Or web loop under smaller washer NM
Webbing works too but washer does
double duty backing up the bolt a little better and does not stay soggy ( like this matters : )
When working on inside stuffs … the hatch is put aside and weight of it keeps line taught and so up close to underside of deck.
A perfectly simple over / under deck fitting. These are very strong and low profile.
4.25 " of 1" flat weave webbing.
Cut to 4.25, pass the edges through a flame real quick, fold in not quite thirds ( leave 1/2" overlap past each side of imaginary center of top fold ), heat a nail holding with vice grips and pierce the center of this tri folded webbing. Use # 8 or 10 hardware.
Tabs on 2 out of 3
The 2 large rounds have internal tabs, and I’m going to tether them to the underside of the deck. The middle and rear compartments already have a plastic padeye glued in to hold the skeg cable tube in place. I might be able to slip a thin cord through those, or I can glue in another padeye or a loop made of butyl rubber (a strip cut from an old mtn bike tube or something like that). (Thanks to mintjulep for the inchworm idea, to greyak for the webbing loop idea, to onnopaddle for the very clever bent-washer idea.)
The day hatch cover has no tabs either in or out. I will probably glue a rubber loop on the inside of it and tether that as above.
I have never had any problem with loading, unloading, or moving gear bags around in my Tempest, which has internal tethers. That being the case, I will continue to use internal tethers, which eliminate the chance of anything snagging on external tethers (which could cause the hatch covers to come off, which is what I’m trying to prevent in the first place). I appreciate the suggestions to make external tethers, but given my trouble-free experience with gear bags and internal tethers, that’s my preference.
What I do…
Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this…but what I do is I buy some of those plastic loops that are made for putting deck rigging on rec boats. You can get them from NRS. Just look up deck rigging and I think it comes up.
I turn my boat upside down and use 3M 5200 (a generous amount) and glue them to the inside of the deck in the hatches.
Once dry I take deck line and pass it through the loop and tie a knot in it so that it will not pass through. One the other side I tie a bowline.
I drill a hole through the hatch tab and inset a small carabiner through it and then attach the bowline loop to it. And there you have it…internally tethered hatches that are also easily detachable.
Matt
Xcept
there are no through bolts on NDK boats. (xcept day hatch)
Not to argue but…
– Last Updated: Aug-10-08 12:13 PM EST –
Having the same boat as you are trying to set up, it's pretty unimaginable that a skinny little tether line could cause those hatches to pull off. The day hatch cover is a Valley, which is all that need to be said, and you'll find that while the 10" rounds go on quite easily that will stay on just fine while being dragged thru all kinds of situations. Don't want to throw a knock at WS, but the security of their older hatch covers staying on in challenging conditions is not a good marker for how secure the 10" KJ covers are on an NDK boat.
I am not suggesting that you should tether other than planned, but just wanted to mention that you should be able to trust those 10" rounds to stay on pretty well.
Now - w/the QC issues there have been hatch rim failures. But I'd bet nearly my last dollar that if the rim went the hatch cover stayed on and went with it.
;-)
Actually …
saw a SKUK day hatch cover pop off when playing the other day, so it can happen. Maybe not as frequently as with some boats, but tethering is cheap insurance.
~wetzool
Kari-tek skeg box
Might be able to do the bent-washer thing with that bolt.
But I am almost certainly going to use the “inchworm” idea, using butyl rubber strips for the inchworms. Probably Aquaseal for the glue, as it too is stretchy and strong.
You were probably in Maine…
but I managed to pop off the day hatch cover when doing a cowboy re-entry. It had never happened before (in either the Tempest or the Explorer), till I 303’ed the covers on the Explorer. Right after treating them I noticed nervously how easy–too easy–they were to put on and take off. After my little incident, which I posted on this board, I wiped the contact areas with damp paper towels a couple of times. That was enough to make them go on and off the way they should, and the outsides still had 303 on them (UV protection). And subsequent re-entry practice showed they stayed put.
Reasons to tether and…
– Last Updated: Aug-10-08 8:08 PM EST –
That'll teach you to maintain your boat! Probably wouldn't have come off if it was ratty and cracked. It would have holed thru instead. :-)
Oh well, another unexpected event to add to the pile of them. Yeah, we were in Maine.
BTW, the reason I realized I had to tether the things wasn't from their popping off in use, but having to dig into dark water on a rising tide when I had left the hatch cover on the deck while loading from a camping trip. Granted if I ever have an event like yours event I'll be glad I did, but there are learning experiences to be had close to land as well. It hadn't occurred to me the KJ covers sunk, doh.
Bush Sport still makes emergency hatch covers for the day hatch and the 10" if you can find a supplier.
By the way, how're you getting initially over the back deck for the cowboy? Like myself, I doubt you can easily sink that stern.
Valley or Kajak-Sport?
Was that one of the new Nigel Dennis boats with Kajak-Sport day hatch or one of the earlier with Valley?
Believe is was a newer boat
with the SKUK/KS hatch. It’s the red one in the photos.
Most likely
I think pretty much all of the Nigel Dennis boats labeled SKUK, as opposed to NDK, have Kajak-Sport day hatches.
I’ve never heard of a Valley day hatch popping off during rescues.
BTW, Glad to see the photos. So you had a good time out in the Northwest?
LV’s stern is easy to get over
– Last Updated: Aug-11-08 8:01 PM EST –
I think its flatness and narrowness make it easy. Maybe you are trying it too far forward, where there it's wider??? If you can't sink it enough, try a little farther toward the back. In fact, now that I think about it, when I first tried it on a Romany LV, I had trouble sinking it down because I tried to get across it too close to the cockpit. 2nd try was another foot or so rearward, and that did the trick.
Oh, yeah...how am I getting over it. I approach from the side, stiffen my body as horizontal as I can get it, then swimkick my legs while lunging forward. Then I swivel to straddle the boat and hop/scoot forward.
It's so easy that I have not bothered to try a paddlefloat re-entry with this boat. Sigh. I know I should practice that. It's not as fun as either rolling or cowboy re-entry. More *stuff* to fiddle with/put away, thus slower. The area right in back of the coaming does have a nice flat place to lay the paddle across.
Thought it was likely from from the side
I meant whether you were coming completely over the stern, which I’ve seen some bigger guys do but I couldn’t figure out how you could get the boat sunk enough.
Cowboy not my best suit, but I need to spend some pond time on basic skills again so I’ll give it a go.
From the stern end
I could do that with the little Prijon Twister but not the Tempest. Not even going to try with the Explorer.
Forgot to mention giving the boat a quick downward shove while kick-lunging across. That sinks it down, alright.
Mo/No tethers
First explorer I had I bungied all the hatch covers around the outside in that slot on the covers, clamped the cord with those stainess steel pignose rings that they use for clamping bungee cord, then attached the ends of the bungees into those plastic bungee clips that west marine sells. Clipped onto my deck lines and all was well. I did worry quite alot about someone grabbing a hatchcover bungee instead of a deck line during rescues, but it never happened. Next explorer I didn’t put any tethers on the bow or stern hatch covers and have never lost one yet. I do always tether my day hatch cover with the bungee rig, 'cause I know I’d lose it if I didn’t- that’s the only cover that gets opened on the water. The valley day hatch covers are much better than the newer NDK covers- they fit better, float, and are easier to pop off on the water- for me at least. Cheers----K
Usually
put my straps over the hatch covers. Then I do not have to worry about it.
Floating hatches
– Last Updated: Aug-19-08 12:44 PM EST –
Valley hatches are actually plastic compounds. Plastic material with some powdered rubber in there and melted and injected into a mold. It's a complicated science and most people think black rubbery things are rubber and they are plastics. The Kajak / NDK type of hatches are rubber or rubber compounds. Why they would choose to do that ???? Maybe price or not having a vendor who can do it ?? Or maybe the plastic compounds hold up better with UV ?? I have boats with both and like the VCPs best until I have to replace an oval cover $$. Mine are all starting to go at once and it's now about 12 years on them. My rubber Kajak sport types are only a few years old. I know that VCP's are a lot more expensive on a wholesale level.
Straps?
we don’t got no straps… we don’t need no stinkin’ straps 
Thought this started out about NDK boats?