The drill is on the charger. I'm going to drill a hole in my canoe.
http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?601
http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?601
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Happy May Ray Day! 🌞😎🌻🩳🇩
Please stop me!
- Thread starter Sweetfancymoses
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Do as you like, but I don't like those low holes... Have fun!!
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Stop!
There are alternatives to Mr. Jacobson's method that you may wish to consider.
Measuring down from the top of the stem isn't helpful-- rather, use the proper waterlines as a guide. Don't leave a loop of rope dangling out of this hole-- tie into it when you need to on the river. The DWL (Design Water Line) as a place to start-- one shouldn't load the boat above this value, so consider putting your lining tube somewhere near it-- say 2 inches above.
The DWL (and all waterlines) are measured from the bottom of the hull and up toward the sheer line. You'll have to level the boat on the floor and measure up from the floor to locate the DWL as given by the manufacturer or designer.
As Mr. Jacobson said, start with a tiny drill bit, but use a Forstner bit to drill the hole. Composite-cutting Forstners may be had, but they're expensive; so get a brand-new regular Forstner of the appropriate size from Home Depot. It will cut your composite (or Royalex) hull beautifully. Go slow and gently rock the bit from side to side as you cut through. Toward the end, tip the bit some and let one side begin to break through first-- don't burst through flat!
Clean up the hole with some 320 emery cloth wrapped around a 1/4" dowel (a rat-tail file is too coarse, and will chip out the gel coat).
If your boat is composite, seal the edges of the hole with some epoxy and let the fibers drink all they want. Something like Kevlar is fairly hydroscopic, and that's why the fibre edges need to be sealed. While the epoxy is still green, glue in your PVC tube (rough it up with 80 grit). To prevent the epoxy from running, thicken it with silica.
After it's all cured, trim and finish as Mr. Jacobson suggests.
There are alternatives to Mr. Jacobson's method that you may wish to consider.
Measuring down from the top of the stem isn't helpful-- rather, use the proper waterlines as a guide. Don't leave a loop of rope dangling out of this hole-- tie into it when you need to on the river. The DWL (Design Water Line) as a place to start-- one shouldn't load the boat above this value, so consider putting your lining tube somewhere near it-- say 2 inches above.
The DWL (and all waterlines) are measured from the bottom of the hull and up toward the sheer line. You'll have to level the boat on the floor and measure up from the floor to locate the DWL as given by the manufacturer or designer.
As Mr. Jacobson said, start with a tiny drill bit, but use a Forstner bit to drill the hole. Composite-cutting Forstners may be had, but they're expensive; so get a brand-new regular Forstner of the appropriate size from Home Depot. It will cut your composite (or Royalex) hull beautifully. Go slow and gently rock the bit from side to side as you cut through. Toward the end, tip the bit some and let one side begin to break through first-- don't burst through flat!
Clean up the hole with some 320 emery cloth wrapped around a 1/4" dowel (a rat-tail file is too coarse, and will chip out the gel coat).
If your boat is composite, seal the edges of the hole with some epoxy and let the fibers drink all they want. Something like Kevlar is fairly hydroscopic, and that's why the fibre edges need to be sealed. While the epoxy is still green, glue in your PVC tube (rough it up with 80 grit). To prevent the epoxy from running, thicken it with silica.
After it's all cured, trim and finish as Mr. Jacobson suggests.
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No reason to stop. I have drilled literally thousands of holes in canoes. After a while it sort of feels good.
The PVC pipe method works very well and with a bit of patience and care the end result is much better cosmetically than with the expensive TugEye kits that many have recommended. PVC shapes very well and paints well and the pipe ends can be made absolutely flush with the hull.
Although many recommend Forstner bits I have never used anything other than high speed jobber drill bits on both Royalex and composite canoes with no problems. Applying some tape to the area you plan to drill will help prevent gel coat chipping but if you drill from outside in, I have not generally found it to be much of an issue.
There is no problem with placing the holes close to cutwater. The PVC pipe will exclude water entry into the hull.
There is also no problem leaving a grab loop attached at the stems but make sure you place your holes high enough that your loop does not drag in the water. When swimming with a capsized boat, a grab loop is often the only thing that is easily accessible. Not all whitewater open boaters believe in painters and very few whitewater kayakers use them, but virtually every whitewater canoe and kayak has grab loops.
Although I find it more comfortable to use short carry thwarts near the stems to carry the canoe, if they are lacking you will probably find that 1" wide nylon webbing is kinder on the hands when the grab loops are used for carry than most synthetic ropes. Tie the ends of the nylon webbing together to form a loop using a water knot.
The PVC pipe method works very well and with a bit of patience and care the end result is much better cosmetically than with the expensive TugEye kits that many have recommended. PVC shapes very well and paints well and the pipe ends can be made absolutely flush with the hull.
Although many recommend Forstner bits I have never used anything other than high speed jobber drill bits on both Royalex and composite canoes with no problems. Applying some tape to the area you plan to drill will help prevent gel coat chipping but if you drill from outside in, I have not generally found it to be much of an issue.
There is no problem with placing the holes close to cutwater. The PVC pipe will exclude water entry into the hull.
There is also no problem leaving a grab loop attached at the stems but make sure you place your holes high enough that your loop does not drag in the water. When swimming with a capsized boat, a grab loop is often the only thing that is easily accessible. Not all whitewater open boaters believe in painters and very few whitewater kayakers use them, but virtually every whitewater canoe and kayak has grab loops.
Although I find it more comfortable to use short carry thwarts near the stems to carry the canoe, if they are lacking you will probably find that 1" wide nylon webbing is kinder on the hands when the grab loops are used for carry than most synthetic ropes. Tie the ends of the nylon webbing together to form a loop using a water knot.
Just make sure the drill bit is perpendicular to the centerline of the boat and drill baby drill
It won't hurt.
It won't hurt.
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Just realize though, that even with the lower attachment, it still won't be as manageable when tracking as using a bridle with its central connection under the hull.
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I'm with Steve.... But as pblanc, I've drilled a fair amount of hole in canoes, some small ones some quite large... I just don't like the grab loop to be that low, and I don't like lining or tracking a canoe with that system. It is a compromise that's all. But drill away my friend, you will get use to it... The more expensive the boat the better the feeling!!
I used electrical conduit connecters screwed into each side with a flat plastic washer and silicon on the inside
and then epoxied a piece of clear tubing between
and then epoxied a piece of clear tubing between
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