I've got small boats and a small frame. Each boat has 4 side D rings (2 per side). That seems fine for what I use the boats for (day trips, few passangers), but is there a point (raft size, load, power of water) where 4 just isn't a good idea? Thanks!
number of tie down points for frame
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I've been pondering this as I think about getting a larger raft. Most of the rafts my friends have (14, 15, 16 footers), don't have any additional D-rings on the center of the sides. Just the four that they use to secure their frames. Some of them have extra D-rings on the stern for securing a cargo net. My little Hyside has an extra on the inside of the stern that was really handy for extra strapping of gear in addition to the cargo net. If I order a new raft, I'll get extra D-rings on the inside bow & stern, and a couple extras on the outside stern. I haven't decided about the side center ones yet. I think they might be useful for better frame strap down points, but I'm not positive if they're really needed since most rafts don't come with them.
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A quick glance through the "Raft Porn" thread shows that not a lot of rafts have the center side d-ring. Some that do have it aren't using it to strap their frame, just running a perimeter line through it. So, taking that into account, and the fact that most rafts don't come standard with them, I'll probably save the money and not get these. Let's see what others have to say????
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You will be fine with just four tie down points.
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The standard 4 d-rings for the frame tie down has been good for me until I hit the entry hole at Snaggletooth a few years back. That crunch moved the fully loaded frame 2 inches forward. Since, I have been running 2 straps back to a rear-positioned d and that solved that problem. 2" d rings and 1-1/2 inch straps should be standard for frame tie down as they are all around beefier than the 1 inchers.
A larger boat, like <16' could be rigged with a trailer bay and that would take some additional d rings to rig properly. If a person is handy, those rings are not that big of a deal to install or not too much money if one pays a pro to do it.
A larger boat, like <16' could be rigged with a trailer bay and that would take some additional d rings to rig properly. If a person is handy, those rings are not that big of a deal to install or not too much money if one pays a pro to do it.
Somewhere out there one of the sewingware vendors has a vid of a raft caught in a hole in Cataract. It continues until the frame rips free. Then a message comes up 'need new straps?'. It's sick and twisted manipulation. After I watched it twice I switched to doubled 1 1/2" straps with an added middle d-ring on both sides.
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Good points. Maybe that middle side D-ring is looking more attractive? Definitely will beef up to 1.5 straps for the raft frame. I do recall that one of my friends uses the larger straps on his frame. On my catarafts the 1 inch straps were ok, since there's like a thousand of them on each tube.
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Here's that video.
(It actually didn't strike me as manipulation, but as "fair warning.")
So, the boats I was talking about in the OP with the 2 D rings per side are the Hyside Minimax and their Paddlecat -- they are the small d rings; really seems like no problem with those (based on my limited experience and what I'm hearing here, thanks). I did get a Sotar ST 12 this year -- came with larger D rings and 4 per side. Being the cautious-type, I'll probably use more than 4 connections since the ST12 provides that convenience; the slightly wider straps couldn't hurt either. I got the boat off their hotsheet and it didn't occur to me to get more D rings (such as middle of side or inside bow and/or stern -- the minimax does have 1 inside D ring that is kinda nice) -- i did get chafe strips added (in the same orange material as the boat). The ST inside D rings for the thwarts will probably come in handy, too.
Here's that video.
(It actually didn't strike me as manipulation, but as "fair warning.")
So, the boats I was talking about in the OP with the 2 D rings per side are the Hyside Minimax and their Paddlecat -- they are the small d rings; really seems like no problem with those (based on my limited experience and what I'm hearing here, thanks). I did get a Sotar ST 12 this year -- came with larger D rings and 4 per side. Being the cautious-type, I'll probably use more than 4 connections since the ST12 provides that convenience; the slightly wider straps couldn't hurt either. I got the boat off their hotsheet and it didn't occur to me to get more D rings (such as middle of side or inside bow and/or stern -- the minimax does have 1 inside D ring that is kinda nice) -- i did get chafe strips added (in the same orange material as the boat). The ST inside D rings for the thwarts will probably come in handy, too.
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My boat has attachment points for thwarts that I don't use on the inside of the tubes. I have run straps through these attachment points and around the frame. I don't know if it is necessary or not but for the price of some cam straps it seemed like a no brainer.
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My 16' NRS cat has four d-rings on the outside and four on the inside of each tube, The reason is perfectly clear when you lose one of the three chambers in a tube. If you have straps on each of the four d-rings, you can still run with a deflated chamber. Imagine four straps holding your frame to your raft with one chamber unusable. Imagine two dead chambers. For this reason, I run two straps off each middle d-ring attached to the frame allowing me to still run with four out of six chambers, regardless of which chamber is flat.
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I delete photos of deflated chambers .
I think the placement of the d-rings in relation to the chambers on NRS's products is brilliant. I will search the achives and find something that justifies my need for 40 straps to attach my tubes to the frame. Forgive me if I decide to fall asleep first.
. I think the placement of the d-rings in relation to the chambers on NRS's products is brilliant. I will search the achives and find something that justifies my need for 40 straps to attach my tubes to the frame. Forgive me if I decide to fall asleep first.
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I use no less than 8 for boats bigger than 13'. 6 would be fine but don't glue a d ring on the baffle. You will have trouble keeping it from peeling off because of the crease the forms with inflating related to not having equal pressure in each chamber.
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I agree with using more than 4 tie-downs, and agree with having d-rings on both the inside and outside of the tubes to prevent the raft from torquing under the frame and to help prevent sliding side to side. I added 2 d-rings on the inside center of my raft (not over a baffle) and it prevents the tubes from twisting in when everything gets pulled tight.
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I recommend using 6 tie down points for your frame capturing 6 separate D-rings and using 1.5" straps. The minimal cost compared to the cost of the boat and frame is worth it. You might as well have the raft maker put the extra D-rings on when you pick up the raft. Especially if it's a urethane boat having them thermo weld the D-ring instead of gluing it is better.
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Ok, I'm a convert now. I'll order the extra 2 inch D-ring on the center side when I get a new raft. Three 1.5 inch straps per side instead of two. Six straps on the frame still sounds better than the 16 minimum required for my cataraft frame.
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