Odds and Endings

In no particular order:

Grab loops.  A couple short lengths of  7 or 8 mm perlon (climbers cord) make nice grab or hanging loops at each end.  Make a loop, tie the two free ends together with an overhand knot, and shove the loop through the hole in the breast hook from inside, so the knot catches under the breast hook.

Seat cushion:  in the past I've used some of the leftover canvas to cover the chunk of seat foam.  This year I tried using some of the fabric dye to color the cushions - not a good idea, as it turned out;  the dye ran when Matt and Peter tested their boat, so I had to remove the covers and wash them in hot water to resolve that problem.  Hence the pinkish faded color in this photo.

Maker's mark:  The little bronze tag that says Sarum Boats.  Easy.  Drop into the shallow hole and pin with two tiny brass brads.

Paddle note:  While a skilled paddler, can pilot this boat with a single bladed canoe paddle, using the 'J-stroke', the boat is a joy to paddle with an extra long double bladed kayak paddle.  There are some links to manufacturers on the Sarumboat blog.  A little research on the Internet will also yield sources of plans for building your own, if you wanted to try that.  This paddle will seem unusually long, compared to what you might find at the average EMS.  Mine is 260 cm (102 inches).  We made some here at school which are about 8' 4"  (by the way, rubber drip rings are a good idea for your paddle shaft - they prevent some of the water picked up by the blades from running into the boat.)

Rubs

Reattaching the wooden rub rails aver the staples is easy - just screw them back in.  I recommend doing it by hand (tedious, but a good wrist workout) or using a drill with adjustable torque settings, set so that the clutch slips before you can crank the screw too hard.

The bronze stem bands are a bit trickier.  Start with the boat upright, and place the bronze 1/2 round on the breast hook and in contact with the stem.  Drill pilot holes for the first two screws.  The screw pack has enough longer screws for two at each end of the boat. Use the short ones everywhere else. Once the band is attached with the first two screws, turn the boat bottom side up and proceed.

Screw pack.



Start by anchoring the rubstrip on the breasthook.



Last screw on the underside of the boat.

The bronze 'rub' or stem band tends to bend more easily and sharply where the holes are drilled, so place the screws one at a time: drilling, screwing, aligning and bending as you go.  Run a narrow (1/4") bead of silicone down the keel stringer where the stem band will lay, to seal the screw holes and the staple seam (though this may be redundant, given the properties of the polyurethane).  When the band is screwed down, wipe and excess squeeze-out of silicone off with a rag.  Vinegar works well to clean up smears on the skin.