Introduction: Mounting Fittings to Sea Kayak Deck

By
About: Just your average non engineer in beautiful New Zealand, solving my seemingly unique problems because I cant find any one else that has.

Yes, mounting a fitting to a plastic sea kayak deck is pretty easy.... place, drill, seal and bolt.!

The reason however i am writing this Instructable, is that i really dislike any thing metal and potentially "sharp" protruding into my kayak cockpit or hatch space, waiting to "bite me" during the perils of kayaking.. ( wet exits or blind hand sweeps...)

So..... while i was installing this fitting i, found a great way ( completely accidentally ) to cover up these potentially sharpie bits.... just laying around in my shed...

Image (a) My finished GPS mount on deck

Step 1: Parts Required

What i used:

  • Garmin GPS Marine mount (2 parts-deck mount & GPS mount)
  • Three stainless steel bolts (length to suit plastic kayak deck+ 10 mm)
  • Three stainless steel washers
  • Three stainless steel Nylock nuts
  • 2 x Spanners to fit the bold and nut
  • Three Weather seals(the secret ingredients = Image (d))
  • Sealant
  • Rag with clean up fluid(suit the sealant clean up requirements)

Step 2: Placement

  • First i put some consideration into the optimum position for the GPS fitting.(so that it was both easy to read and i could reach the keypad with ease from my position in the cockpit)
  • This resulted in the "optimum position" being right over the top of the cockpit, and thus the stainless bolts would protrude in the cockpit - away from the legs - but there was always the potential for "snaggyness" in the wet exit's that don't go to plan......

So, i placed the mount

  1. Drilled the holes
  2. Tested the bolts
  3. Removed the mount and layed a ring of sealant around the extreme outside of the three holes
  4. Replaced the mount with the holes lined up, and put a dolup of sealant into the countersink spots on the mount
  5. Pushed the bolts through.....Image (C)

Step 3: The Secret Useful Extra...

Image (D)

Then on the inside of the cock pit,;

  • First place the stainless steel washer on the bolt
  • Then slide a "Weather seal" up the bolt (with the little cup facing down as shown)
  • Then the stainless steel Nylock nut
  • Tighten the nut up against the weather seal and washer.
  • Fold the cap over the bolt end and push until it locks in place.....
  • Repeat for all bolts

Hey presto - a nice safe end on the bolts, as seen here in Image (E) - the completed installation

  • Then whip back up deck with the right cleaning fluid for your sealant and wipe away the excess.

Step 4: Your Soft Hands and Legs Are Protected!

Image (F).... no more ripping and tearing possible:-)