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Canoe Floatation Bag and Gear Restraint System
(An alternative to the traditional drill-&-lace method for canoes with vinyl gunwales)

The traditional lacing method for floatation bags involves drilling a series of holes through the hull beneath the gunwales and laboriously threading a line through these holes. Not a bad system, provided you don't mind drill lots of little holes in the hull of your canoe and you don't intend to carry anything in the canoe except those same floatbags, trip after trip.

The webbing loop alternative

For canoes that may see multiple uses - whitewater day paddling one weekend, downriver tripping the next - a more functional alternative to the drill-&-lace method is to install webbing loops to the underside of the gunwales.

A simple loop of one inch wide webbing, protruding from under the gunwale, will make it easy to lace in and remove float bags, tripping gear or some combination of both.

First, determine how many webbing loops you will want to install; since you can easily tie and untie through these loops, and can use these loops for a variety of gear and float bag combinations, think more loops rather than fewer. A loop every six inches or so works well for most applications.

Preparing the loops

Each loop will be made from a four-inch long piece of webbing, so purchase a length of one inch wide webbing sufficient to make up all the loops needed. Cut the webbing into four-inch long pieces and flame the ends over a candle so that the cut ends don't frazzle.

Fold each four inch piece over into a closed-U shape (so that the cut ends can be pressed flat together) and glue the last half inch of webbing together. An expanding polyurethane glue, such as Pro-Bond Polyurethane, will work best. Clamp the glued ends together and set the loops aside until the glue has set.

Once the glue has set remove the clamps and drill a 3/16-inch hole through the glued end. The stiff, expanded glue will prevent the webbing from wrapping around the drill and make it easy to drill a nice clean hole. Stick a 3/16 x 1/4 pop rivet through the hole on each webbing loop.

If you own a torch an easier alternative to gluing and drilling is to simply heat the tip of an awl with the torch and make the 3/16" hole in the webbing with the hot awl.

Installing the loops

Place the canoe, gunwales down, on a set of sawhorses or some other platform that will enable you to work comfortably from beneath the canoe. Mark the locations on the gunwale where you want to install each loop. Slip under the canoe and drill a 3/16-inch hole through the underside of the gunwale, taking care not to drill out through the top of the gunwale. Pop rivet the webbing loop into place. Drill your next hole, pop rivet the next loop. Repeat as necessary.

Admiring your work

Once the last tie down loop is pop riveted in place flip the canoe over. Nice job! You are now free to tie down floatation bags, camping gear, unruly bowmen...whatever floats your boat.

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