Someone recently posted the following question on the discussion forum at: www.BouncyCastleOwner.com
“Just wondered when you peg down your inflatables do you put the peg straight over the anchor point or not? Trying to prevent taking my castles to get a little bit of stiching done where the anchor point has rubbed againt the stake. Any ideas?”
I had this problem and they all failed the annual test due to the anchor points being frayed. We took them all to a local manufacturer who added a nylon ring to each anchor point. Cost about £40 per unit.
AN ANSWER: There should be a length of heavy duty rope tied to each anchor point (Approx. length of 10 – 12 inches) with a loop tied at the end. The metal peg is then staked through this loop and driven into the ground for anchoring. Any rubbing or abrasion is then done to the rope (which is easily and cheaply replaced) rather than the anchor point being frayed or cut through by the continual movement of the peg leading to a costly repair.
Its a good idea to always carry spare rope in your van in case any on the inflatable gets damaged and has to be disposed of.
Article prepared by Mark Jerram for the BIHA (28th April 2009)