We use toggle straps to hold down planking while fitting it, anchor the canoe to the sawhorses so it doesn't slip off while we're working, etc. Toggle straps typically have steel hooks, which don't lay flat, so we put wood or a rag underneath so that while the strap is tight the hook doesn't dig into the wood, or filler, or paint, causing damage. And sometimes the wood slips. I've cut the hooks off and then used a mountain climbers carabiner to connect the two free ends together, and that works. But in the Lowe's store I noticed something called an S-biner made by Niteize. This is a thin, flat, stainless steel biner with two gates. The size #5 is rated at 100 lbs. I've found that it's really convenient to use, so recommend it others to try. Tom McCloud
