Wilderness System Kayaks with the tupperware snap on hatch covers…
Traveling with the hatch covers on the yak over the roads and highways; they can pop off or worse yet snap the line holding them to the boat and become a “road find” for someone else.
Now you arrive at your paddling site minus your hatch cover(s). If your lucky enough to have enjoyed your paddling adventure and you find yourself arriving at home with this dilemma, you still have the hassel of obtaining a replacement cover.
A simple solution: Drill a 7/32 dia. hole through the plastic tab on the underside of the cover. Slide a quick link ( Stainless 316 1/8" Quick Link rated 300 lbs.) through this hole. Create a loop on the free end of the string attached to the kayak. Now when you leave to kayak, simply unscrew the quick link as it is only hand tight - slip string loop off the quick link and stow the cover in your vehicle until you arrive at your paddling destination. Reverse the process to apply to yak.
These stainless steel quick links(National brand) are available at most hardware stores and home centers, for roughly $ 4-5.00 ea.
Happy Paddling!
I just added a Gespachi cover
to my Scrambler SoT and was afraid of that same thing.
So I over-engineered it by adding web-buckes to snap over the hatch.
I am also thinking of just removing the hatch cover and shoving it into the body of the kayak when I travel the freeway.
Or
– Last Updated: Apr-20-09 3:07 PM EST –
Simply travel the boat without the hatch covers and stow them in your vehicle or inside the compartments.
Having multiple boats with Valley and Kajak-Sport hatch covers, we have never had the covers come off traveling them on the boats. YMMV
Or just tie a knot
and save the $5 for a beer.
NDK recomends
traveling with the covers off and inside the hatches. Doesn’t work to well when it is raining cats and dogs though 