C-Forum

Hey folks
my kingpin has these two bolts in the left and right sides of the hull an inch or two from the bottom of the boat, and given how long they are, I'm thinking that if I have to exit, they're gonna leave some nice marks along the outsides of my calves
So, if I remove these bolts, how do I go about plugging the holes left in the hull?
Also, for those of you who do c1 playboating, are you able to stay in the boat securely with a foam bulkhead or do you have to use straps/seatbelts? it seems like those bolts would make good strap anchors so I don't want to go and plug holes I'll need later
to narrow the scope of the question a little, I'd like to do be able to do aerial stuff eventually and it seems that trying to whip the boat about the horizontal axes without straps would make me come off my saddle and out of my boat
thanks

First, for the holes. Duct tape works well, so does bubble gum believe it or not. I've had bubble gum covering a kayak seat hole in my witch since September. The other option is to slice a little sliver off the inside of the cockpit rim and weld the little bugger up. I'm not sure about the details of plastic welding though.
For outfitting, I like bulkheads, but I highly recommend thighstraps. Lapbelts are usually pretty uncomfortable although are pretty good for loops, etc. If you want nice, tight thighstraps, mount them pretty far behind yer bum. It makes it harder to get out but it's TIGHT. Make sure you fabricate some hip-pads of some sort too, they're essential. If you have adequate strapage, I don't think a bulkhead is really necessary. I'm also quite happy with the Dagger Pedestal although they are currently IMPOSSIBLE to find new, so good luck with that if you want one. Anyways, have fun with yer new toy.
Will

ok, so if I'm going to do the strap thing, would you recommend something like this http://www.americanhomeandhabitat.com/p ... _Strap.htm
or two separate straps? and if I need two separate straps, is that kind of buckle still ok to use or should I look for something else? Thanks

I would recommend 2 straps. I currently use the Harmony C-1 straps, which work well but are a bit pricy ($30). They're nice because they have a big D-Ring which you bolt to the seat-holes in yer boat, or preferably further back, and then a HUGE fitting which is like a buckle on a backpack. Not the kind that snap together, but the ones that are always connected and you cinch down . That makes no sense, but you can probably see it on their website or you've seen it before. The best part is the end that goes thru the Dring has about 6 or so inches of velcro so once you cinch the straps down thru the main buckles, you can get them extra tight with the velcro. Plus, they're nice wide tubular webbing so they're comfy. If you are going to do something else, I'd recommend 2 straps that are 3" wide, and fastex (backpack waistbelt) buckles are probably pretty good, although not as strong as the other set-up. That probably doesn't make any sense, but I can try to get some pictures of my outfitting up, or hit Scott Broam up for the URL to his website that has lots o outfitting pictures.
Will

i can't find those straps anywhere
I found the harmony website canoe outfitting page, but only by google because it wasn't linked from the rest of the website and the straps you're describing aren't on there I don't think
are you sure harmony still makes the straps? or do you know of another company which makes straps for a reasonable price? I'd consider making my own, but I don't trust my sewing skills to attach the buckle securely

They very well may not make them anymore. I just got a pair last november out of a shop but they'd been there a while. Try emailing Eric Zitzow from Kayakoutfitting.com. His email is angst at usa dot com.
Will

Drew W -

If you don't trust your own sewing skills, go to a shoe repair shop - preferably a small old timey shop where you can talk to the guy and explain what you want. I've had a number of items modified that way. If you were in West Columbia, SC, I'd recommend Fox's Shoe Repair

Scott

Check out Bernie's post...He's got the dagger console plus straps and everything...

yeah, I saw that, but I just spent a good deal of money on foam and hate to waste it

Is the buckle on the strap I posted a link to sufficient for keeping thigh straps tight? I think I may just get two of those
also, the support rail that runs down the middle of my boat has raised parts to give it extra rigidity, would it be safe to drill holes in those to make anchors for the straps?

//edit has anyone used the NOC thigh straps before?

Hello Drew,

I am not as experienced as the rest of these guys, but I just got finished installing a strap system with a Dagger console saddle. The straps I used are Mike Yee's:

http://www.mikeyeeoutfitting.com/mikeye ... _page3.htm

...and so far I love them. I set it up to include knee straps as well, so it involved drilling holes at the water line, but that was not an issue except for the nerve-racking double-checking of my measurements. I tried just using foam/bulkhead with thighstraps but I just never quite felt connected with the boat. I prefer to be cinched down pretty tight, and these due the trick quite nicely.

Good luck and have fun!
Anita