C-Forum

I was cleaning up my L'Edge today for winter storage......Yes winter. We have no water to speak of in the rivers due to an overly dry summer and fall......

Anyway, I noticed the bulkhead no longer fit tightly against the bottom of the thwarts. The bulkhead is still glued securely to the hull, it just looks like it shrank.

The weird thing is that when I was paddling regularly this summer the bulhead fit so securely it actually bowed the thwarts up slightly.

Should I be concerned with making the bulkhead fit more securely under the thwarts?

when you put it in the water again it will all be tight. Your weight pushing against the water will tight'n it right up

My experience is that it does compress over time if there's pressure on it. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it unless it's really loose.

i have had to add foam to the top of the saddle to fit under the thwarts tight again

I haven't noticed much shrinkage from grey mini cell, but the black neoprene variety can shrink alarmingly. I have what's left of the bits that came in my Wheelboy...

Yeah, I think that nitrogen is used to make the bubbles in (black) neoprene, and it gradually finds its way out of the bubbles. I have a wetsuit custom made for me decades ago, and now it looks like it was made for my pet monkey.

On minicell, obviously it will expand in warm weather and contract in cold weather. I have not seen evidence that there is bubble linkage and permanent shrinkage. For example, I made a removable pedestal for a Dagger Zealot in '96, and it fits just as tight now as it did then.