Petawawa River, The Natch, Low Water

Do it Yourself Outfitting

(Otherwise known as getting ready to have some

fun and avoid losing your canoe.)

1. List of Materials

3. Installing the Parts

Airbags

Bow and Stern

Secure the airbags to the canoe in three ways:

1) Bow and stern ends

2) Floor of the canoe

3) Gunwhales of the canoe by securing them with thin rope cross-crossed through the inchworms

1) Bow and Stern

1) Bow and Stern

a. Place the airbag in the bow where it will sit with the grommeted hole at the bow. Make sure that the air tub is facing up. Your air bag may have printing on it which should also be on the top.

b. From the outside, thread the rope through one hole in the bow.

c. Thread the heavy rope end through one hole at the bow, then through the grommetted hole in the air bag and out the other hole in the bow.

d. Tie the rope ends with a very good knot. We recommend a surgeon's knot or other non-slip knot.

2) Floor

O-Ring and Webbing Installation

O-Ring

-to secure webbing to the floor of the canoe

Webbing

- to ensure the air bags remain fixed to the floor of the canoe

2) Floor

Measure between the bow end and the bow seat.Measure across the gunwhales. Find the longitudinal and latitudinal mid point.Mark it with a pencil

Mix about 3 tablespoons of glue and spread it ina circle over the point that you marked.

Spread glue on the back of the O-Ring.

Turn the o-ring pad so that the widest part of the ring is parallel to the bow seat. You will thread braided through it later.

Place the O-Ring on the marked position. Weigh it down with a rock. Let it dry.

Loop the webbing over the bow thwart, through the o-ring and over the top of the air bag. Tie the webbing together.

Alternatively, after determining the length of webbing that you need, sew fastex clips to the webbing for easy removal and installation.

3) Gunwhales

Turn the canoe on its side.

Use a drill bit a bit smaller than the screws for the inchworms. Finding the centre point of an inchworm, and sing the electric drill, install the inchworms on the underside of the gunwhales at your marked point, matching the centre point of the inchworm with your marked point.

Tie the thin cord to the first inchworm and cross it to the first inchworm on the other side of the canoe. Thread it through and back across the airbag to the other side and the next inchworm, threading it through. Criss-cross the cord in this manner until you reach the last inchworm. Tie it off at the last point.

Note 1: Repeat this procedure for the stern bag. It is usually smaller than the bow bag.

Note 2:If you have only air bag, the other end will sink in a dump and get damaged. Not a pretty sight.

Note 3: On the other hand, you may have just a centre bag and no gear.

Ten feet of floating rope for each of the bow and stern.

Tie a secure no-slip knot in one end. Clip a caribeener to the loop and clip the beeners to the bow and stern loops that you have made for the air bags.