Once the cement is dry enough to work with, assemble the rest of the components. DO NOT GLUE THEM, YET! Before you can do that, you need to dry-fit the whole thing to make sure that all the connections are straight. Once you have everything assembled, you can mark the pieces to ensure proper alignment before gluing them together.



1) At the base of the "small v" you just made with the 7" pieces of tubing, slap on the "T" connectors, ensuring that the open holes face the same direction.

2) Stick two more 7" pieces into the ends of the "T" connectors.

3) Apply PVC caps to the base.

4) Use your knife to cut yourself a length of strap that will act as a cradle. Make it a few inches wider than the top of the "BIG V."

5) Tuck strap down into the open ends of the 16" tubes.

6) Use the PVC caps to secure the straps to the top of the assembly. (It's going to be tight, so this is where the rubber mallet comes into play.)



Here's the clever bit of engineering: When you go to rest the kayaks in the "BIG V" part of the cradle, gravity will make the assembly push itself apart. The straps counteract the spreading, and keep the whole thing together. As the boat rests on the strap, it pulls the cradle arms *inward.* You might be able to get this contraption to work without straps, but over time it will gradually warp. The straps are a big part of what makes this work well.



Once you have both "X-shaped" supports assembled as shown, you're ready to move on to the next step!