Blue Heron Kayaks

[Kayakkev]

Okay, we have some true artistians out here, and a few old yakers. I am getting ready to turn some handles for the Redfish King I am building and looking for ideas of what is a good shape (profile). In the past I always used the plastic "Kayak Karry" handles which are getting hard to locate, and on my last build I fashioned them in that style out of wood veneer. But others with smaller hands say they are uncomfortable.

The first set I have made seem boring to me which you can view at http://kayakkev.wordpress.com/ . I am wanting to make them out of padauk to match the stripe on the yak.

So PLEASE if anyone has a better idea let me know. THANKS!!!

KK

[jimbo]

i dont have any ideas for the handles...but i really like that combing table. what a great idea.

[Kayakkev]

Thanks, but I am almost ashamed to say that most of my jigs come from laziness. LOL
KK

[Glen Smith]

I think this looks very nice!

[Seppy]

I like that one Glen.

[Griffin800]

Handles are just that, handles (usually webbing or plastic) that are attached to the deck, problem is they don't work if you're in the water.

I've always just used commercially available plastic toggles (local dealer stocks NDK handles which are quite comfy) Kayak Georgia I think has them too.

For my SOF's I use cut off lengths of CPVC tube, it's dark gray color blends in with the boats and is comfy enough. Personally I have far too many projects to spend the time playing around making wood toggles.

Bill H.

[Kayakkev]

Thanks Glen, yes that is verry pretty, and it looks like it was bandsawn and routed. I am not sure I like the tie loop though. Looks like it is relying on epoxy to hold the handle. Hmmmm... you have the gears of thought working. Maybe if I ......

Thanks!!!

Okay Griffin800

[Griffin800]

I do lots of work in kayaks as a safety boat, once someone is out of their boat in the water the toggles that one can reach from the water while swimming (specially in waves) makes it much easier to control the boat.

I don't like toggles that drag in the water either and use tie backs also, but the loops that I use are large enough to allow the toggle to be slipped out of them and then they are more easily reached in the water. Also useful for bow and stern tie downs when car topping.

I build on the average 3 or 4 kayaks a year and am limited to doing this in the summer months. So I look for things that speed up construction. Don't particually care if you find the PVC toggles tacky or not.

Bill H.

[Seppy]

Well, everyone is entitled to their perspective priorities. I personally used a couple of store bought plastic ones on the Night Heron out of the need to get some on in time to launch it.

But I will be changing them to some wooden, pretty yet functional, types at the earliest convenience. Plastic dangling off the end of all that beautiful timber just niggles at me, nearly as much as me using my plastic paddle while sitting in it...another length of lumber waiting in my workshop for some attention

I'd love to see some more examples of timber carry handles if anyone has them.

[franck_V]

You could also try rope handles.
Pedro Ameida has made them very easy to build (that's what I did for my boats).
Check out here : http://www.nessmuking.com/articles/how-to-make-woven-rope-carrying-handles/

Bye...

Franck VANDAMME

[Glen Smith]

I purchased some round dots of self-adhesive velcro. I place one portion on the deck and the other portion on the wood carry toggle. Once the boat is in the water, I flip up the toggle and adhere it to the deck, no slapping in waves and easy to attain when necessary.

One side note: I have seen some toogles made with the rope going through (end to end) of a piece of wood or plastic pipe. This means when you hold the toggle, there is rope on either side of your hand. Safety warning! If you have to walk the kayak back to shore and a wave broadsides the kayak, it could roll over (several times) on the water and your hand will be trapped in the rope. You could end up with a sprained wrist or even broken bones.

The two ends of the rope should go through a hole drilled in the center of the toggle length. I drill one large hole then a smaller hole centered in the first one. The rope ends are fed through the smaller hole and come out through the larger end of the hole. I tie a knot then force down into the larger hole. If necessary, I add some hot-glue to hold the knot in place.

[Kayakkev]

Wow!! Thanks Franck, That is not what I am thinking for this yak, but it will be PERFECT on my next one. For I am wanting nothing but unique on it. Never thought about macrame handles.

And before anyone says anything, yes I know how to catch a rabbit... you unique up on it

KK

[Kayakkev]

Hey Glen, that is an interesting thought that had not come to mind. I do run the attachment rope thru the center as you say, but I have always run my tie-backs thru the hollow lenght of the handle. I use 1/8" shock cord to do so, and I would like to think it would break, but then as I get older so do my bones. LOL

A friend that I paddle with who is a "Greenlander" sent me an email when he saw this posting and he warned of the same thing. Here is his email;

I read you posts...If I could answer the stream I would say...

Hand toggles on a kayak are a practical European safety device for a capsized kayaker to hold on to if their boat is rolling beam over beam. They also multitask as a way of carrying a kayak.

I like the style of the one Glen Smith posted because of how little space there was in the loop attaching it to the kayak. I have met paddlers who broke fingers when the loop on the toggle was too big permitting a finger to be caught in it.

I would check out www.canadianivory.com/ and look at some of their products. I have seen several boat builders use Narwhal Tusk and Walrus Oosik to adorn their kayaks. From a distance, they sometimes look like PVC, and that is ok.

I find it interesting that Bill H bothers to put a safety device like a hand toggle on to a Skin on Frame qajaq. A purist who owns this type of boat knows how to recover. These boats also fill up with water because they do not have bulkheads. Granted a person could put float bags in it or place a cockpit sock in it. Even then, I would say why... I have paddled with several professionals and I have been to several qajaq championships, symposiums, training camp, et cetera, and I have never seen a SOF qajaq with hand toggles.

I will give Bill the benefit of the doubt that he puts PVC only on wood kayaks.

---I am looking forward to Saturday, Jeffrey

[Kayakkev]

So Bill, I owe you an apoligy. Even in rescues I have never reached for the toggles, but I guess that is indeed what a capsized paddler is to grab to keep from losing their boat. Silly me, I just climb back in and roll to an upright position, pumping out the water when conditions allow. When thrown I always found the permiter lines or combing faster than I could the toggle. LOL

KK