: Yeah I know, it would have been really helpful if I'd read this
: idea of yours "before" I covered that boat .

: Downside of my covering method, it's permanant, so it won't have
: the cover replaced when it wears out, it doesn't wear out,
: awfully difficult to crawl up into the tiny bow and impossible
: in the stern, only have about a 3" gap in the frames.

You may still be able to install a pulley cord. What I've done to retrofit boats is:

- Tie a heavy washer or two to a light string
- Invert the boat over a single sawhorse, so one end it angled downward
- Drop the string into the cockpit and slide it down the gap between the skin and the deck beams
- When the weight passes the last deck beam, roll the boat upright so the weight drops around the deck beam
- Stand the boat on end and feed the line so it drops down between the ribs and the deck beams. If you can't do that, a long stick with a nail or hook on the end can be used to snag the string and pull it into the cockpit
- Attach your pulley cord material to the string and pull it through the boat.

It's very important to tie the pulley cord into a continuous loop, so you can't lose an end inside the boat or inadvertently pull it out. As I mentioned before, I tie loops in the pulley cord that I clip the float bag to at both ends. You need an attachment point at the bow/stern end for pulling the bag in and one at the cockpit end for pulling the bag out. I use plastic clips, as they resist corrosion and can't damage the inside of the boat.