C1 bulkhead construction questions.

[TNbound]

So far with my playboat (LL space cadet) I always feel like I move around too much in the boat. Right now it is outfitted with a dagger saddle, thigh straps and a lap belt. The thigh straps are anchored basically right in front of the saddle and don't really hold my knees down well or stay tight, so it seems a bulkhead is the solution.

Now, I have very little idea of how to construct a bulkhead inside a boat. Questions include:

-- How deep should it be?
-- Should it be continuous from knee to thigh or can it be just a band over the thigh?
-- How do you determine the right profile for it to fit against the top of the hull? Just a lot freehand foam sculpting?

Any other tips? As far as I can tell, developing a solid/safe system for a playboat C1 is some kind of black magic.

[Mike W.]

When I paddled a Cascade, I drilled new holes & moved that strap anchors closer to my crotch. That allowed my knees to move too much, so I put the anchors back in the forward most holes. I would think that, along w/ the lap belt would do a pretty good job.

http://cboats.net/c_db/list.php?alpha=F ... me=Forplay The 2nd photo shows the bulkhead. Use cardboard as a template. I like 3" thick minicell. Make it so your knees go all the way through. Make it tight. I should be a struggle to get it in the boat.

[TheKrikkitWars]

For best results I'd go for as deep a bulkhead you can have whilst still fitting in/out of the remaining cockpit area (for me this is ~4 inches from my crotch), and have it continuous (though you could do one to hold knees, one to hold thighs and a spacer in the middle for roughly the same effect).

I always use measurements to draw an approximate profile, then cut it slightly big and shave it down slowly with a surform to a "push fit", glueing the pieces together in-situ once i've had a fitting to check that it's the right size.

Combined with quick release thigh straps that start behind the hip and meet at the crotch, it should be very solid, yet easy to escape (albeit requiring a slight shuffle backward and some awkward jiggling once you get your head above water).


Remember for maximum control the bulkhead has to achive two different things:

1. Restrain the knees from lateral and vertical movements
2. Restrain the thighs from vertical movement.

[RodeoClown]

If you don't mind drilling more holes in your boat, I'd put knee straps in it.

[Smurfwarrior]

I've got thigh straps (attached close to crotch and just behind hips) and knee straps made from snowboard binding straps. Works really well for me.

[TNbound]

Maybe I'll try shifting the thigh strap anchors further forward to hold my knees better... I also have some snowboard type straps I could put in for my knees. Maybe knee straps + lap belt will be a better combo.

If a knee strap experiment doesn't work, I think I'll go for a bulkhead similar to the one in the photo of that forplay. I like the idea of just using the bulkhead if I'm running a river and cinching down the lap belt if I'm going to be doing a lot of playing, but we'll see how the knee straps work first I suppose.

[PatrickOC1]

I run a shallow like 4" bulkhead and a lap belt that works fine for me used a 3" airplane buckle so i can pull it through the skirt if i need to......my bulkhead is kind of a press and fit type deal i didnt even have to glue in just shaved enough off the block to fit my knees and a slot for the backbone and just beat the hades out of it till it wedged in there and seems to work well rolls solid stays tight and easy out in a hurry....

[scott curtis]

I went c-1 months ago with my own foam bulkhead, I miss my old Zoom lap-belt.Anything is possible with foam if you have the patience
.. I have pics of my foam frankenstein bulkhead on FB:0)