BCITORGB wrote:
Tink thinks:
===========
If you keep it cheap, there is more left for pizza later! TnT
==================

Tink, sell your shares in lumber, I just found everything I need next
to the shed in the back 40. ;-)

Cheers,
Wilf
===========

Darn me and my tongue, talked myself right out of making my
fortune!:)TnT

"Tinkerntom" wrote in news:1111128964.667304.272610
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:


Cracked Pumpkinhead wrote:
Hey WILF!!!!!!

DITTO!!!!!!!!! I'm up, I'm down...... ARGHHHHHH

I mean.....I don't want to make my Civic into a convertible and I sure
don't want to crunch anyone else on the highway with a 17' or 18'
pretty red Kayak (I prefer red tee hee) but................ **** DAMN
**** DAMN **** (pops always said I had a potty mouth) here's the
lowdown: $ 530.00 just for the rack (with the suggested stretcher bar
thingy's required for my tiny little car)
$ 150.00 Kayak cradle thingy (Ughhh)
$ 30.00 Installation
Okay, wait now I'm not finished yet........... total those numbers up
and whatcha get.....
$ 710.00 right? Wrong.........I live in lovely Ontario and will have
to pay 15% taxes on top of that which comes to a whoppin $816.50
smackeroonie's

ARGHHHHH FRICKA FRACKA GR(*#&(*^@(#^$&^!

Ya know....... I was searching the Auto classifieds I was so ****ed
off! Go figure......I won't pay $816.50 to put a darn rack system on
my car but instead GET A WHOLE NEW VEHICLE! HAHAHAHA. There's a
method to my madness. I'm not quite sure yet but I'll let ya know
what that is when I figure it out.

I'll carry the damn thing all the way to Algonquin before I give em $
816.50 DAGNABBIT! Regardless, I second the "can we get a resolution
before the summer?" question. ;)

Phewwwwwwww ........... I feel much better now.

So, hows everybody doin? ;)

DiAne
http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies

Hey C-P, you mention that you have a Honda Civic, which is about as
short a car as there is for putting a Kayak on.

At a symposium a few years ago I saw one of those new Mini's by BMW with not
one, but two NDK Romany's on it.

I have a folding sea kayak, called a Folbot. This is a SOF (skin on
Frame) boat that can be dissasembled, and put inside your car, Voila'
no rack needed, and a bunch of problems solved.

Personally, I think that someone just getting into the sport is better off
looking at something more general purpose and not look at niche market
models. A folbot may be great if you understand the advantages and
limitations but most people getting started likely don't have a clear idea
regarding the type of paddling they'll be doing in two years. Some people
don't care if they ever learn how to roll a kayak, while for others it's
about the first thing they want to learn after paddling forward. For the
latter folkes, a kayak with a large open cockpit and 30" wide is not going
to be a good choice.

From what I've seen folding boat advocates are almost as overzealous in
their recommendations for a kayak than wood boat builders. Even though I've
built two wood boats myself and love my cedar strip boat, I realize that it
works for me and the kind of paddling I like doing and wouldn't suggest that
building a cedar strip kayak would be the best choice for someone just
getting started in the sport.

"Mike Taylor" wrote in
:

If your bow and stern lines are good and you spread them to the 4
corners of the car, then add some foam on the roof to stop the boat
from getting scratched by the car, it will work just fine. 4 lines to
the corners and the boat isn't going anywhere. I used pool noodles cut
in half lengthwise to make two D-shaped racks across the car. The
disadvantage is that when you take the boat off, your racks go blowing
across the parking lot....

Two words....duct tape.

This system worked for me until I found $99
universal racks at Canadian Tire. I added foam pipe insulation to
protect the boats and stop them from slipping. I had to strap them
through the inside of the car, cos I didn't want to make holes in the
car. No problem except in heavy rain.

Tell me about it. When I did the trip from upstate NY to North Carolina it
rained almost all the way there and after only about 30 miles into the trip
the water started to drip off the strap right onto my shoulder.

Walt wrote in news:iCF_d.456$6V3.387
@news.itd.umich.edu:

Cracked Pumpkinhead wrote:
Walt wrote:

"You don't *need* a rack to transport a kayak on your roof."

So there are no laws on carrying Kayaks? I just don't want to get
ticketed.

I'm not aware of any specific laws regarding Kayaks. There's probably a
width restriction that prohibits carrying anything on your roof that
extends more than six or so inches beyond the sides of your car. So,
careful about taking a roof rack off a Suburban and mounting it on your
Civic.

There's also probably something about length, especially in the rear,
but a simple red piece of cloth should take care of that.

I can tell you that I know people who have transported sea kayaks into
and around Ontario with the carpet-and-line method. I would surmise
that if it's actually illegal in Ontario they would have been stopped at
the border. If you're really concerned, you might want to research it.

I've taken my kayaks into Ontario (from Michigan) numerous times without
incident.



Actually, whats really more important is that I don't loose the kayak
on the highway or tear off my roof LMAO.

Yeah. Focus on that. Just do it right and you shouldn't have a
problem. You can get a ticket for failing to adequately secure your
load, but AFAIK, the crown doesn't dictate actual specific tie-down
procedures.

On the subject of regulations, however, there are some things you are
required to have with you out on the water. Ontario is a bit more
strict than the US. See http://boating.ncf.ca/equipment.html#unp6

Again, you don't need to spend much money on this stuff, but you should
definitely have it. Cut the bottom off a plastic laundry detergent
bottle and you've got a bailer. Buy a plastic whistle at the Looney
store and you've got a sound signaling device. etc.

On the other hand, each of the safety devices listed has a purpose and for
some of them trying to save a few bucks will make them essentially
ineffective. For example:

I don't know of any specific regulations that require that a PFD be worn.
Stick around here long enough and you'll see accident reports (usually
involving deaths) in which the victim was not wearing a PFD. I frequently
see people out in recreational kayaks with their PFD strapped under deck
bungies or being used as a backrest. It's very likely that their using teh
PFD as a backrest because they bought a cheap *Mart variety that is
uncomfortable. If they had spent a bit more for a PFD designed for kayaking
it would be comfortable and they wouldn't mind wearing it. Instead it's
stored on the boat where it serves no purpose (other than complying with the
law) whatsoever. Consider the following scenario.

Spring is coming and (if you're living in the north country) we're blessed
with a 70F degree day. Get out that kayak and go out for a paddle. If
you're paddling my local lake it's about a mile across but the sun is
shining, so take off the PFD and head on across. Halfway across the wind
picks up and the water gets choppy. Next thing you know you're upside down.
I hope you have the pressence of mind to hold on to your kayak because if
you don't your boat and PFD are now being blown across the water faster than
any human can swim. You're a half a mile from shore, without a PFD, in 40-
50 degree water. Kiss your ass goodbye.

The mention of the whistle is what specifically got me to respond to this
thread. The point of having an audio signalling device is to be able to
notify other boat traffic that you and their boat might have and impending
collision. Paying a couple of bucks for a cheapo whistle might save you a
couple of bucks but if whoever you're trying to signal is upwind they might
be able to hear it from more than 30' away. For a few extra dollars, one
can get a Fox storm whistle that'll ring your ears whenever it's blown. A
few years ago I was out paddling with a group of people under a full moon
and we saw a boat approaching us on a collision course. We all flashed our
lights at him but he kept coming. When he got within 100' I reach down to
the front of my PFD and grabbed my Fox storm whistle and blew. We
immediately heard "hey...is someone out there?" The driver of the boat was
out on a moonlight cruise and didn't expect a bunch of kayaks on the water
so wasn't watching where they were going. If I hadn't had that loud whistle
I don't know if they may have looked up in time to avoid a collision.

In any case, there are areas where saving some money makes sense and other
where saving a few bucks just isn't worth the possible conquences of having
ineffective equipment.

Cracked_Pumpkinhead wrote:

Beginner here. Looking to get myself a Sea Kayak (or even rent for
now) but come across a bit of a problem. I own a 2000 Honda Civic 2
door and got a quote for a roof rack and Kayak carrier and WOW the set
up costs just as much as the darn Kayak! Is there any other way to
safely transport a Kayak with my car without BREAKIN THE BANK?

Also, I am located in Ontario and was wondering if there are any good
forums on local web sites that experienced people frequent that I can
view as well as routes, tips, education etc.

DiAne

I recommend getting a car that is as least as long s your boat. :-)

JAM

John Fereira wrote:
"Tinkerntom" wrote in
news:1111128964.667304.272610
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:


Cracked Pumpkinhead wrote:
Hey WILF!!!!!!

DITTO!!!!!!!!! I'm up, I'm down...... ARGHHHHHH

I mean.....I don't want to make my Civic into a convertible and I
sure
don't want to crunch anyone else on the highway with a 17' or 18'
pretty red Kayak (I prefer red tee hee) but................ ****
DAMN
**** DAMN **** (pops always said I had a potty mouth) here's the
lowdown: $ 530.00 just for the rack (with the suggested stretcher
bar
thingy's required for my tiny little car)
$ 150.00 Kayak cradle thingy (Ughhh)
$ 30.00 Installation
Okay, wait now I'm not finished yet........... total those numbers
up
and whatcha get.....
$ 710.00 right? Wrong.........I live in lovely Ontario and will
have
to pay 15% taxes on top of that which comes to a whoppin $816.50
smackeroonie's

ARGHHHHH FRICKA FRACKA GR(*#&(*^@(#^$&^!

Ya know....... I was searching the Auto classifieds I was so
****ed
off! Go figure......I won't pay $816.50 to put a darn rack system
on
my car but instead GET A WHOLE NEW VEHICLE! HAHAHAHA. There's a
method to my madness. I'm not quite sure yet but I'll let ya know
what that is when I figure it out.

I'll carry the damn thing all the way to Algonquin before I give
em $
816.50 DAGNABBIT! Regardless, I second the "can we get a
resolution
before the summer?" question. ;)

Phewwwwwwww ........... I feel much better now.

So, hows everybody doin? ;)

DiAne
http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies

Hey C-P, you mention that you have a Honda Civic, which is about as
short a car as there is for putting a Kayak on.

At a symposium a few years ago I saw one of those new Mini's by BMW
with not
one, but two NDK Romany's on it.

I have a folding sea kayak, called a Folbot. This is a SOF (skin on
Frame) boat that can be dissasembled, and put inside your car,
Voila'
no rack needed, and a bunch of problems solved.

Personally, I think that someone just getting into the sport is
better off
looking at something more general purpose and not look at niche
market
models. A folbot may be great if you understand the advantages and
limitations but most people getting started likely don't have a clear
idea
regarding the type of paddling they'll be doing in two years. Some
people
don't care if they ever learn how to roll a kayak, while for others
it's
about the first thing they want to learn after paddling forward. For
the
latter folkes, a kayak with a large open cockpit and 30" wide is not
going
to be a good choice.

From what I've seen folding boat advocates are almost as overzealous
in
their recommendations for a kayak than wood boat builders. Even
though I've
built two wood boats myself and love my cedar strip boat, I realize
that it
works for me and the kind of paddling I like doing and wouldn't
suggest that
building a cedar strip kayak would be the best choice for someone
just
getting started in the sport.

You are right on John, that is why I recommended to CP that she check
out renting some boats first so she know that hard shell seakayaking is
what she is interested in. She may have already done this, and have a
good idea of the boat she is interested in. Otherwise, continue renting
for a while, and you don't have to worry about transporting it either.
She might even want to try a folder, and then find out she wants to do
WW. A WW would fit nicely on the Civic. TnT

I LIKE PIZZA!!!!! lol

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. However, I'm thinking of
going on weekend intro courses for both S.K and W.W. Someone told me
about this place http://www.canadianwildernesstrips.com/index2.html and
said it was awesome and highly recommended it. Anyone else in Ontario
been on a introductory course such as this or even better, been to this
specific place?

DiAne

"Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote in
oups.com:

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. However, I'm thinking of
going on weekend intro courses for both S.K and W.W. Someone told me
about this place http://www.canadianwildernesstrips.com/index2.html and
said it was awesome and highly recommended it. Anyone else in Ontario
been on a introductory course such as this or even better, been to this
specific place?

At first glance that 2 day introductory trip looks like a good way to go.
When I first started I took a similar class that included one evening in the
pool then two full day outings. By the end I was hooked and immediately
started searching for a good quality touring kayak. I've never paddled
Algonquin park but I hear that it's a great place to paddle though you might
want to find out when the black fly/mosquito season are because I hear it
can also be pretty buggy.

If you're up for a vacation attending a multiday sea kayaking symposium can
be a good way of immersing yourself in the sport quickly. There's one in
Grand Marias, Michigan that's supposed to be real good that may be the
closest to you. The Gulf of Maine Sea kayaking symposium is also real good.
There's also a Paddlesports show in the Adirondacks that has been getting
huge turnouts every year. There are others in various other parts of the
U.S (the one in Charleston, SC is quite popular).

Sea kayaking symposiums general offer a variety of features, including:

* classes at many levels taught by some world class kayakers (it's like
taking bicycle lessons from Lance Armstrong)

* boat/paddle demos (kayaks from many different vendors are lined up on a
beach for you to hop in for a test drive)

* on water demonstrations (greenland style rolling demos, etc)

* off water seminars on a variety of topics (how to pack a kayak for
camping, use of signaling devices, etc)

* good food and great company (the Maine symposium has a lobster dinner)

Check out Sea Kayaker magazine (or their website: www.seakayakermag.com) and
their events calendar for a whole list of symposium and paddle festivals
coming up this year.

On 18-Mar-2005, John Fereira wrote:

On the other hand, each of the safety devices listed has a purpose and for
some of them trying to save a few bucks will make them essentially
ineffective. For example:
[...]
In any case, there are areas where saving some money makes sense and other
where saving a few bucks just isn't worth the possible conquences of having
ineffective equipment.

I cannot agree more. The safety equipment is there for a reason. Get the
right stuff and know how to use it. If you're paddling in the Great Lakes,
you're going to be involved in heavily used waters. The difference between
air and water temps is significant and the weather can change fast.

Mike

On 19-Mar-2005, "Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote:

However, I'm thinking of
going on weekend intro courses for both S.K and W.W.

If you're serious about giving WW a try, sign up with Madawaska
Kanu Centre (MKC). http://www.owl-mkc.ca/mkc/. You won't find a
better place for instruction without a two day trip.

There's a one-day sea kayak symposium in mid-May at White Squall.
http://www.whitesquall.com/symposium.php. If you're going to
be paddling in Georgian Bay, you'll want to know about White
Squall - they are the main outfitter in the area.

GLSKA also has a weekend symposium/Rendezvous in June. Details
at the GLSKA web site. http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/4657/
The basic info is on the Trip Listings page for June. On the News
page, you'll also find listings of other symposia in the Great Lakes
area. BTW, the GLSKA Rendezvous is for members only - hint, hint...

For sea kayaking, I think you'll be better off starting with symposia
and renting different kayaks than buying one and taking lessons from
an outfitter you don't know. No one provides sea kayak instruction
locally with a reputation that matches MKC in WW.

Mike

BCITORGB wrote in message
oups.com...
Mike says:
=============
Inflatable roofrack + sea kayak = either badly dented roof or lost
boat.
Probably both. I'd encourage you to fit some proper bars, probably
Thule,
and Thule J bars or similar.
=============

This seems to contradict previous posts. Like Cracked Pumpkinhead, I'm
among the uninitiated and am following this with great interest. My
emotions, right now, are like roller coaster...

Yeh, I know - sorry! Have a look here
http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/f...pic.php?t=6544 - UKRGB (
http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/) is a UK site with an active forum and
this very subject got discussed a while back. Accepting that we're talking
river-boats and hire cars, the principles remains true.

You said you have a small car and even allowing for bow and stern ropes,
you're going to apply some serious leverage to the roof once you've got a
sea boat up there.

Just by way of a wee addition to the debate, a friend was telling me of
being down in N Wales watching a client of ND Kayaks loading her brand new
ND Explorer onto a small European car and using inflaters. The roof dented
to the extent where it didnt recover. A lot of money to fix.

On a personal basis, my sea boat cost me well over a months salary - no way
am I going to entrust something so precious to me to either a blow-up tube
or a few bits of foam. I'm not going to risk any damage to my car either so
for me anyway there's no alterantive to a proper set-up.

I bought Thule bars 5 years ago and they've been on three cars since - the
KCS J's were bought 10 years ago and are still fine. Seems a good bit of
value to me anyway. Now I dont want to get flamed and I realise I'm a new
boy here and that a whole lot of folk have advised that inflaters, or foam,
or whaever will be fine so I'll leave you to make your own decision.

Enjoy your new boat. Mike.

Mike says:
=============
Now I dont want to get flamed and I realise I'm a new
boy here and that a whole lot of folk have advised that inflaters, or
foam,
or whaever will be fine so I'll leave you to make your own decision.
===============

Mike, I think every bit helps us newbies inch towards our own
conclusions. Thanks for your bit.

Cheers,
Wilf
===========

Mike Buckley wrote:

On a personal basis, my sea boat cost me well over a months salary - no way
am I going to entrust something so precious to me to either a blow-up tube
or a few bits of foam. I'm not going to risk any damage to my car either so
for me anyway there's no alterantive to a proper set-up.

I bought Thule bars 5 years ago and they've been on three cars since - the
KCS J's were bought 10 years ago and are still fine. Seems a good bit of
value to me anyway. Now I dont want to get flamed and I realise I'm a new
boy here and that a whole lot of folk have advised that inflaters, or foam,
or whaever will be fine so I'll leave you to make your own decision.

Disliking Thule due to two bad design examples (VW polo and a Nissan
something), I bought a Halfords "Mont Blanc" set of roofrails-mounted
roofracks.

They've already lasted me for several cars now, although I did exchange
the crossbars for an extra wide crossbar three cars ago.

I always use straps to tie boats to the roofrack, and I have yet to see
one that has been strapped to my roof come off, even when doing high
speed (160+km/h ~100+mph) emergency braking on the German highway.

Wilko

P.S. Granted, I did have one boat fly off the roof at one time, because
it wasn't tied on at all... At least it stayed on for several kilometres
of winding roads through the hills, before finally flying off after I
went down one hill at around 100 km/h ~60mph :-)

--
Wilko van den Bergh wilko(a t)dse(d o t)nl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://wilko.webzone.ru/

"Wilko" wrote in message
...

...I did have one boat fly off the roof at one time, because it wasn't
tied on at all... At least it stayed on for several kilometres of winding
roads through the hills, before finally flying off after I went down one
hill at around 100 km/h ~60mph :-)

I once set a two piece fly rod in the rain gutter on the roof of a Geo
Tracker while loading up other gear for a fishing trip.

You guessed it......I forgot about the fly rod.

I drove from southeast Wisconsin to central Pennsylvania, something over 700
miles (in excess of 1130 kilometers,if I remember my Celsius to Fahrenheit
conversions) and was unpacking at the end of the trip when I noticed the
butt section still sitting exactly where I'd left it. The tip section is
MIA. :(

As you have probably guessed, the butt section of a two piece fly rod is
thoroughly useless without the corresponding tip section. With this in
mind, I left it where it was for the duration of my week long sojourn among
various trout streams in the company of good friends, and returned home via
more or less the same route with nary a deviation in my packing routine. I
still have that butt section. :)

Wolfgang
um......if anybody has a spare tip section to a seventies vintage sears 7
wt. fiberglass fly rod.......

Wolfgang wrote in message
...

"Wilko" wrote in message
...

...I did have one boat fly off the roof at one time, because it wasn't
tied on at all... At least it stayed on for several kilometres of
winding
roads through the hills, before finally flying off after I went down one
hill at around 100 km/h ~60mph :-)

I once set a two piece fly rod in the rain gutter on the roof of a Geo
Tracker while loading up other gear for a fishing trip.

You guessed it......I forgot about the fly rod. (Snipped good
story - - - )

Ok - more war stories:

1: Friend insisted on "securing" three river boats to his r/rack with those
bungees with wire hooks at each end - at a nice steady 80mph up the motorway
, a boat lifts. Wire hook on drivers side opens, bungee fires across roof
and smacks into passenger side window, breaking it, and somewhat alarming
passenger!

Boat continues to try and fly and of course the others are now airborne as
well - remaining bungee remains firmly in place and encourages three
airborne boats to rip roofrack off car, scattering boats and roofrack all
over M9 near Stirling (Scotland) . Damaged boats - badly damaged car -
destroyed roofrack - unbelivably, no other vehicles damaged!

2: Some years ago, spent happy day working on Series 3 Land Rover, the old
ones with leaf springs - placed full cup of coffee on the front bumper.
Jumped into Landy to go for test drive to check whatever I'd done,
forgetting about the coffee cup. Backed up steep drive, roared off, down
very steep (and quite bumpy) hill, round roundabout and back up said hill.

Coffee cup, and contents, still on the bumper! Cold mind you.

Isn't it wonderful how we can get sooooooo far off topic, sooooo easily????
LOL.

Mike.

"Wilko" wrote in message
...
Mike Buckley wrote:
Snip
Wilko

P.S. Granted, I did have one boat fly off the roof at one time, because
it wasn't tied on at all... At least it stayed on for several kilometres
of winding roads through the hills, before finally flying off after I
went down one hill at around 100 km/h ~60mph :-)

A guy I went kayaking with a while ago was also a pilot. When he parked he
pulled one of those red "Remove before flight" tags out of the car and stuck
it on the drivers side wiper blade. He said it is to remind him to do a walk
around the car to check that everything is in, on and tied down. Seems he
had, at one time, done the same thing. He set the boat on the car to take a
long lunch, planning to go back out on the water later. The weather went bad
and he changed his mind. Did the same as you. He said it stayed in place
much longer than he thought it would. Only sliding off the front and across
the hood a few miles down the road at a stop sign.

Ken

Wilko van den Bergh wilko(a t)dse(d o t)nl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://wilko.webzone.ru/

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.

On 17 Mar 2005 09:01:37 -0800, "Cracked Pumpkinhead"
wrote:

So there are no laws on carrying Kayaks?

Not specifically for kayaks, although there has been talk of
restrictions to prevent, for example, a "Mini" owner from strapping a
20 foot canoe to the roof and heading out on the freeway.
There is, however, a catch-all prohibition against transporting an
unsafe load. If your yak comes loose, and police notice, or are called
because your flying yak damaged a vehicle, you're gonna get ticketed.

I just don't want to get
ticketed. Actually, whats really more important is that I don't loose
the kayak on the highway or tear off my roof LMAO.

TO ALL ON RBP
I am truly amazed. I have received nothing but wonderful, helpful
postings & emails from all of you providing me with a WEALTH of
information for a beginner like me. This sport has drawn me in, but
it's groups like you who will keep me around for a very long time. You
took a frustrating dilemma of mine that could have steered me away from
such a wonderful, social and rewarding sport and kicked me in the ass,
making me realize that its not just a mere possibility, I now
definately plan on DOING IT. I felt the need to independantly do this
for me but my X hubby (ie man or so he thought) used to do all that
stuff and I didn't think I could pull this off on my own. You offered
to mail me used kits, sent me links, gave me ways I can fasten it on my
own, sent me to websites and groups I can join, books I should read,
tips and tricks I should practice and most importantly, how to
transport my/a Kayak safely on my little car. I sincerly want to
thank ALL OF YOU for all your guidance. It's very much appreciated!
;)

DiAne
http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies/