I recieved another suggestion that the attachments would need some sort of flexability for shock absorbtion. I'm trying to imagine either a bungie connection to the deck of each kayak or some type of spring loaded universal joint in the middle of the cross braces. It shouldn't require a ton of movement, just enough to absorb the shocks. Mark

> Mark At the Boy Scouts Sea Base camp in the Florida Keys I saw the carnage
> to a couple of aluminum canoes that had linked together in a similar
> fashion to what you are describing. They used two lengths of heavy wall
> electrical conduit U-bolted to the thwarts. The forces ripped the thwarts
> off of the hull. A rigid connection between the two kayaks will impose
> significant bending, torsional and axial loads where the connecting
> members join the hulls. When you consider a person and some gear will be
> in each kayak, there is a lot more load transferred than you will get from
> a sailing outrigger. If you are planning to go out in rough ocean
> conditions, your kayaks and connections will have to be able to perform a
> stunt similar to a sailing catamaran hiked on one outrigger only the loads
> will be in the outriggers not on the trampoline between them. Unless you
> are or can enlist a marine architect or structural engineer you are
> tempting fate. Build the double.

> Jeff