On Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:13:46 -0400, "Robert Scott"
wrote:

OK... I did some searching in a place I hadn't initially thought of:
YouTube.

I found a clip of someone loading a kayak using the outrigger crossbar
extension type device. I have to say I was not impressed because it looks
like it would be VERY easy to scrape the boat against the side of the car.

But what I also saw were some pretty cool vids of guys using home-made
loading aids. Instead of being out to the side, they were temporarily
attached to the very rear of the roof (when used with a station wagon/SUV
type vehicle like my Subaru Forester). One end of the boat was lifted up to
the skid/roller/whatever type car protection, and then the boat was pushed
straight up onto the pads on the roof racks. I think I'm favoring this
approach. As did jaybird, I used to easily load my canoes that way on the
ladder racks on my pickup, and they were w-a-a-y up there.

As and added benefit, the home-made rigs are cheap. And so am I. :-)

Good paddling,
desmobob

That's sort of what I used to use -- I got a bunch of big V shaped
boat rollers (the yellow ones don't leave black marks) then a winch.
I'd run the cable up from the back where the winch was up to the front
of the rack and then back down over the rollers to the boat. I'd drag
the boat to the back of the car/truck, then clip on the line and winch
the boat up the rollers to the top.