"No Spam" wrote in message
news:M5_Ed.9595$eb.6206@trndny01...
Thank you! That is the best explanation I have seen on how/why to tie a
boat
down. I have seen some nightmares out on the road. --- Some of them were
mine - I have worked it out to more or less what you describe, but it took
many tries and stops along the road to fix loose ropes to work out what
you
have explained well in a few short posts..

Just for reference, here are a few pics of how NOT to load a canoe on a car.
These folks all centered their boats over the cockpit of the car, or
centered them over the roofracks. You can see that it moves the boat way to
the rear, makes for a very unaerodynamic load, and leaves both endlines
running forward; perfect set-up for the canoe coming loose when the driver
puts on the brakes.

http://www.dawsonfamily.ca/John/notkids.shtml
http://www.ericandjoan.com/worldtrip.../auschp10.html
http://www.keithv.com/scans/canoe.jpg
http://www.mohawkcanoes.com/transport.htm (and this one is even on a site by
Mohawk Canoe, explaining how to tie on a canoe!!)
http://www.softopper.com/products_rack.html

Conversely, here is a pic of a canoe properly centered over the wheelbase of
the vehicle. These will ride more stably, not cause a sway if there is a
sidewind, and most importantly, the endlines are pulling equally in opposite
directions so the boat will not shift around.

http://www.sfu.ca/~dlpress/paddling/09_Canoe_Car.JPG

--riverman