How to Tie Down an Oar Frame

River rafting is exciting and provides a non-motorized way of floating down the watery pathways. One of the types of rafts uses a metal frame that is lashed to the raft itself. This is known as an oar boat. The captain sits in a special chair in the center of the frame and directs the raft downriver with two oars. Part of any river trip is rigging the raft itself, also known as the tie-down or lashing.

Things You'll Need

  • Air pump
  • Nylon webbing lashing straps
  • Marine rope
  • Cutting tool (optional)
  • Lighter (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Walk around the raft and push on every air chamber and thwart. Thwarts are the tubes between the sides of the raft and almost every river raft has four to eight air chambers on the sides of the raft. Make sure the raft is tight to the touch and that all chambers are full.

    • 2

      Lift the frame, with the chair facing the bow of the raft onto the sides of the boat. Frames are large and bulky, so have friends assist with the lift and placement. Align the frame to the center of the raft, making sure the thwarts are not covered.

    • 3

      Check that marine rope is running around the outside edge of the raft at the cleats. If no rope is running around the cleats, use marine rope to set the line around the rope.

    • 4

      Cut the line when the wrap is complete and hold the cut end under a lighter frame to melt strands and prevent fraying. Tie a double square knot to secure the rope into a solid loop around the raft.

    • 5

      Thread a nylon lash strap around the frame and under the rafts side line rigging at each corner. Almost all lashing straps use a lock-tight form of buckle. Thread the end of the strap through the buckle and tighten each corner as much as possible.

    • 6

      Push the pull on the frame. If there is more than 2 inches of movement in any direction, the frame is not tight enough and needs further lashing, and you'll need to tighten the corners even more.

    • 7

      Thread additional straps in the midpoint between side corners on the raft, going through the side rigging lines. Tighten the buckles once threaded.