No other way to do it, but removing and replacing the end caps isn't as big of a deal as it might appear. Drill out the rivets and the end caps will come off pretty easily. Maybe little bit of prying involved. I tied the shock cord to the ends of battens and was able to push the cord from one end to the other. Here's a link to a diagram I found on the Mariner Sails web site:
http://shop.mariner-sails.com/Hobie-20- ... s_c470.htm. The end caps don't bear any weight so you can use aluminum rivets to secure them back in place. Aluminum rivets can be pulled with inexpensive riveters such as those found at Home Depot or Lowes.