Question for Option owners

[SinglebladeBlues]

Do you think the webbing handles are strong enough to use as an attachment point in a pin situation? They have a washer on both sides to help keep the bolts from pulling through. In theory that should work. I have painters on my other boats,(whitewater & traditional) and was wanting to do the same with my Option. The grab handles would be easy, but I have no problem doing the normal "rope thru hull" thing. Just wanting to see what others thought.

Thanks in advance.

See ya,

Rob

[Wendy]

I drilled a hole and put my painter thru it. The webbing is just enough to get your hand under for double carries and when you tie the painter to it there is less space to grip. My 2 cents, Pplus I stow most of my painter under the deck and leave enough to grab for self rescue

[SinglebladeBlues]

Thanks Wendy. Haven't made my mind up yet, but that is something to consider. My (smaller) hand fits, but it may be tight and uncomfortable for someone else. All the other boats my wife and I own have the rope thru the hull.

Thanks.

See ya,

Rob

[Peter K.]

This is one of those "it all depends" issues. I have not bothered to change the grab loops as installed on my Option. Whether they would pull out in a rescue "all depends." You're always better to get a sling or a line around the hull, but this isn't always possible. Through the hull loops would be better, but even they could be insufficient.

[Creeker]

I use an Aqua-Bound Edge paddle with a fairly squared off corner. It amazed me that using the Original low deck option that the corner of my blade would catch and pocket into that small but serviceable handle loop. It wouldn't catch for good but if it thunked on that during a pressure move navigating around wood or a sieve it really annoyed me. But if it was bigger it might not skip out so easily as it does. So I would just think about how big and what else you are gonna lay on the front deck, painter/loop wise. Worst of all I would hate to cross and accidentally scoop under a painter pulling it out and be forced to make a move with the rope loops out. Given the Option 2.0 is higher it might be even easier to have paddle contact on the front deck.

[caverdan]

I put a piece of vinyl tubing in the tubular webbing to make a grab handle like the Savage boats used to have. Easier to get your hand into. I also did what Wendy did and drilled a hole for the painter just leaving a little sticking out and having the rest flaked out under the deckplate ready to deploy when pulled (with a stopper knot in the end, of course. I also added a little bungee loop to quickly stow the painter under once it has been pulled out the first time. It sucks to re-stuffing that sucker without letting air out of your bags to pull it back through from under the deckplate. Just wrap the painter around your pinky and thumb starting from the end, then stick that bundle under the bungee loop with the free end hanging out for quick re-deployment.

[boatbuster]

Options don't pin

Seriously, it is just nylon webbing and the forces generated by boat full of water pinned in the current and your Z-drag might break the grab loop. If it is a very serious pin clipping a biner to the thwart on the underwater side and running the rope up and around the hull should enable you to roll the boat out of the pin. Or there is the old, pull it out the way it went in. Either way, you are taking a chance if you use just the nylon grab loop, IMHO.

[SinglebladeBlues]

Thanks y'all. I'm gonna go thru the hull. I was kinda leaning that way to begin with, but I wanted to bounce the idea off all of you. I figured you would come up with stuff I had not thought of.

This is probably the most helpful group I've seen on any forum. Thanks.

See ya,

Rob