On 19 Mar 2005 00:15:39 -0800, "Cracked Pumpkinhead"
wrote:

HA HA HA HA, I can't afford a bus or limo!

So far, paddlers seem to be a pretty cool bunch. Can't wait to meet ya
on the water in my............well whatever I'm in! A dingy is looking
promising? Or one of those big blow up Shamu's from Marineland, eh?

I'll keep you all posted as to what I decide.

From the rack component prices you quote, you must be considering
Yakima or Thule. Expensive!
There is a less pricey alternative, sold at Canadian Tire, called,
IIRC, Sportrak. Normally sell for about $150,
sometimes on sale for $120. Does not fit all cars - limited range of
models to fit many cars. Don't trust the Canadian Tire store listing -
usually way out of date, instead go to the Sportrak website and check
for your vehicle.
I too drove a compact car, four door Dodge Shadow, and hauled a
plastic Yak, Dimension Nomad 16' 10".
The Sportrak has square crossbars, and, as far as I know, doesn't
offer anything like kayak cradles. After a while, I noticed "oil
canning" where the yak rested on the roof rack crossbars, so I made
cradles out of wood - two pieces that clamp onto the bars held
together with bolts and wing nuts, padded with some glued on foam from
a kids "noodle" toy, shaped to fit the hull.
You could also make support cradles out of styrofoam shaped to your
yak hull. There are also yak "carriers" that hold the yak at an angle
which should bolt onto the crossbars, since the crosss-section size is
pretty much standard.. A little ingenuity can save you a lot of money.
You can avoid the roof rack expense if you opt for an inflatable or
folding yak. Inflatables have come a long way, many choices in quality
and price. If rack prices scare you, then folding kayak prices will
really shock you, although there is always the used market or cheaper
lines such as the "Pakboat".
I switched from a plastric yak to a folder because of old age - the
confines of a small cockpit caused my arthritic knees to seize up
after about an hour, so I opted for a huge cockpit with room to
stretch one's legs.
I found the assembly time to be considerably more than claimed - just
not worth it for a day outing, so I opted to leave it assembled and
cartop it. By then, Dodge was replaced by a Sunfire, and had to get
new (Sportrak) roof rack to fit it. Racks are fairly close together,
leaving a lot of overhang. So, bought trailer hitch - about $120 at
Van & Truck World. Reese Hitch sell a "Canoe Loader" - a T-shaped
vertical extension that fits over trailer hitch ball and swivels.
Makes loading/unloadi ng canoe or yak much easier - just rest one end
of boat on the T, pick up other end and walk it around to rest on
racks. As well, it supplements racks with additional support to boat
while transporting it - less unsupported overhang. I didn't buy the
canoe loader, since I already had a bicycle rack that fit on the
hitch, and it was sinple to extend it with a T shaped pice to
accomodate the yak, copying the canoe loader design.
The entire cost of sportrak and hitch was WAY less than a Thule or
Yakima setup.