more. I already attacked the cockpit with my drill to install a backband. Yes I am using a backband/foam back combo for ultimate comfort! :slight_smile:

I think I only used the stock fittings.
I don’t recall adding any holes. IIRC, the bow and stern fittings were there when I bought the boat, but perhaps I added them, or it could just be that my memory is shot. :wink:



If yours doesn’t have them, they’re easy to add. Just drill oversize holes (~5/16", use smaller pilot holes to start), fill them with epoxy, let it cure, then re-drill them for the screws. That’s the same method that BBK uses (you can see it if you remove one of the deck rigging screws). I suggest reinforcing the underside of the deck with stainless fender washers. BBK doesn’t do that, but it seems a reasonable precaution to me. It probably adds all of 3-4 ounces to reinforce all the screw points in the boat.