NorCal Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing Zone => Safety First => Topic started by: ScottThornley on May 11, 2006, 10:27:25 PM
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I let a good friend from SLO borrow my kevlar composite yak for 3 monghts or so. No biggie I thought, It's February, I'm not going to be using it for a while. He had some foam saddles, and I let him borrow a pair of 10 foot cam straps, complete with rubber protectors, as made by Yakima.
He had fun the last few months, and tonight he delivered it back to me. As an aside, he mentions some oil canning, and is pointing to the cockpit area of the boat. Well, I'm looking at the top of the hull, and see some rippling and don't think much of it, until I turn it over to drain it, and see horrendous indentations in the bottom of the hull. I'm thinking WTF!!!.
Anyway, I'm really bummed, but am getting it back onto my truck, into the saddles, and ask him for the straps. To which he replies "I don't have them with me, I've been using these ratchet tie-downs. They're better anyway. They keep things nice and snug."
Source of oil canning found. Oh, and the spine of the hull is destroyed as well. I'm not sure if it's repairable. This was my sweetheart, and I'm heartbroken.
Don't let this happen to you - ratchet tie downs can f--- up your boat in a heartbeat. Use standard cam straps, and keep things snug, don't horse on them. Use a bowline for safety, and you will be just fine.
Scott
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Nooooooo!
Seen it happen to fiberglass the same way, rachet straps justified the exact same way just before the "crrrack" and the accompanying look on the paddler's face as they realize they used just one rachet too many :smt009. Plastic boats can maybe handle the deformation better and sometimes spring back, and I think folks get used to using the rachet straps on them. Then when they get a really nice fiberglass or composite...trouble, right there on the roof of your car.
That's a tale of woe to be sure.
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I've had many similar negative experiences with loaning stuff to friends and relatives. I once loaned my SUV to a brother-in-law so he could move some furniture. When I got it back, the carpet was torn and the back of my seats were punctured. I wanted to kick his ass for being so careless, but I blame myself for loaning it out to him in the first place. I already knew he was very inconsiderate of people's feelings and things.
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....Chuck...teach your bro-in-law a lesson....I'll even give you a hand :smt045 Let's get him drunk.....and let's ratchet him to your front bumper....and drive drive down to Baja :smt002 That will learn him :smt003
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I have seen that happen several times...sooo sorry!
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I put some cracks in the gel coat of my kevlar by tightning down the straps too much. Tho Im not sure it was me that did it. Very much a bummer. :smt009
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Hully rollers will do the same thing, even with standard tie-downs. I used to have hully rollers in the back and mako saddles up front. After some nasty dents, I pulled off the rollers in the rear and put in another set of mako saddles. They are actually easier to slide the kayak up on than the rollers, and cause no dents.