Hi Ashley, CLC recommends these type fittings for their deck rigging.

I used them on my Chesapeake 17, and they look pretty good and work well (tough, yet soft) too. Do you have much experience in a kayak to know what layout you want your bungies in? I originally put in the rigging that looks somewhat like this: |XX o Where o is my cockpit. I think the diagonal bungies are relatively useless. I'm thinking of redoing it so they're like the Mariner Kayaks deck rigging: ||| o

You might also consider a knee tube or some other below-deck storage area, as stuff can get washed out from under bungies in big seas. Decklines (that run from your rigging forward to the cockpit, and aft of the cockpit to the stern) will help you grab your boat if you capsize and get separated from it. It's pretty hard to grab slick, glossy okoume with wet hands!

Also, toggle grabs on the ends are supposed to be safer than grab loops, as a hand could get stuck in the loop and that would be a Bad Thing.

Here is the Shop tip covering the fittings subject:

> A friend of mine has a nice Seaward Quest kayak that she had outfitted
> with "soft fittings." They are basically cloth tabs secured with
> marine screws. I like how they look and I figure they're probably going to
> hold up better than Pygmy's plastic hardware. (I just finished building
> the Pygmy Coho and am taking it out tomorrow for its first paddle!) I have
> a few weeks before doing the final sanding and varnishing and installation
> of deck rigging and would appreciated any comments about this system of
> deck rigging or any other.

> Thanks- Ashley