Hi all,I wonder if someone can give me a method for boring the holes in the bow and stern
for the carry handles. Try as I may I always end up with a hole resembling an inverted V
so installing a PVC tube is out of the question Thanks Nick R.

Nick-
I use U-bolts now, but I have done quite a few through-holes in the past.

Some things that used to help me were:
-Use a long drill (12" or longer) to start.
-Start with a much smaller diameter drill, and 'work up' so I could file the hole straight if necessary.
-You can shove a skewer or dowel into the hole and check the orientation.
-Using a long drill, get a helper to stand away from the end of the boat and give advice on the 'up-down' adjustment
-Put masking tape across the deck 'square' so you can eyeball it 'looking down'.

BTW, a lot of instructors now (especially BCU) are pretty firm about 'no loops that will allow your finger or hand to be trapped if the boat is rolled over'. So you might consider an NDK-style (see a Romany or similar boat) toggle which is connected to a single line threaded through a small (1/4", 5/16"??) diameter hole, with a knot on the other side. If you do use the more common style, you can stitch the cords together to reduce the loop size. Ask for pics if I haven't described this clearly.

Also, lots of people in my area carry the boat by the hull, and just use the toggles for pulling the boat up the beach or grabbing from the water, so don't call them 'carry handles'. I can't figure out if they are saving the toggle lines from wear and tear so they will be good in an emergency, or if the cordage is so old/worn that the owners are worried about dropping the boat on the parking lot concrete!