Installed Footbrace on P15

[Black_Fly]

It was warm today so I got the Esquif Prospector 15 down and outfitted her with stuff I need. I placed the footbrace so it can be used from either seat. Thanks to whomever gave me the tip about dipping my finger in mineral spirits to finish the adhesive beads. Looks very clean. I used one rivet to hold the mount in place and add a little security to the joint. I always put a 3/8” thick nylon washer in the ends of the tubing to keep it from crushing when the knobs are tightened.

I’m anxious to get this puppy out, but winter’s not done with us yet. Both cars are ready with a kayak and a canoe rack, so wife and I can shuttle on the river. Nice to get out before the outfitters get going. I have no idea what this thing weighs. It started at 60#, and getting it on the roof by myself was challenging.

PS - I’m not sure how well the adhesive adheres to Tformex. We shall see.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

BF, maybe you said this in another thread, but what adhesive did you use?

Also, two questions about the foot bar. Did you have to bend the bracket at all to follow the curvature of the hull? And how does that bar slide forward and back on the bracket, given that the hull width narrows from back to front? I can't tell if the bar slides into itself.

 

[Rubbaboo]

Id be interested in seeing some pictures of the rivets through the hull if you wouldn’t mind, my wife wants a foot brace on her Royalex boat and I’m a little nervous about drilling and riveting.

 

[Black_Fly]

Yes, I bent the bracket just a little in a vice to better fit the curvature of the bow. Also, the rivet in the middle hole pulled it right up against.

The adhesive is a fast drying kind that gets really hard. I’ve used it before with the carbon fiber mounts on Kevlar boats. This is my first time with rivets and on plastic. The adhesive has always held well before. I did sand the mount area and cleaned with alcohol as prep. If it loosens, I’ll remount with 2 more rivets (3 each side), and maybe thick Gflex.

The rivets are 3/16” aluminum ones. The adhesive squeezes around the rivet effectively sealing it, except for the nail hole which a dab of epoxy will resolve, if it bothers you. The main tip I can provide is keep the riveter straight and flush when tightening the rivet so it doesn’t get angled. I used rivets without adhesive on my last CF/kevlar NC P15. Aesthetically, not as nice as the glue.

The aluminum mounts allow for on-the-fly adjustment (no wrench), which is important if you want to change seats or just get more comfy while paddling. The CF mounts are lighter, and hold well, but not as useful for a tandem application.

 

[Gamma1214]

Is the bar telescoping or are the holes in the bar slotted to allow for the width difference of the hull as the bar is moved forward or backward?

 

[Black_Fly]

Is the bar telescoping or are the holes in the bar slotted to allow for the width difference of the hull as the bar is moved forward or backward?

Yes, the bar telescopes. It is important to remember that the Northstar Footbrace is made for narrow solo canoes. When ordering, I asked NS to cut the tubes a few inches longer to fit a 35” wide tandem hull. They were happy to do it. This is my 2nd P15 install. It’s great to talk to suppliers who get it and are eager to help. Cudos to the crew at Northstar.

 

[Neophyte]

Sorry to derail the conversation a little, but is your roof rack set up for a canoe and a kayak? It looks like there's a foldable j-style rack on the right?