Installing Kayak Foot Braces Using Your Head

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A few years ago, we got a deal on some low-end recreational (Old town Otter, now replaced by the Old town Heron model) kayaks. Instead of opting for the model with all the bells and whistles, we got the base models. For years we were fine with them paddling on flat water (lakes and such). We’ve been using the kayaks a lot lately, and getting more into small rapids (in which foot braces are incredibly helpful).

I researched online for the best foot braces out there. The Old Town foot brace kit is $50!  That price is ridiculous. I settled on Harmony Slidelock foot braces. Everywhere I could find them online they were $33 per set. Just by chance, a friend of mine flew to Florida for work and happened into a great kayak outfitter store, Canoe Country.  He was able to get me the exact same Harmony foot braces for $16 per set– half price! They have great prices on dry bags too. I had to buy some neoprene washers from the hardware store, but they were very cheap. Overall It was a great buy.

Once I got the foot brace kits, I had to figure out how to mount them in the kayaks. The first step was to sit in the kayak and hold the braces against my feet to see what felt comfortable. Remember to wear your water shoes and life-preserver during this step so the braces will be the correct distance. I neglected to do this. Mounting position isn’t critical since the braces are adjustable, but try to at least keep them even with one another.

I mounted the braces by looking at pics online of my kayak model with foot braces and tried to use a little math to figure out the distances from major features on the kayak. I measured where I wanted them to go, and drilled a 3/8” hole in the kayak. This was worrisome for me because I wanted to make sure everything was perfect. I don’t want to ugly up my boat with a bunch of holes in the wrong place, etc. Drilling was very easy. The Otters are made out of a single layer linear polyethylenethat machines like butter, though it is very strong and generally deflects anything that might try to scratch it. I suggest using a knife to cut a small starting hole before using the drill bit to prevent it from wandering. I should have angled the drill to be perpendicular with the mounting hole on the foot brace, but I didn’t think about that until later. Once the first hole was drilled, I screwed in the first screw just until I could feel it penetrate the inside a little. On the inside, I placed the neoprene washer on the end of the screw before aligning the mounting hole of the foot brace. From the outside to the inside, it is mounted like the image below. This will keep the boat water tight.

To align the second hole, I held the brace up inside the boat to the approximate place I wanted it to be, then used a bright laser pointer from the inside of the boat to help me find where to drill the second hole (this was my friend Daniel’s genius idea). It worked great! The foot brace needs to bend a bit to be able to screw tightly to the side of the boat, so don’t worry about that when installing them. After the first brace was installed, the second one went in much quicker. We just mirrored the measurements and it was a breeze.

After installing them on my boat, it was time to install the braces on Jessica’s boat. Now, this wasn’t visible on mine, but her kayak had some spots from the mold that shows where the standard foot braces should be mounted. These holes didn’t match up with the new braces I got, so I just centered my screw holes to be along a line that connected the visible dots on the boat. Once again, I drilled the lower hole and screwed that in (with the neoprene washer) and used the laser to help me find the correct spot for the second hole.

The next day, we went on a two-day kayaking/camping trip. We paddles 16 miles down the Uwharrie river! Those foot braces made navigating the rapids a breeze and increased the overall comfort of the overall trip. The next step will be to add a seat pad and maybe even some knee padding. Future plan also include kayak sails, and a keel of some type as well. Keep checking for updates on trips as well.

 

 

 

Review and Deal Alert: Coleman Kayak Cockpit Covers and Spray Skirts:

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Dick’s Sporting goods has Coleman brand cockpit covers and spray skirts on clearence for what seems to be the Coleman Rebel. We picked up two cockpit covers for $5 each and two medium spray skirts for $5 and $15 from different locations. These don’t seem to be available anywhere online, and you can’t really call store to check for them but get them if you can! They fit our Old Town Otters perfectly. These Spray skirts feel a bit cheap and aren’t made for hardcore kayaking, but at the very least they keep the paddle drips out of the cockpit and when they start to fall apart we can make our own using them as a pattern. The cockpit covers seem to be of a slightly better quality and do the job of keeping creepy crawlies out of the kayaks while in storage.

Catching the Transit of Venus

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So what is a transit anyway? A transit is when an object like an interior planet (one closer to the sun than the Earth) crosses in front of the sun that is visible to the Earth. This is one of the ways we can spot planets around other stars too. If we can watch the star long enough, we might see a dip in the star’s intensity, which might mean a planet got between us and that star. In fact, by looking at the different wavelengths of light we receive during one of these dips of intensity, we can determine the components of the atmosphere of that planet! Science is amazing right!?

 

Anyway, back to the phenomena at hand; the transit of Venus…

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Overstock Rug Plunge

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So I finally did it.  I bought a new rug!  It was one of those purchases that I mulled over before hitting the submit button long after Adam was set on the purchase.  It was hard because the rug total came to $185.23.  That big chunk of change is not a usual purchase for us.  I kept thinking how we could find something cheaper on Craigslist, but this rug has perfect written all over it.  I had about $85.00 in credit card rewards to use towards this purchase, so that helped too.  (I never carry a balance on my credit card from month to month, but I always use a credit card for purchases to accrue cash rewards and point rewards.)  The rug was also 15% as part of a Memorial Day sale.  I saved another 7% off using a link through RetailMeNot.  I’m all about checking for coupons first before finalizing an order.  Okay, now on to the perfectness of this rug.  One, the rug is the right size.  This beauty is going into our home office (which is also one of the largest rooms in our house).  I first almost had myself convinced that a smaller rug was the right choice.

I think it was the near $100 price tag that was fogging my judgement.  I sometimes have a bad habit of justifying flaws because the price is right.  Now, this is a perfectly good rug, don’t get me wrong.  It is just too small for my space, and it doesn’t currently come in a larger size.  I needed an 8×10 rug at least.  And I found it!  Even more blissfully, the pattern on this rug seems eerily similar to the scrapbook paper I used on the front of my ikea alex hack.

The ratings for this rug were non-existent and how could I buy a rug without ratings?  Well, after some internet sleuthing, I learned this is a Safavieh rug.  All the Safavieh indoor/outdoor rugs on Overstock have wonderful ratings (much like this one here).

If this purchase goes well, I just might buy the above rug for under my kitchen table.  I might be saying this because I have a two month trial membership with Overstock that garnered me $8.66 in Club O Reward bucks to use on a future purchase.  (Yes, I know this is how they get you, but I will end my membership in two months nonetheless!)

So what do you think of this rug purchase?  I can’t wait to see it in our office!

Quaterfoil? No, wait – Quatrefoil!

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quatrefoil design

quatrefoil design

It seems like every where I look, a quatrefoil (four-leaved) design is a source of inspiration.  Whether it is used on walls or accent pieces, it really lends itself to a clean and modern aesthetic.  Although I like to think of my style as eclectic traditional, I am finding more and more that it is hard to pin down my style.  One thing I do know is I know what I like, and I like quatrefoil.  I am completely inspired by the pantry at The House of Smith’s.  I don’t know if it’s the gray paint that looks like it’d fit our color scheme, or the pantry placement that is eerily similar to our own, but it is totally my style.  You’ll even notice that she uses a quatrefoil design as part of her blog layout!

I am also enamored with her creative use of vinyl lettering.  Now, it’s no secret that I have a new l0ve for all things vinyl ever since my diy vinyl wall tree.  Turn’s out she actually sells custom vinyl lettering.  This means she must have a vinyl cutter.  Drool!  I’m a sucker for random industrial equipment.  Speaking of which, does anyone need to borrow a book binder?

One of the most genius application of a quatrefoil design was at Twin Dragonfly Designs.  Using a clear glossy finish only, it was applied using a stencil.  Can you say subtle chic?

Keep in mind, a quatrefoil desing can be put anywhere.  At Casa de Lewis, tiles were put to good use as beautiful coasters.

Where would you put a quatrefoil design?  I am debating between stenciling the craft room with a clear gloss like Twin Dragonfly Designs or in using a keep it simple approach like Casa de Lewis and using her method to add a quatrefoil design to a vase or similar piece of room eye candy.  Whatchya’ think?

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