Canoe Grab Loops and Canoe Lacing

A few tips on my preferred way for setting the grab loops and tying them to canoe lacing. The emphasis on how I set my canoe up is for expedition paddling in Scotland and Northern European rivers and Lakes. Hope it’s useful in some way :)

[@rickywoodcock7222]

Really liked the tips on grab loop.
Barrel knots made so much sense, will using this on my old town
Thanks

[@grahamfisher5436]

DON'T use this method
it a hand trap.

[@carlobriffa]

Clear, concise and good information. Just done my Prospector. It's looking good. Thanks.

[@UguysRnuts]

I backed the bow eye with a glob of epoxy which I then drilled through, so the hole is reinforced and does not present an entrance for water. Chamfer the edge with a countersink and paint the exposed fibre. I finished it off with a leather 24 pointed star around the hole, hot glued to the outside of the hull, port and starboard. Looks really nice.

[@onanysundrymule3144]

A rather good arrangement Sir.

[@andrewdacres4829]

Excellent design/demonstration, thank you.

[@UguysRnuts]

I threaded the lacing through short lengths of tubing (I used 1/4 ID black fuel line) on the inside of the canoe on every second loop. It keeps the rope away from the hull to form useful handles or eyes for the criss-crossing shock cord I use to keep gear in the boat. Cut the tubing on a 60 degree angle to match the angle at which the rope meets the hull.

[@ifonlysolutions4011]

What size rope?

[@UguysRnuts]

@@ifonlysolutions4011 1/4".

[@TheCryptKeeper8]

Really great. Cheers mate

[@UguysRnuts]

Drill the minimum possible diameter for the rope as it will be thinner when pulled tight creating a gap where it passes through the hull. Use a sail needle to run a twine "messenger" out through the centre of the rope end to make it easier to feed it through the holes. Melt the rope end into a thin taper first.

[@moosejet007]

Hi Adam, great video. Hope you’re well

[@outdoorinstruction]

Doing great thanks 😊

[@antonileonidas8906]

Hello and thank you for this video. I'm about to outfit my Ribor 16ft in the same way as well as how Ray Goodwin has in another video. These are very helpful tips and explanations but it would be helpful if you could show how you tied the cordich to the grab rope in a vide. I also liked the fact that you used piping for the inner attachment points but not all along the canoe. Thanks again, really really helpful.

[@ruthmoore1448]

Thanks

[@williamt2718]

Very helpful, just waiting on the exact same canoe being delivered (in green). Can I ask, where did you purchase the rope for the lacing and also the clear pipe for the gear connection points.

[@outdoorinstruction]

Fabulous boats.
The tube was off eBay, but buy opaque not clear as clear shows ugly mould inside after a while. All the cords and ropes are from climbing shops that sell by the metre.

[@grahamfisher5436]

Hou's are Beautiful
use floating marine rope

[@UguysRnuts]

@@outdoorinstruction If you take time figuring out your needs, you can arrange the number and spacing of rope handles to only locate them where needed and not have an excess number cluttering the interior. I used black rubber tubing to match my black hull and find it aesthetically pleasing.

[@outdoorinstruction]

@@UguysRnuts I’ll be getting a smaller solo boat soon and plan to do just that. I like the options of many loops on a big boat that’s used solo and tandem for day and multi day trips. A smaller boat just for me can me more precisely outfitted. So watch this space

[@jamiesonlamb2852]

Ive never seen a hole for a sail before. Do you an example of this in action?

[@grahamfisher5436]

watch RAY GOODWIN videos
open canoe sailing rig fitting
and sailing demonstration

[@UguysRnuts]

A bow eye should be lower on the stem so that when towing or dragging it lifts up on the bow to prevent it from ploughing or zig-zagging.

[@ifonlysolutions4011]

How low?

[@UguysRnuts]

@@ifonlysolutions4011 That's a matter of personal preference. You don't want it dragging in the water or so low as to snag on branches/rocks.

[@petermcmahon8707]

I also liked the overall set up. However I don't quite understand the point about the lacing giving extra boat long support to the grab handles. As soon as an internal grab handle knot reaches the inside hole all the length ways support stops and it is down to the grab handle holes alone. Yeah??

[@petermcmahon8074]

yeah good point

[@kevinsteele7232]

Agreed. The lacing should be watertight in the holes, making slippage impossible, therefore it can't share any load down the hull. The load on the grab loops will only be shared by the first lacing hole, at most.

[@koiroy8030]

@@kevinsteele7232 My thoughts also. I will add paracord tied to the inside lacing in prusik style for gear attachment.

[@koiroy8030]

@@petermcmahon8074 My thoughts also. I will add paracord tied to the inside lacing in prusik style for gear attachment.

[@petermcmahon8074]

@@koiroy8030 exactly what I ended up doing!!

[@TOOZECRUISE]

Why don't they sell canoes with these holes already predrilled??

[@deepmarsh]

It’s probably hard to sell a boat with a holes in it

[@robertjeglum2314]

how did you set up the gear loops? is that rubber tubing over the line?

[@outdoorinstruction]

It’s silicon tube yes 6mm inner diameter over 5mm cord each loop is about 180mm long

[@robertjeglum2314]

@@outdoorinstruction do you do any kind of sanding or prepping in the whole you drilled to keep the material from cutting the cord?

[@outdoorinstruction]

None at all. Drill and threaded

[@antonileonidas8906]

Watch a video by Ray Goodwin on the same subject. He shows you in detail how to do the tubing. This video and Ray's are very good to watch one after the other and you'll have no problems.

[@Dazbox]

Without sealing the holes, is there a danger of water getting in between the two skins?

[@outdoorinstruction]

On Hou canoe boats there’s no issue of water getting between the layers of the plastic laminate. I’m not sure if other brands though. I think with most modern boats it won’t be a problem.

[@Dazbox]

@@outdoorinstruction thanks, it's a new silverbirch Broadland, I noticed a very thin tissue layer when drilling. I may email them.. 👍

[@nigelbowen206]

Fab demonstration, could you post a material list used? and where I could purchase the items.
Many Thanks

[@outdoorinstruction]

Nigel Bowen 5.5mm cord from any good outdoor shop and the tube is 6mm inner diameter from vehicle supplies shops. It’s fuel line.

[@UguysRnuts]

Bevel each hole and apply a dab of paint to smooth the edge to prevent the sharp fibreglass from cutting into the rope.

[@oliverdrummond5146]

I don’t think it’s a fibreglass boat. Your not supposed to drill on the fibreglass

[@kevinsteele7232]

The Hou isn't glass, it's a three-layer plastic.

[@andrewdacres4829]

Would you mind sharing the spacing spec you used? For the point to point (outside hull) as well as the point to point (inside the hull)?
Thank you

[@outdoorinstruction]

Andrew Dacres it depends on what length boat you have and what looks better. Too small and the holes with cheese wire and too big will change the gear loops sizes. Anything between 4.5 inches and 7 inches works. I guess mine are about 5 inches.

[@grahamfisher5436]

10cm spacings
use 12cm clear tube on the inside ,
watch -
Ray Goodwin
open Canoeing rigging and sailing rig

[@damianparrish2572]

What size/sort of rope did you use for the front grab loop please.

[@outdoorinstruction]

Damian Parrish i used 10mm full climbing rope with about 2000kg break strain as I had a length spare. I’d ensure I use anything about 1200kg due to ropes weakening over time and the load they take in resuce hauling in pins.

[@grahamfisher5436]

never put a grab loop ..
it's a serious trap point
your hand can get stuck in it.
In flowing white waters youd never want to be in that situation, attached to the boat.
Best beaHOUtiful canoe

[@outdoorinstruction]

What’s your method to attach a swim line for white water ?

[@outdoorinstruction]

What’s your method to attach a swim line for white water ?