: Paul, thanks for the well written input.

But perhaps not persuasive enough

: I have tried to anticipate some of these issues: Rot: I saturated the to be
: buried portion with epoxy just prior to the pour.

If you do not saturate the entire length of the rope then water will get in through capillary action. It gets in fairly fast and takes much longer to evaporate and get out. meanwhile, mold grows and makes the area green and smelly. Try a sample. Take your rope, with the epoxy trated ends, and submerge it in water with a little ink mixed in. If you don't have ink handy, use some old red wine or grape juice. Let it sit for an hour, as you'll certainly be on the water for longer than that. see how far into the fibers the color of the grapejuice/wine/ink has travelled. If you use clear epoxy and white rope the effect will be more easily seen.

: Flex point: I don't think the junction of hull, epoxy and rope will be much
: worse than some other attachment methods.

When my shoelaces break it is always at a point where they go into an eyelet. The constant wear at just one point will weaken the rope faster than if the rope can move. Over time all methods of attachment will be compromised by the gradual weakening of the rope. It is not going to be an instant problem, just one that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

If you have followed my posts over the years you'll know how much I enjoy sanding (not at all!) with your rope glued in you will have to be careful will all sanding operations of any varnish that will be aplied over the net few years. nicking the rope with sandpaper will definitely weaken it a bit, and cause unsightly fraying and fuzzies. With just a hole there you can sand over the area quickly and neatly, and then pop in a fresh piece of rope to make the boat look spiffy. Rope is fairly cheap, but when it gets ratty it is the boat owner who looks cheap for not replacing it.

: Replacement: The dual ropes should act as a drill guide of sorts with their
: lesser density.

The mushy rope is going to be a very flimsy guide for your drill bit. You will get an odd shaped hole unless you can get the boat under a drill press, or some other method of substantially bracing the drill itself. Instead of getting a clean hole you'll just be ripping out shreds of threads. A reamer would be a better tool if you happen to have one with you. In the end you will get a neat hole in the bow. Why not start with one now and avoid the mess later?

: I don't intend to use the toggles for tie down points and
: will use webbing loops for car topping or a kayak trailer.

The toggles or grab loops at the ends of a kayak are the only deck points that are designed to be strong enough to lift the boat--unless you have added something different. It makes sense to attach the boat at its strongest points. If you try them you'll find them very convenient for holding the boat in place.

Most people who have cradles use bow and stern lines for insurance, connecting their boat and their car. When you carry the boat in cradles or on a rack, you will probably use two straps over the boat. Should one of those straps fail, or even loosen, the tension on the other strap, combined with wind resistance, will cause the boat to shift. Then those extra lines come into play, keeping the boat on the roof (or on the trailer) while you slow down and stop to fix the matter.

A friend of mine lost an aluminum canoe (not his) in '97 when a strap broke and it was blown off of the trailer he was towing. By the time he was able to get off the road the canoe had been hit by a semi, which fortunately knocked it off the roadway so that cars didn't run into it, too. The semi wasn't seriously damaged (which could have been a major insurance issue) but the canoe was totalled. Since he was on a major highway, with a trailer, about 1.2 mile past the wrecked canoe, he had to continue several miles to an exit, get off, and then get back on the road in the other direction, drive back past the site of the incident to another exit, and finally come up behind where the boat had taken flight. He had to get the wrecked canoe back on the trailer--which it no longer wanted to fit on--and go explain the situation to the owners. It spoiled his day.

Well, that's my opinion. Twice. So I'll get off my soapbox now.

I hope this helps, but I don't want to stifle your creativity or inventiveness. You may be on to something which will change MY mind.

PGJ