: I am not sure if I should add U-bolts to the deck (bow and stern). The
: compelling reasons are: 1. Safer transport on the car
: 2. Possibility of being towed if I get injured
: 3. Securing the boat on the narrow beaches where a chance exist that the high
: tide +wave may reach the boat (Murphy is always at work)

Sounds like you need to do the wooden pipe method talked about in several previous posts. It will do everything you want and look good too.

http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi?read=39215

I actually think it's more secure than a stainless U-bolt. They can cut the U-bolt off and still have a nice kayak, but they would have to cut the nose off on the kayak with the cable running through the nose. For that matter they could cut the cable on either method.