I have a 54 lbs, 12 foot tandom kayak I'd like rack on top of my 19
foot power boat (a 1999 bayliner Capri cuddy).

I'm looking into having a custom t-top type rack built for the boat.

Is this nuts? Will it work? What problems can I expect to run into.
I'm thinking of bolting the 1.5" supports (with washer plates
underneith) to the back and the front (maybe clamp onto the front
rails).

My thinking is the that kayak will make a excellent hard top for shade
and racked won't consume much needed real-estate on the boat. I'm
expect some loss of stability, fuel efficiency and speed of course...
as well as a few weird stares.

wrote in message
om...
I have a 54 lbs, 12 foot tandom kayak I'd like rack on top of my 19
foot power boat (a 1999 bayliner Capri cuddy).

I'm looking into having a custom t-top type rack built for the boat.

Is this nuts? Will it work? What problems can I expect to run into.
I'm thinking of bolting the 1.5" supports (with washer plates
underneith) to the back and the front (maybe clamp onto the front
rails).

My thinking is the that kayak will make a excellent hard top for shade
and racked won't consume much needed real-estate on the boat. I'm
expect some loss of stability, fuel efficiency and speed of course...
as well as a few weird stares.

Jason,

It would seem that mounting the kayak is possible, but the how would be a
result of your Bayliner design (which I can't comment on). I looked at some
pictures of same and think that it might be better to mount the kayak on its
side along the outside edge of your boat.

The concern I have is that the sun will degrade the kayak (most plastics and
sun don't go well together). I don't think carrying a kayak would seriously
degrade the performace of the bayliner as much as you might think, though
the effect would be non-zero (after all, the boat weighs considerably less
than a person and the hull is reasonably efficient).

Good luck.

Rick

On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 23:22:50 GMT, "Rick" wrote:


wrote in message
. com...
I have a 54 lbs, 12 foot tandom kayak I'd like rack on top of my 19
foot power boat (a 1999 bayliner Capri cuddy).

I'm looking into having a custom t-top type rack built for the boat.

Is this nuts? Will it work? What problems can I expect to run into.
I'm thinking of bolting the 1.5" supports (with washer plates
underneith) to the back and the front (maybe clamp onto the front
rails).

My thinking is the that kayak will make a excellent hard top for shade
and racked won't consume much needed real-estate on the boat. I'm
expect some loss of stability, fuel efficiency and speed of course...
as well as a few weird stares.

Jason,

It would seem that mounting the kayak is possible, but the how would be a
result of your Bayliner design (which I can't comment on). I looked at some
pictures of same and think that it might be better to mount the kayak on its
side along the outside edge of your boat.

The concern I have is that the sun will degrade the kayak (most plastics and
sun don't go well together). I don't think carrying a kayak would seriously
degrade the performace of the bayliner as much as you might think, though
the effect would be non-zero (after all, the boat weighs considerably less
than a person and the hull is reasonably efficient).

I kept a Wilderness Systems Manteo (a Tupperware one-seater) on the top of
a pickup truck for over a year (southern Mississippi, lots of sun, little
in the way of freezing temperatures) and although the straps faded and
needed replacement, and I wore out cockpit covers, the boat survived quite
well. It lives in a van currently, out of the sun, but gets handled rather
roughly, and didn't sink in some 13 miles on the water today, so I think
the sun degradation may be not be as much of a concern as you might think.
I used those yellow (high price, but they don't leave marks like the black
ones) "v" shaped rollers to keep it in and a winch (like on a boat trailer)
to horse it up and down. I did notice a small change in stability (I know
it is a small amount of weight, but it is quite high) but virtually nothing
in performance or fuel consumption (except on interstates, but I don't
think you'll be on those in a boat much).

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups

....stuff deleted

I kept a Wilderness Systems Manteo (a Tupperware one-seater) on the top of
a pickup truck for over a year (southern Mississippi, lots of sun, little
in the way of freezing temperatures) and although the straps faded and
needed replacement, and I wore out cockpit covers, the boat survived quite
well. It lives in a van currently, out of the sun, but gets handled
rather
roughly, and didn't sink in some 13 miles on the water today, so I think
the sun degradation may be not be as much of a concern as you might think.
I used those yellow (high price, but they don't leave marks like the black
ones) "v" shaped rollers to keep it in and a winch (like on a boat
trailer)
to horse it up and down. I did notice a small change in stability (I know
it is a small amount of weight, but it is quite high) but virtually
nothing
in performance or fuel consumption (except on interstates, but I don't
think you'll be on those in a boat much).


Galen,

I kept two plastic boats on my kayak rack for 4 days. Both hulls deformed,
but not badly. They also showed signs of discoloration, as well. Your milage
may vary, but I won't make that mistake again. This was in California, in
conditions not unlike those you describe, so the difference in weather is a
marginal issue.

As for the cockpit covers, it turns out the animals in the neighborhood
found them useful as a scratching post. Torn to shreds within a day.

I'm glad you had better success than I did.

Rick

On Thu, 01 Jan 2004 03:05:59 GMT, "Rick" wrote

I kept two plastic boats on my kayak rack for 4 days. Both hulls deformed,
but not badly.

Yeah, the hull deformed on my boat lots of times, but it would pop back out
all by itself shortly after taking it down.

They also showed signs of discoloration, as well.

Mine probably faded too, but it is gray so I didn't notice. The deck lines
did rot off, though. Not often, but I've had to replace them.

Your milage
may vary, but I won't make that mistake again. This was in California, in
conditions not unlike those you describe, so the difference in weather is a
marginal issue.

I decided years ago that I am horrible at taking care of stuff, so I rarely
count on anything lasting very long. I try not to get stuff I have to take
care of, because I know I won't. I drag the boat up and down boat ramps
and threw it (well, dropped it a lot) from the top of my vehicle probably
more times than I got it down by design. It's a bit furry along the keel
now (from dragging it) and it probably doesn't go as fast anymore either,
but I was able to tool along at around 3 mph yesterday taking pictures and
stuff and not even trying to make it go fast. That's good enough for me
(although I will admit to being easily satisfied and entertained). I
figured the way I generally take care of things I would probably have to
buy a new boat every few years. But I may well get tired of the thing and
seduced by features on the new models before I have to replace it. That is
something that rarely happens to me.

As for the cockpit covers, it turns out the animals in the neighborhood
found them useful as a scratching post. Torn to shreds within a day.

I've lived on a couple of sailboats, and never had much problem with
critters, except birds and spiders, and I doubt they would do much to a
kayak. I never had any trouble with critters and my cockpit cover though.
I remember one time in Stephen C. Foster State Park (Okeefenokee Swamp) the
raccoons would wander up and take the Pepsi I was drinking from the bumper
of my truck while I was setting up the tent only a few yards away. Even
though I finally had to put a combination lock (and not tell the raccoons
the combination) on my cooler they never did mess with the cockpit cover on
my boat.

I'm glad you had better success than I did.

Better behaved critters, anyway.

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups