Hello Shawn,

I really wanted to put a cam cleat on the back for towing, but my reentry technique is to jump up on the coaming and then straddle the rear deck. The cam cleat would be right in a very unpleasant place! I will just use a biner clipped to the rope in the loop. The two interlocking loops lets one loop rise up off the deck so a biner can be more easily clipped and unclipped. Like you said, I don't use the rigging for re-entry but if I were to have to rescue another capsized paddler it would come in handy. Then I would use the paddle float and the rigging. (I don't use a paddle float to re-enter in normal conditions, although I do carry one.)

The other paddlers love the kayak. I have a friend that has kayaked to Puerto Rico and to Anagada from St. Thomas, both trips being on sit-on-tops. He really liked the kayak. The highlight of launch day was when my friend who is decended from Caribe Indians paddled the boat. Everyone commented that he looked like he just went back 2,000 years. The boat really fit him. I do believe I have sold him on the decked kayaks. Also I have learned that someone is building a skin-on-frame here, and am going to track him down. I'm assuming that's what it is... the person that told me said "Yeah, he's got this frame all built, and then he's going to cover it with something to make it waterproof."

Today I paddled about four hours, just getting used to her. I need to move the seat back, but that's very easy since it's not glued in. This kayak rides really dry. The deck is quite high. I made the coaming lip rather wide and shaped it to a curve at the top like a fiberglass coaming. I dunked it and held my head above water for a good two minutes and it stayed quite dry. I swallowed about twice what she took on! My knee hit the skirt and caused a little water to come in. I just wish the swell were a little higher so I can really test her out. I'm looking out the window as I type and it looks pretty darned calm. I hope it picks up. Tonight I'm making the adjustments to the trim and I hope I can just paddle tomorrow. Also I'm resealing the bulkheads. I goofed and used a 7-day curing sealant instead of the fast cure stuff. They leaked a little, but I did a lot of wet exits. BY THE WAY... the Nick/Eric designed footbrace came unglued from the floor (My fault, used cheap 5 min epoxy instead of epoxy and filler) and my foot got hung in the rope and the footbrace lodged itself under the deck. I got it free, but weren't we just talking about always wearing a knife? And YES I did have mine, though I was able to untangle without it. Here's what's funny... I actually forgot my knife, and so I decided it would be a good time to buy a new one, so I stopped and bought a smaller version of my scuba knife so they both have the same release. Now I can butter a bagel in just .7 seconds... and mine lands right-side up.

Glad ya liked the deck rigging. I spliced that rope myself. You should see me rig a bivy! I did learn SOMETHING in cub scouts, just before they kicked me out for that BB gun incident .

Paddle hard,

Malcolm