Canoe transport
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Canoe/canoes upside down on the rack, 2 canoe straps (2") over the boat/boats and fastened to the roofbars/rack attachments and the painters tied off to the towing eye and hitch - no attachment needed!
Canoes are easy - kayaks are a pain though!
For kayaks try searching kayak supply websites for upright bars that fit on roofracks so you can fit the yaks on sitting on their sides....
Canoes are easy - kayaks are a pain though!
For kayaks try searching kayak supply websites for upright bars that fit on roofracks so you can fit the yaks on sitting on their sides....
If you have a basket type roof rack it may be difficult (roof bars are easier) You can also strap the canoes directly to the roof with padding (you can buy foam or inflatable pads for the job. A folding step makes loading on a high 4x4 or van easier too! Use proper flat 'canoe' straps rather than rope.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
One suggestion I've seen is to have a forward point as well. Some modern roof racks are not as well attached as we would like to think. People have added webbing loops to various bolts under the hood (allows you to hide them away the 1% of the time you do not have a canoe of the roof.
I never got around do do this on the Volvo, and the current Terrano has front bars.
I never got around do do this on the Volvo, and the current Terrano has front bars.
Kayaks are easy. I used to do a straight up lift on to the top of the car roof rack but now have a pull out bar on the front roof bar. So easy to lift the front up on to this then the rear end up. Works with open canoes as well.
rancid badger
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Get onto song of the paddle:
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?23826-Cars-and-Canoes-a-visual-guide
To be brutally honest; it's a doddle,far less terrifying than many would have you believe heres a few of my efforts;
The first time I carried a canoe-it really was unpleasant
No foam on the bars and 25mm straps-bad choice! You want 2 x35mm x 4m (minimum-better with 5m length) cam straps for securing the boat to the bars and 2 x 25mm x 4m-5m cam straps; one for the front and one for the back. Then fit some proper foam pipe insulation, not the cheap stuff from B&Q.
(The canoe was crxp as well as it turned out- Old Town Discovery 158 = pants!)
Then I got rid of the Old Town Discovery 158 "Bath Tub" and bought the best polythene boat I've had so far,( actually; almost certainly the best poly boat you can buy)the Nova Craft SP3 Prospector, Oh and I changed my car again too
In this picture, I've rigged a pair of bonnet loops, as well as the tail strap but I did away with the bonnet loops and went back to using the front tow loop-much more secure in my opinion.
With my new Fiesta, I couldn't reach the rear tow loop easily and the strap would have been in contact with too much of the bumper, so I made a "y" strap for the hatch instead:
Rigged like this, the boat simply does not move when properly fastened.
You shouldn't really have any issues with a 4x4, the bars are usually so far apart that you get very little fore and aft leverage or "rocky horse" movement, though we always use the nose and tail straps regardless.
If you have roof rails fitted, as below;
you can get away without the front and rear straps but I'd recommend using them regardless
hope this helps
Cheers
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?23826-Cars-and-Canoes-a-visual-guide
To be brutally honest; it's a doddle,far less terrifying than many would have you believe heres a few of my efforts;
The first time I carried a canoe-it really was unpleasant
No foam on the bars and 25mm straps-bad choice! You want 2 x35mm x 4m (minimum-better with 5m length) cam straps for securing the boat to the bars and 2 x 25mm x 4m-5m cam straps; one for the front and one for the back. Then fit some proper foam pipe insulation, not the cheap stuff from B&Q.
(The canoe was crxp as well as it turned out- Old Town Discovery 158 = pants!
)Then I got rid of the Old Town Discovery 158 "Bath Tub" and bought the best polythene boat I've had so far,( actually; almost certainly the best poly boat you can buy)the Nova Craft SP3 Prospector, Oh and I changed my car again too
In this picture, I've rigged a pair of bonnet loops, as well as the tail strap but I did away with the bonnet loops and went back to using the front tow loop-much more secure in my opinion.
With my new Fiesta, I couldn't reach the rear tow loop easily and the strap would have been in contact with too much of the bumper, so I made a "y" strap for the hatch instead:
Rigged like this, the boat simply does not move when properly fastened.
You shouldn't really have any issues with a 4x4, the bars are usually so far apart that you get very little fore and aft leverage or "rocky horse" movement, though we always use the nose and tail straps regardless.
If you have roof rails fitted, as below;
you can get away without the front and rear straps but I'd recommend using them regardless
hope this helps
Cheers
Last edited:
you can get away without the front and rear straps but I'd recommend using them regardless
hope this helps
Cheers
+1 to that
I never used to bother until I nearly lost my boat on the M6 once, I pulled into a layby on the A66 for a ciggy break and went round checking my straps etc, the foot on one side of my bars wasn't attached to anything and could have easily come away at anytime. I've used tow rings ever since
rancid badger
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oh yes, there's a couple, of things I forgot; Rich has covered the first one in part and that is to stop and check your straps, after a mile or two when you first set off and then every hour or so after that, particularly if its windy or raining.
The other point I missed was to put a twist in your straps to stop them catching the wind and vibrating like mad:
The noise you get from flat straps is terrible and the vibration can't be good for the strap, buckle or anything the vibrating strap comes into contact with.
cheers
Steve
The other point I missed was to put a twist in your straps to stop them catching the wind and vibrating like mad:
The noise you get from flat straps is terrible and the vibration can't be good for the strap, buckle or anything the vibrating strap comes into contact with.
cheers
Steve
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