Installing a kayak grab loop
April 19, 2011 § 1 Comment
I realize that all of my posts to date have been related to canoes, but the fact is that my neglected kayak needed some finishing touches. One of these is the installation of grab loops at the bow and stern.
To prepare the boat for the grab loops, I fashioned a couple of inserts that consist of a length of 7/8″ dowel into which a hole is drilled lengthwise. I might have gone for a slimmer dowel, but I wanted the fudge-factor given that I was free-handing it.
Then I drilled a 7/8″ hole cross-wise at the bow and stern, close to where I remembered the internal stems to be. There’s something unnerving about drilling holes in an almost-finished kayak, but it had to be done.
When the holes were drilled, I applied thickened epoxy to the dowel sections and inserted them into the holes. I then used thickened epoxy to fill any gaps and left it alone for a day or two.
When the epoxy had dried, I did that thing that seems to comprise at least 50% of any boat-building activity — sanding.
And here is the insert after being varnished.
When I do the end-pour, the insert will be encased in epoxy, which will give the ends of the kayak a great deal of strength.
Looks great, I like that white deck you don’t see many kayaks with light wood decks.
Robert, Visionary