: I am working on building a Recovery kayak. I am going to use 3/8" green
: willow shoots for my ribs. Haven't found a good place to go harvest them
: yet, but when I do I want to be ready to go.

: I am curious how the ribs are secured when they are inserted into the
: mortises. Should they be pinned? I am just wondering if anyone has any
: suggestions since the smaller cross section of a round willow rib would
: not really allow them to be doweled. I was thinking of using bamboo
: kitchen skewers... maybe two per mortise at slight angles to prevent the
: holes from going through the same grain lines of the willow... Any
: thoughts?

Hi Erin,
I used willow in my baidarka and lashed them in place. You put a slip knot like a fisherman bend around the willow about 3/4" down from the gunwale and pull tight, loop the line around the gunwale a few times, 2-3, then tie the end around the willow with a few hitches so it tihgtens even more. It doesn't take much to keep the ribs in place, once the skin is on the ribs won't really go anywhere.

Hope this helps,
Mike Savage
south West Cork