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Transporting Kayak
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 |
You can get inflateable roof bars, Yes it's true !
Only problem tho for a two door car is passing the straps for the rear bar !! J 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 |
Here you go.
http://www.utahlifeoutdoors.com/harm...cartopkit.html Courtney "Cracked_Pumpkinhead" wrote in message om... 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 |
Wow! Really??? Do you have a link to a website where I can check this
out??? I'm having a difficult time visualizing "inflateable roof bars" lol DiAne |
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? Yeah. You don't *need* a rack to transport a kayak on your roof. It's handy and makes things easier, but it's not strictly necessary. And you definitely don't need a kayak carrier in addition to the rack. This isn't rocket science. You just need to make sure that the kayak is securely attached to the car. You can use carpet scraps to protect the car's finish instead of a rack. Just make sure you tie it down at the bow, AND the stern, AND use a belly line (a little tricky without a rack, but you can probably improvise something). BTW, I bought my roof rack at the reuse/recycle center for about $10. Check yard sales, classified ads, junkyards, etc. You don't have to spend a fortune on new rack. -- //-Walt // // |
http://www.brighton-canoes.co.uk/pro.../roofracks.htm
if yo can get them in th eUK I'm sure you can get them in the US J |
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? A quality roof rack is a bit pricey, but it's a wise investment! No other cheaper methods will be as secure, or last as long as a good solid roofrack. Yakima, Thule, whatever. You can rig up foam blocks and tie it on with ropes or straps, but it's not gonna be as secure and it's not gonna last as long. Do what you can! :-) John Kuthe... |
A foam block under the bow, a foam block under the stern, two straps/ropes
going to each corner of the vehicle bow and stern, and on rope/strap over the belly. My wife and I used that for TWO kayaks for a while but that was on top of a van. We actually gave in and got a rack because with two kayaks up there on that type of system if some rain and big winds were thrown in, things got a bit dodgy. I can't seem much risk of it at all for a single boat. "Walt" wrote in message ... 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? Yeah. You don't *need* a rack to transport a kayak on your roof. It's handy and makes things easier, but it's not strictly necessary. And you definitely don't need a kayak carrier in addition to the rack. This isn't rocket science. You just need to make sure that the kayak is securely attached to the car. You can use carpet scraps to protect the car's finish instead of a rack. Just make sure you tie it down at the bow, AND the stern, AND use a belly line (a little tricky without a rack, but you can probably improvise something). BTW, I bought my roof rack at the reuse/recycle center for about $10. Check yard sales, classified ads, junkyards, etc. You don't have to spend a fortune on new rack. -- //-Walt // // |
Thanks Julia!!!! That seems like an awesome alternative and affordable
for me! I will search the net for dealers here in Canada. Tks again DiAne http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies |
A lot of great stuff on that site. Seems this newsgroup is PRETTY
AWESOME. Thanks so much Courtney for looking into this for me. In complete anticipation for getting on the water, learning and discovering. WILL THIS SNOW EVER STOP! ARGGHHHH DiAne http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies |
"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. Actually, whats really more important is that I don't loose the kayak on the highway or tear off my roof LMAO. "You can use carpet scraps to protect the car's finish instead of a rack. Just make sure you tie it down at the bow, AND the stern, AND use a belly line (a little tricky without a rack, but you can probably improvise something)." No problem, I guess I will figure something out. Maybe combine the inflatable or foam rack systems both Courtney and Julia suggested with straps at the bow and stern? Belly line??? Does that go around the whole car, kayak and all? Thanks for the info Walt. I will check out local Buy & Sells, classifieds etc. Your post was very relieving. I was stressing over transporting a kayak ever since I spoke to kayak and rack dealers who were claiming that I MUST have all this equipment for safety reasons and that it is EXTREMELY dangerous to secure it my own way with ropes, bungee's, foam etc. They really freaked me out! ha ha. I guess they have to stay in business somehow eh. |
KMAN,
All you guys here on RBP are awesome. Thanks so much for the help. It is doable and affordable!!!!! Now to find a kayak.........hmmmmmmmm. DiAne http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies/ |
"Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote in message oups.com... KMAN, All you guys here on RBP are awesome. Thanks so much for the help. It is doable and affordable!!!!! Now to find a kayak.........hmmmmmmmm. DiAne http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies/ Ooo, that's even more interesting...what kayaks are you looking at so far? |
"Courtney" wrote in message
link.net... Here you go. http://www.utahlifeoutdoors.com/harm...cartopkit.html Courtney It's tempting to spend money on straps and ratchets and stuff, but unnecessary. http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/arc...meboat200.html Look for the tautline hitch too. Hth, Fred |
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"Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote in
ups.com: Thanks Julia!!!! That seems like an awesome alternative and affordable for me! I will search the net for dealers here in Canada. Tks again You can carry a kayak on a rooftop without going to great expense with some simple foam blocks, a couple of cam straps through the cab of the vehicle and bow/stern lines. I transported my fiberglass boat from upstate NY to the outer banks in North Carolina that way. It'll hold the kayak securely but is inconvenient if you're going to loading/unloading the boat frequently. A step above simple foam blocks are removable rack systems such as the inflatable one previously described and there are also foam block/strap kits or plastic block/strap kits that you can get (I've got a set of the latter variety in my basement). Again, they're less convenient than a permenant rack system but they're easier to set up than separate foam blocks. The following doesn't look too bad: http://www.loadlockfastener.com/kayak-rack.htm The ones that I have consist of for plastic pods with straps running through them. The're padded with foam rubber to keep from scratching the boat or vehicle. |
"Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote in
oups.com: KMAN, All you guys here on RBP are awesome. Thanks so much for the help. It is doable and affordable!!!!! Now to find a kayak.........hmmmmmmmm. You mentioned that you were from Ontario...where do you think you'll be doing most of your paddling? That will primarily dictate what kind of kayak you'll want to look for. I know that there is a club (probably more than one) out of Toronto because I met a guy that does some instruction there a few years ago at a kayaking symposium in Florida. Getting involved with a local club is a good way to get started. Not to start a religious war but enrolling in some introductory lessons will give you a good kickstart and may provide some enlightening safety related information. There are a lot of good books on the subject as well. |
"Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote in
ups.com: "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. Actually, whats really more important is that I don't loose the kayak on the highway or tear off my roof LMAO. "You can use carpet scraps to protect the car's finish instead of a rack. Just make sure you tie it down at the bow, AND the stern, AND use a belly line (a little tricky without a rack, but you can probably improvise something)." No problem, I guess I will figure something out. Maybe combine the inflatable or foam rack systems both Courtney and Julia suggested with straps at the bow and stern? I prefer rope for the bow and stern lines. Cam straps can get real noisy and you don't need (or want) them to be real tight. The bow and stern lines are to keep the boat from launching down the road if the rack (even if you're using an expensive permanent system) fails. With a plastic kayak it's not too difficult to tighten the bow and stern lines so much that it starts to bend the boat. Belly line??? Does that go around the whole car, kayak and all? Open up the doors and feed the line through the vehicle and then over the kayak. Tighten it down snug. Once you've got everything tightened down grab the kayak and give it a shake. The whole vehicle should move rather than the kayak moving back and forth on the cab of the vehicle. Thanks for the info Walt. I will check out local Buy & Sells, classifieds etc. Keeping an eye on classifieds this time of year for a boat is a good idea as well. Lots of paddlers are buying new boats and some of them are even selling off their old boats when they do it. Used kayaks might have some cosmetic damage in the form of a few scratches but in most cases they're as functional as new. A good quality kayak can last a very long time. I've got a fiberglass boat in the backyard that I bought as my first sea kayak. It's 15 years old and still paddles great. Your post was very relieving. I was stressing over transporting a kayak ever since I spoke to kayak and rack dealers who were claiming that I MUST have all this equipment for safety reasons and that it is EXTREMELY dangerous to secure it my own way with ropes, bungee's, foam etc. They really freaked me out! ha ha. I guess they have to stay in business somehow eh. You might want to shop around at other shops that are less inclined to scare you into buying something although they were right about the use of bungees. Never use bungies. Use rope and/or cam straps. |
"Michael Daly" wrote in
: On 17-Mar-2005, (Cracked_Pumpkinhead) wrote: 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! The 2 door requires a short roof adapter (SRA) and that makes it pricy. But no other roof rack is suitable - without a SRA, the distance between the crossbars is too short to support a sea kayak properly. I ran into the same issue when I was looking for a rack. The yakima rack for he vehicle with the SRA would have run over $400. If you get the basic rack, the price isn't too bad. The saddle kit from Thule is outrageous. A friend got a second-hand Thule rack for her Accord and I made saddles for her. I cut a pair of cedar 2x6 into a saddle shapes and covered the tops with foam. The shape of the saddle matches the shape of her kayak hull very closely. The cedar saddles are attached to the crossbar with U bolts. I've been thinking about making a set of those from the extra cedar boards I have from building my cedar strip boat. Since I still have the forms from building the hull I can use them as a template. I've also seen some nice saddles made from carved minicell foam glued to a piece of plywood attached to the rack with u-bolts. |
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. Far superior versions from Karitek or Kayak Carrier Systems easily available in in UK but not generally available in the us as far as I know. How much is your boat worth? Let alone other peoples safety when it comes off the roof? Mike. Cracked Pumpkinhead wrote in message ups.com... Thanks Julia!!!! That seems like an awesome alternative and affordable for me! I will search the net for dealers here in Canada. Tks again DiAne http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies |
"John Fereira" wrote in message .. . ...Cam straps can get real noisy... If this is a reference to the noise they make by vibrating as air passes over them at speed, it can get EXTREMELY noisy......enough to make the uninitiated think the car is coming apart at the seams. But, there's an easy fix. Simply put a half twist in the strap on each side of the boat. Problem solved. Wolfgang |
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... buy an expensive rack... oh ****.... just some foam and rope will do... hurray.... get some "forward extender bars" (or whatever Michael recommended) on you rack.... oh sit, again.... use old carpets and rope through your doors... hurray for us cheapos... and on it goes... I love it.... I'm learning.... but: can we get resolution before the summer? GRIN! Cheers, Wilf |
"BCITORGB" wrote in message oups.com... I love it.... I'm learning.... but: can we get resolution before the summer? GRIN! Hm......this IS Usenet, you know. :) If you've got any kind of factory installed roof rack or an after-market rack designed specifically for your vehicle by a reputable manufacturer and properly installed, a couple of belly bands at either end of the rack will do just fine for a short boat. Last summer, I traveled 700 miles this way with a 9.5 foot kayak at speeds up to 70 mph and it never budged......and this was simply strapped down to the existing rails......no pads, no supports. I use inch and a quarter braided nylon webbing and ratchets.....got 'em from Home Depot for about 12 bucks for a set of four. The breaking strength on the webbing is far beyond anything you need to think about. Just cinch them down till the bottom of the boat shows some deformation and the webbing twangs nicely. Of course, you have to KNOW that your skills in securing the boat are equal to the task. When you can see the boat beginning to change shape, give a tug, fore and aft. If it moves.....AT ALL.... cinch it down a bit tighter.....and repeat. If there's any doubt, run a couple of ropes to either end of the front bumper. If the boat is longer than about twelve feet......run a couple of ropes to the front bumper. If your vehicle doesn't have a rack, get four of those foam blocks made just for this sort of thing. Do exactly as outlined above, except that now you will have to run the webbing all the way around the boat AND the roof of the car, which means passing it through the passenger compartment with the doors open. In either case, remember to put a half twist in every exposed length of the webbing. This will eliminate vibration on a sometimes biblical scale. Wolfgang good luck........um......and remember, you never heard any of this here. :) |
Wolfgang recommends:
=============== If it moves.....AT ALL.... cinch it down a bit tighter.....and repeat. =============== Hmmm.... do you all concur? (1) At NO movement, would I not risk twisting my plastic boat (almost 18') out of shape? (2) If I use a foundation of foam, should I not expect to get movement? (In my case I've got a Queen size mattress worth of fairly high density foam -- for a mattress that is -- to play around with and cut into whatever shapes I need). How do I not get movement if I'm using foam? Cheers, Wilf =========== |
BCITORGB wrote: Wolfgang recommends: =============== If it moves.....AT ALL.... cinch it down a bit tighter.....and repeat. =============== Hmmm.... do you all concur? (1) At NO movement, would I not risk twisting my plastic boat (almost 18') out of shape? (2) If I use a foundation of foam, should I not expect to get movement? (In my case I've got a Queen size mattress worth of fairly high density foam -- for a mattress that is -- to play around with and cut into whatever shapes I need). How do I not get movement if I'm using foam? Cheers, Wilf =========== Forget the 2x4 futures, I've got get into the foam furtures! TnT |
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 |
I was looking at a used 2002 16' Perception Avatar but it's not Red.
HA On a serious note, I have only been Kayaking 4 times (sea kayaking), 3 of which where in a pool but I cant wait to get out in the wilderness exploring or just splashing around in exciting waters. It's still up in the air for me if I want to go the Sea Kayak route or White Water but regardless I DO plan to go to courses to learn all about it so don't worry everyone, you don't have to reply with the usual "Beginners should really go learn the basics from professionals" yada yada. I have already looked into it and look forward to the social aspect of the schools as well as the learning opportunity. Anyways, do you have any suggestions as to how I can choose which type of Kayaking would be suitable for me? I can tell you that I do love to explore but also LOVE to watch whitewater kayakers battle rapids and it does look like their having a TOTAL BLAST. Hey, whitewater Kayaks are considerably smaller then Sea Kayaks right? LOL, maybe that will be the deciding factor since the smaller Kayak will fit so much better on my tiny little car and I can avoid the whole roof rack dilemma?. Just a thought (which I tend to do way too much of at times) I type too much. DiAne http://cracked_pumpkinhead.tripod.com/shaggies |
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. You also say you have not gotten one yet! Have you rented one to take out for spin, to have any idea what you are looking for? This would determine a lot towards your future solution, on all counts. Any sea kayak, will probably be longer than your car, and require some special efforts to provide adequate support, in particular special supports mounted on the bumpers, and this is where the greater expense comes in. 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. There are a number of manf. available, in addition to Folbot, and I would suspect that you should be able to find a outfitter in your area, that would rent one to you and give some lessons, depending on what you desire. Bagboats tend to be a little more expensive, though you can pick them up used and save some. The good thing is that contrary to most boats, they probably appreciate in value. Mine was like $250 new in 1973, and now 35 years later, I paid $500 dollars for it. There is probably some immediate depreciation on a brand new one, but in the long run a good buy. I have seen them on eBay and other bulletin boards. The main thing, is you have to be inclined to manage the assembly and disassembly. Usually take around 30 min depending on the kind, and how hungry the mosquitos are! :) TnT |
Go buy yourself one of those $300 bolt together trailers and put a tow hitch
on your little car. -- Bill Brought to you from beautiful Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska. N 53° 51.140' W 166° 30.228' (WGS 84) 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. |
"Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote in
ups.com: I was looking at a used 2002 16' Perception Avatar but it's not Red. HA On a serious note, I have only been Kayaking 4 times (sea kayaking), 3 of which where in a pool but I cant wait to get out in the wilderness exploring or just splashing around in exciting waters. It's still up in the air for me if I want to go the Sea Kayak route or White Water but regardless I DO plan to go to courses to learn all about it so don't worry everyone, you don't have to reply with the usual "Beginners should really go learn the basics from professionals" yada yada. I have already looked into it and look forward to the social aspect of the schools as well as the learning opportunity. Anyways, do you have any suggestions as to how I can choose which type of Kayaking would be suitable for me? I can tell you that I do love to explore but also LOVE to watch whitewater kayakers battle rapids and it does look like their having a TOTAL BLAST. It really depends on where you think you might be paddling the most. That Avatar is actaully a pretty good choice for a first sea kayak. It's long and narrow enough that it's going to get decent performance and not restrict your ability to improve your skills. While paddling whitewater is indeed fun you can get into plenty exciting waters in a sea kayak, especially considering you're near a like the size of Ontario (I'm an hour or so to the south of it). What I have noticed about choosing between whitewater and touring is that you can't really predict what kind of paddling you're going to like the most until you get out and do it. When I bought my first boat I owned it for about three weeks before I started thinking about replacing it with something more conducive to the kind of paddling I found I liked. In the long term you might find that you won't limit yourself to whitewater or touring but will want to do both. There are a lotta folks here that have accumulated quite a quiver of boats. I've got three touring kayaks (two I built myself), a whitewater kayak, and a canoe. A note about "red" kayaks. Some consider the color of a kayak based on visibility. If you're paddling in an area with a lot of motor boat traffic or plan on going to some isolated waters it could be important. Yellow and Red are very visibility and Orange even better, but Red tends to look black in low light levels. |
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.... 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. I've logged 1000's of km with either system. Carried canoes, sea kayaks, WW boats, lumber and had as many as 7 whitewater boats on top of a Merc Topaz. Only ever lost 1 canoe (I didn't tie those knots...). Mike in Lunenburg (I try to spend more time on the water than in newsgroups....) "Bill Bradshaw" wrote in message ... Go buy yourself one of those $300 bolt together trailers and put a tow hitch on your little car. -- Bill Brought to you from beautiful Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska. N 53° 51.140' W 166° 30.228' (WGS 84) 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. |
BCITORGB wrote:
Wolfgang recommends: =============== If it moves.....AT ALL.... cinch it down a bit tighter.....and repeat. =============== Hmmm.... do you all concur? I don't. (1) At NO movement, would I not risk twisting my plastic boat (almost 18') out of shape? Yes, you would, especially if it's a hot day. (2) If I use a foundation of foam, should I not expect to get movement? Yep. A plastic boat on foam will always move a little, no matter how tight you get it. The plastic bends, the foam compresses, etc. The thing to look for is any kind of sliding motion (as opposed to bending/compression). If you can slide it around, it's not tight enough. You definitely don't want it sliding around while you're driving - once it starts sliding you run the real risk of something working itself loose. If the load's snug, it should stay together. I make a habit of checking and re-tightening after driving a mile or two. -- //-Walt // // |
CP, may i recommend a sort of parallel discussion going on in
re.boats.paddle.touring.... it started as a thread having to do with paddling a tandem, solo and weight distribtion, and has morphed into a useful (for me, anyway) discussion of roof rack construction. Cheers, Wilf =========== |
On 18-Mar-2005, "Tinkerntom" wrote: This would determine a lot towards your future solution, on all counts. Any sea kayak, will probably be longer than your car, and require some special efforts to provide adequate support, in particular special supports mounted on the bumpers, and this is where the greater expense comes in. I've been carrying a pair of sea kayaks or a canoe on my '92 Civic hatchback since it was new and have never had problems. I've seen folks carry sea kayaks on an MGB. Small cars are perfectly adequate. Mike |
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. -- //-Walt // // There is no Völkl Conspiracy |
On 18-Mar-2005, "Cracked Pumpkinhead" wrote:
$ 530.00 just for the rack (with the suggested stretcher bar thingy's required for my tiny little car) Yikes - I checked Rack Attack's online prices and got $505! That's a big increase since I bought a rack. $ 150.00 Kayak cradle thingy (Ughhh) You can do better here by making cradles. $ 30.00 Installation Don't get sucked into paying this. You are going to have to take the rack off and put it back on frequently. You may as well figure it out. Mine came with "free" installation and I ended up redoing the whole thing after the "expert technicians" screwed it up. (This was at Sporting Lie). Don't leave a rack on your car all the time. They add noise and waste fuel if they are not needed. You can start with foam blocks and delay the purchase of a rack. Keep your eyes open for a second hand rack - especially from other paddlers. A friend got a thule rack for $60 and it came with a Hammer double folding kayak with sails! Mike |
Walt wrote:
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 A better link: http://www.tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety/sbg-gsn/canoe.htm Note that above 6 meters the regs change. -- //-Walt // // |
Walt suggests:
============== 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. ==================== Walt, I like your attitude! Thanks for keeping it real. Between you, Michael, and Tink, I should get my rack rigged soon (and cheap). Cheers, Wilf ========== |
BCITORGB wrote: Walt suggests: ============== 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. ==================== Walt, I like your attitude! Thanks for keeping it real. Between you, Michael, and Tink, I should get my rack rigged soon (and cheap). Cheers, Wilf ========== If you keep it cheap, there is more left for pizza later! TnT |
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 =========== |
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