Review Oceanus Brass - Cablelaid cordage cutter

Here's another solid brass tool to add to my loadout of adaptive hardware. I'm always looking out for tools that can help me adapt to my environment or supplement my resources, especially if normal resources are unavailable or scarce. This particular tool turns plastic drinking bottles into cordage!

You'd be pressed pretty hard to wander too far anywhere and not find modern trash. Plastic drinking bottles get thrown out of cars along roadways, get blown or dumped into waterways and turn up all over the place. The trick is to turn this abundant waste into useful product! Thats where a tool like the Cablelaid by Oceanus Brass comes in. Machined from solid brass bar stock, the tool is based around a simple principle; a razorblade, held in place behind a channel to feed the leading edge of the plastic through and cordage out the other side. 

The top plate of the tool is held in place by three inset Alan key screws, to facilitate swapping out of the simple razor blade in the event it dulls, though flipping it would double your cutting mileage, before replacement or sharpening is required. 

The tool has three channels built into the side that both guide the bottle in to the razor edge but also set the width of the cord produced. Notches set at 8mm, 6mm and 4mm to the blade with a 2mm guide slot along the top of the tool. The tool works by cutting the end of a plastic bottle off, then feeding the edge into the desired notch and the razor begins to cut the bottle into cordage. the notch then feeds the bottle in measured width to the razors edge and cordage exits out the back of the tool. 

In order to maintain a constant pressure on the cutting edge and even bind-free cutting, it is beneficial to mount the bottle to the tool, such that it spools.

To facilitate this, the tool has a hole bored through it, that fits a pen, pencil or the purpose made telescoping feed rod, its also helpful to anchor the tool in place, and a couple of nails serve the purpose well. Thus braced, its a matter of cutting an even strand, which takes a little finesse, and more than a few false starts. The more even the initial cut of the bottle is the better the start will be. as notched cord is weak and often snaps as it is drawn off the bottle. 

I found that gripping the end of the cord in some pliers made for a good method, allowing me to focus on keeping an even tension on the cord, such that an even cutting would take place, free from pinching and mis-angled cuts. 

 

From a standard 1.25L soft drink bottle, with a good clean start and careful processing i've been able to reliably cut 10-12m (32-40') of 8mm wide cord.

I've found that removing the label and washing out any sticky residue helps keep the cutting smooth and steady, but the first, initial cut to remove the base of the bottle seems most important. I also found that cutting from bottom to top is most successful.

The tool is pocket sized, at 114mm (~4 1/2") long,  23mm( ~15/16") wide and  11mm(~7/16") tall weighing a solid 184g (~6.5oz) but it'r rock solid and comfortable in the hand the way that solid brass is.

It can take either standard razor blades or alternatively box cutter blades, which fit into machined spots inside the tool. 

The tail end of the tool features a lanyard hole, and comes fitted with a brass Bow-Shackle that is the signature of Oceanus Brass products. Versatile and useful on its own. A final nice touch is that the tool came with replacement blades, spare screws and Alan key as well as the telescopic rod in an all-included package.

Though the art of bottle-cordage conversion requires a certain finesse and practice, it's well worth attempting as an alternative to bought cord and thus far I've found a number of uses around the house and in the garden. More to follow.

Review: AquaYak - Aqua II tandem kayak

A little while ago, I showed you all the AquaYak Snapper-Pro, that was loaned to me by the good folks at AquaYak Kayaks. A couple of months ago, I saw that there was a sale going on at AquaYak, and we took the plunge (so to speak) and went out to check out the showroom. It was the tandem's that had caught my eye, both for load-hauling, but also for family-moving purposes. We settled on a Aqua II tandem, in their Granite Spa colour, with a full load of accessories.

Tactical Baby promptly claimed is as "MY BOAT"

The kayak is a direct extension from the Snapper Pro, just bigger.

It features the same scupper hole and circular storage hatch system as the Snapper Pro, giving self-draining capacity to each of the two, deeply molded seats which as well as adding stability, and having their own mounting points for the padded fabric comfort seats, also feature the molded foot rests, drink holding wells (between the thighs) and anchor point for lashing dummy-cords (between the calves).

The central storage hatches had bags fitted, so your personal items don't get lost in the hull-void.

Fore and aft hatches, are the main structural difference between the Snapper Pro and the Aqua II. These hatches are held in place with a clever shock-cord mechanism, and can be unstrapped and opened with minimal effort, without being a loose or an accidental release risk. These open directly into the hull-space, and afford a very spacious cargo storage area, if you first consider the width of the openings. Stuffable packs and items will work well, but larger items might need to ride on top.

I found that I made use of the Grab Lines, which are mounted by brackets running all around the hull, for both maneuvering the kayak about on the land, as well as for giving Tactical Baby and Triceratops Girl places to hold onto when they were riding with us. As part of our deal, we bought a family's worth of life-vests including a red and black and  coyote/OD Stormrider YAK PFD for the adults as well as lurid red and yellow kid and toddler sized ones (which I will cover later). I also got several 10L dry-bags to go in the hull, and scupper plugs, to reduce incidental water splashes. 

You can get an idea of the depth and size of the two fore and aft hatches with this shot of my arm, along with the padded seal that makes up the inside of those hatches.

The same propriety 'alkatuff polyethylene' material, which holds a UV certification for maritime plastics, is used to make up all the AquaYak hulls, and whilst I have noted that my dragging, and beaching has scored the keel and sides of the hull, its all cosmetic, and a very tough, resilient material. 



At 3.8m (12.5") long and 0.9m (just under 3") wide at the beam, and weighing in at 30kg, it is quite a bit larger than the Snapper Pro, and harder to man-handle when out of the water.

At 30kg it is not all that to lift, but the size of it makes it awkward. The two sizable heavy-duty handles at the bow and stern make for easy lifting and hauling, even when fully laden with safety gear, seats, paddles and even the occasional squealing child. I've dragged it up a grassy hill by looping some webbing through the front handle. Wheels might well be in order (and AquaYak offer them)

In the water, It handles really well, thanks in part to having two sets of paddlers but is very operable with only one, even being quite maneuverable when solo.

We've it out on The Bay a number of times, and whilst its bulk means loading it onto and off my vehicle can be a pain, once its in the water , it is a lot of fun.

With a stated carrying capacity of 200kg, even with two adults, and two kids riding, unencumbered by gear, we've ridden very high in the water, and have had little trouble staying course, and upright, even on our first trips, are probably largely due tot he great design, including this tri-keel, which helps with tracking and stability, even in the moderate swells we've encountered.

I feel that if we needed to get off-shore, as simply as possible, this is a real option for us, both is speed, and limited cost. Get it on the vehicle, get to the beach, onto the water, and away ... Load it up with MALICE 2 pack, a Platatac Light Field Pack, and supplies in Dead People Jars, we could have quite the getaway. 


We put the kids in their Mudlarks All-In-One suits, to keep them warm and dry, with the PVD vests over the top, and went for a paddle one sunny spring afternoon, having been visiting with friends.

You can see that there is quite a bit of room the in the kayak, and we have found that the kids can site between our knees as we paddle, but that space could just as easily be full of packs and supplies. This is the saem beach as I reviewed the Snapper Pro, with a high grassy hill from the carpark to the beach. The weight of the fully laden kayak, over grass, down a hill was no issue at all. It even maneuvered well.

Once down at the waters edge, it was a simple matter to alight and shove off.

You can see here how high on the water we were, and whilst heading right into waves gave us some spray, we were a long way off ever taking water over the side and into the cockpit. I think we could have laden the hull with a lot more kit, and still have been positively buoyant and dry.

All in all, I am really pleased with this acquisition, and plan to spend a bunch of time on The Bay over the summer, as well as trips to local lakes and rivers.

I heard recently that AquaYak are going to stock a Windpaddle sail for their kayaks, and that is a great idea...