Kudzu Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 This is why you should have a bow line on the boat to the bumper or some other solid point. Never trust your rack or you straps alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JReed Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Oh man that sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Imagine if there was a car behind when it came airborne! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarbaker Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 the other problem is backing your car into short garage with the 'yak still on top... never happened to me, but a friend drove his car into his garage with his bicycles on top. destroyed the bikes, the rack and the roof of the car. (minimal damage to his house). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P Doug (WA) Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 I backed into the garage with my canopy door up. Didn't do it any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 My garage is my shop, can't drive anything into it. Probably a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Rocking_Chairs Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 This is why we need a bigger truck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 I think for people who use cars the bow line is mandatory as Jeff suggests. But the real key is understanding the forces on a vehicle and using well thought out methods for supporting and tying your kayak to it. Use strong racks and/or brackets. Use real rope or webbing. Use real knots or proper hardware. When in doubt: add another tie down or another angle for tying. I use custom fit wooden cradles secured in place on a lumber rack and 3/8" dacron line tied with bowlines and double clove hitches. I can't relax and enjoy the drive unless I know my kayak will make it to the end with me FOR SURE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bcone1381 Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 Dave, Can you work out some photos of your car top set up? I am intersted your custom brackets and if you transport more than one kayak on a car top. A science to tying down SOF exists that this forum could develop and teach its readers. As far as bow lines, I think of the stress that could be imposed on our kayaks if tied too tight, especially on a small car with brackets that are not very far apart. I could use some additional knowledge and ideas. I transport on a Honda Civic, with a narrow 'bracket width.' I am a beginner with transporting, and have not gone any distance yet nor at highway speed. So far last year it was just a mile down a dirt road to the lake. But I have visions of a long trip with my kayaks. Brooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 I don't car top, I carry on the lumber rack of my pick up truck. I made removable brackets scribed to the hull of my 2 kayaks. When I tie down into the brackets the boat is completely locked in place. I will still use a bow line on the highway, but locally I don't bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayak278 Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 I could use some additional knowledge and ideas. I transport on a Honda Civic, with a narrow 'bracket width.' I am a beginner with transporting, and have not gone any distance yet nor at highway speed. So far last year it was just a mile down a dirt road to the lake. But I have visions of a long trip with my kayaks. Here are some shots of my setup....hauling 3 kayaks on a 2007 Chrysler T&C with a "naked" roof, without factory rails. I use a Yakima roof rack on my minivan and the specified Yakima rack distance between bars is only 24", so I have some experience with narrow bracket width! I have used this setup traveling from Holland, MI to Munising, MI in the UP at 70mph highway speeds, with nary a wiggle in the boats. Because we as kayak transporters can be held accountable for any damage incurred should a kayak fall off of our vehicle while transporting, I am a stickler for tying them down right. Each boat is secured using either normal hull saddles or J style racks. I have transported both SOF and plastic boats in each of these without any problems. Once the kayaks are placed in the saddles, I use cam lock straps anchored to the crossbars. I then tie the bow and stern down with ratchet ropes that are tied into a hood strap attached to fender bolts in the hood of the van..... these can be purchased at most outdoor type stores. I modify the ratchet ropes by removing the factory hooks, which could work loose, and replacing them with stainless load bearing carabiners. For my touring boats of 15' or longer, I like to use 2 bow lines, which are extremely helpful if there are strong cross winds. The reason I prefer using hood straps as opposed to using the factory assembly line hooks or the bottom of a bumper is because if one of those lines were to ever work loose, the extra length could easily get caught up in your tire, and at highway speeds, I'd hate to see what kind of force would be put on a boat once the line wrapped itself around the wheel. By using hood straps, the line shouldn't get caught up in a tire. For the rear of the van, I use hatchback adapters, which fit inside the vehicle, running the strap between the gap between the hatchback and the roof....this gives a stable tie down point for the stern ratchet rope. By no means am I an expert, this is just the setup that I have found works best for me and hopefully keeps any of my kayaks tethered to the vehicle in the case of any kind of rack or strap failure . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bcone1381 Posted March 21, 2014 Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 This is my first introduction to hood straps, ratchet ropes, and hatchback adapters. This knowledge helps a great deal. I have been bringing my ropes down under the bumper of the Honda when transporting A 15' AL canoe. Those hood straps are a great improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted March 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 I have 'hood straps' on SOLO even though I rarely carry anything on the roof. Had a set of the Caddy I sold and used them all the time. You can make your own really easy but those are cheap enough. Great thing is that they/mine just stay out of sight till needed. I put a set on solo but I don't thing I have used them yet. This is one thing I highly recommend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msaxton Posted March 21, 2014 Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 Those hood straps are awesome, I can't believe I have never seen or noticed them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted March 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 Just take some strapping, melt a hole and install them. Granted their price is very reasonable! but I just make my own. And yes, VERY HANDY! And they stay out of site except when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Rocking_Chairs Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 What about the bow/stern handles themselves? Did everyone drill holes through the top gunwales and pass a loop of rope through them? I was also considering the idea of SS hardware (kind of looks like conduit clamps) that would wood-screw into the gunwales and then can just tie the bow/stern handles to those as well as the hood/rear tie downs of the vehicle. We are taking our first car trip with the Curlew next weekend so I need to get this sorted out by then. Will be going on top of a Honda Odyssey (mini-van) with no roof rack. I am planning on cutting some of the closed-cell foam to size and running lots of straps as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted June 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 On my hot rod Caddy because of the locations of the straps under the hood, I just wrapped the line around the bow of the boat rather than attach it to anything on the boat. Just snugged up and it worked fine. Just run the line under the boat, then over and and back under to the opposite side of the car. That keeps it it from sliding sideways as well as flying if a strap fails. Then two straps to the rack are all that is needed. You just have to make sure they boat can't slide across the cross bars and end up sideways on them. That usually means one end of the straps needs to go under the rack (that runs front to back) instead of just the cross bars. If you just run the strap under the cross bars it can slide across and turn sideways. Since you have no roof rack you will need to devise a way so hold the boat down and prevent it from sliding sideways. I was also considering the idea of SS hardware (kind of looks like conduit clamps) that would wood-screw into the gunwales and then can just tie the bow/stern handles to those as well as the hood/rear tie downs of the vehicle. I can't picture what you are saying but screws in a gunwale are not strong enough to depend on. Remember, you could be talking about the life of someone behind you. Stick with proper straps wrapped around the boat and anchored to something solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Rocking_Chairs Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 I was leary of the screws in the gunwale being strong enough as well. I am planning on running two straps across the top of the kayak (one in front of and one behind the cockpit coaming with the boat right-side-up) and those pass through the rear windows and through the van. Unfortunately the mini-van has sliding doors so cannot pass the straps between the door and body of the van. This might mean the windows cannot close all the way so we will have to engineer as we go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Tiger Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 When I need to tie a boat down with no hard points (I am an inveterate car topper, including an 18 foot canoe on a 67 Beetle), I make a loop in the middle of a line. The loops go over the ends of the boat and the legs get tied to the ends of the bumpers. Preferably to little eye bolts with big backing washers... These are only the end ties. The middle of the boat gets tied, too. I have learned to only car top with a rack of some kind. Even cinched down, foam will slide around on a roof. Also, don't go 70 with a boat on your car. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Rocking_Chairs Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 The long-term plan is to get a small utility trailer (need one for plywood sheet goods and lumber now that we down-graded the truck to a mini-van) and add racks to the trailer. This coming trip should just be a one-time thing with it on top of the van, about a 4-hour drive each way. Picked up the hood loops and installed those (had to get longer bolts and fender washers as well so $7 total) and I was able to get a strap to pass between the sliding doors and van body so happy with that. Need to get longer racheting straps today for the stern to tow-hitch and across/through the van. If the foam does slide around I think I have a solution to that, I still have a left-over roll of the rubber mat that is meant to go in the kitchen drawers and on shelves to keep things from sliding around. It is literally little soft-rubber beads meshaed together and should create an anti-slip surface if the foam isn't enough friction: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/drawerOrganizers/drawerShelfLiners?productId=10030018&ci_src={ifpla:17588969}{ifpe:27500988}&ci_sku=10051461&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=33-308715886-2&utm_source=channelintelligence&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=google Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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