You could use that piece of 4" PVC as lee suggested, or you could use it as a form for making your own glass one, like Bart suggested. Try hot-gluing a piece of 4" pvc into that area under your boat, and try to simulate a paddlefloat re-entry on your lawn. If your feet catch it, and you have a hard time, well, just be glad you didn't install it permanently and then find out that it doesn't work in an emergency situation.

That said, there is room in most cockpits for a knee tube. My Chesapeake 17 has a cavernous cockpit, so there is more than enough room for a knee tube. It is slung in with bungies, attached to glassed-in nylon loops. There is room for both the knee tube and my hand pump. Eventually the hand pump will will be replaced by a foot pump, and the temporary knee tube will be replaced by something glassed in.

As far as I'm concerned, you can never have too many nylon loops or D-rings inside your boat. If you ever go on a big trip, you don't want stuff rolling and sliding around loose--if you can lash it down well, you won't even lose it in the event of a wet exit or blown hatch cover. It could also save your life-if something is tied down well, it can't get entangled with your feet in the event of an emergency exit. People's feet have been caught in the cockpit by errant seat pads, foam paddlefloats, paddling jackets, and water jugs.

By the way, that's really not a "Wastewater Management System". It's just a miniature sample of a septic tank filter housing. I would put a "boom box" in the back compartment or on the back deck, but never in the cockpit with me! Excreta--uggh! :(

I know of a guy who has a Nordkapp with the smaller ocean cockpit (as opposed to our longer, keyhole cockpits) and he has a knee tube mounted dead center. It not only functions as a knee tube, but as his knee braces, since it's glassed in securely, and padded on both sides. Sounds like an elegant solution where one item does double duty.

When I get my Guillemot done, I'd like to install a knee tube. I'm still not quite sure of the logistics, especially considering that it has a much lower deck than the Chesapeake, but i'm not going to give up that prime real estate to dead air. Also consider mounting it well forward (like mine is in my Chesapeake) so it won't interfere with your legs and feet entering and exiting the cockpit through the narrow part of the keyhole.

> chris, this isn't anywhere as intricate or elegant as your suggesting,but
> what about epoxying nylon webbing loops for bungies then using a 4"
> tube of sched. 120 pvc pipe. strapped down by the bungies?.covering the
> ends in any number of ways, I figure that way there's the versatility of
> removing the tube for other things.