Progressions of Preparations

Okay, so the agenda for the day included the change over from the wooden supports for the seawings of the kayaks to the metal ones.  As mentioned in an earlier post, we took 2 sets of 3" suction cup with screw holes in their tops ($11.99 each set - Canadian Tire) and 2  -  10' long 1 inch diameter electrical conduit pipes cut to 7'. ($11 each and an electrical contractor's store) 4 bolts 1-1/2" long (any hardware store - too cheap to calculate).  The pipes are drilled through at each end, and bolted to the suction cups.  

The Seawings are then secured to the poles, and the kayaks to the Seawings.

The bows and sterns are then secured to the railing on the roof to anchor the whole assembly as the bars don't have anchoring of their own other than the suction cups (which are quite strong, trust me.  This is quite secure - I had a bit of convincing them to do when I was tweaking their placement)

Our Winegard satellite disk dome is very well anchored, and curved in such a way that it holds an anchoring line well.  Our roof rail ends about half way up the length of the kayaks and can't on its own hold the sterns.  (I have the bows at the back of the rig because the sterns' keels makes them less of a wind catcher than the water cutting designed bows)  By starting the line on the end of the rail, then going through the sternline holes, and then on to the anchoring rope around the Winegard dome, it secures the sterns against catching the wind.

And so they are remounted, and the profile is contentedly below the 13' mark.  The total cost below $50 for the supports for the seawings.  I feel that the wings are definitely a good device for securing the frame of the kayaks though, and although their price was high, we were given a significant discount.

We are now down to 5 days from departure.  Ken is finished with the trailer except for the very last day's tasking when he won't need anything anymore, and then he will do the last of it.  

So with that, I bid you, 

Adieu