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Conference unifix::sailing

Title:	SAILING
Notice:	Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:	UNIFIX::BERENS

Created:	Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:	Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2299
Total number of notes:	20724

2020.0. "Car carrier for 12 foot canoe" by ONE900::MARIKAR () Tue Apr 20 1993 12:06

    I bought my first canoe, a 12 foot aluminium with padding, around 40 lbs 
    with the paddles and all, and am having some difficulty putting it on my 
    car and getting it off the car by myself. I use 4 spongy blocks on the 
    gunwhale and tie the canoe down using bungy cords. Its fairly stable in 
    town but moves around on the highway. I have a ski top carrier for the 
    car but it can be apparently used only for windsurfers, water
    sports-wise.
    
    If there is anyone who can give me advice about a suitable canoe carrier for
    my car (a Toyota Corolla) I'd appreciate it. Also, advice on where
    in NH where I can purchase it... Anywhere where there are taxes is a last
    resort, even though I live and work in Mass. I rarely read Notes so if 
    you don't mind forwarding the mail to me at one900::marikar, I'd sure 
    appreciate it.  
    
    Mo

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2020.1	bungy cords are too stretchy.	MAST::SCHUMANN	The MOSFET: over 1,000,000,000,000,000 sold	`Tue Apr 20 1993 13:13`	21
	The bungy cords are the problem. To keep the canoe from shifting, you must use a cord with less stretch. I'd recommend nylon clothesline cord, because it's cheap and easy to get. Tie ropes from the the front and rear eyes on the canoe to the four shipping hooks on the underside of your corolla. (If there are only 2 hooks, you'll need to find something else to tie them to.) Beware of chafe. After you've driven the first two or three miles, get out and examine the ropes for chafe. The canoe must be located so that the front and rear overhangs are of roughly the same length, otherwise the canoe can move in a way that make the lines slack. By the way, check to see whether the spongy blocks are scratching your car finish. (Mine did.) If so, you can put a piece of soft cloth under each of them. --RS P.S. Why not use the ski carrier? If it appears to be strong enough, it should be better than the spongy blocks.
2020.2	Try LL Bean	OFFPLS::ABSURD::RYAN		`Tue Apr 20 1993 14:06`	4
	LL Bean sells a gizmo that you might want to look at (although you probably don't need it). Its essentially for a solo boater to load and unload a canoe/row boat/etc by him/herself. It consists of two racks, one with a swivel on it.
2020.3		DEMOAX::GINGER	Ron Ginger	`Tue Apr 20 1993 15:28`	8
	I will never again use stretchy, bungee cords to hold down a canoe. I had a 12' wood Rob Roy replica blow off the roof at freeway speeds. It made a rough landing in the center median, without hitting any cars. The damage to the canoe was not to serious- a couple broken ribs and one plank split. I now use nylon web straps, 1" wide, with ratchet tightening mechanisms on the end. I could lift the car with them.
2020.4	Soft cloth	ONE900::MARIKAR		`Tue Apr 20 1993 15:28`	5
	Point well taken about the need for soft cloth. I'm going to pass on using the ski racks. I doubt these would stand upto the task. Its only 2 racks while the Yakima rack for instance comes in 4 parts. /Mo
2020.5	Pulley	ONE900::MARIKAR		`Tue Apr 20 1993 15:32`	3
	The LL Bean pulley is no longer being sold due to quality problems apparently...The canoe/kayak would be hanging in mid air. I tried Cabellas without any luck. Thanks for the input. /Mo
2020.6	Ratchet tightening mechanisms	ONE900::MARIKAR		`Wed Apr 21 1993 09:52`	5
	Ron, Under what brand name does the ratchet tightening mechanism with the nylon web straps go by and also where did you get it ? Thanks. Mo
2020.7	Knots	SALEM::GILMAN		`Wed Apr 21 1993 15:04`	17
	I have found that the key to holding canoes down securely on a car top is by using normal line... BUT by tying a 'winching' type knot in the line. i.e. You tie a loop into the line (a bowline works well) somewhere on the standing part of the line. After you take the line around the fixed tie point you double back through the bowline and PULL.... you can winch the rope as tightly as you can pull, then secure the end of the line and you have a TIGHT secure line that stays tight. I know of no other method which gets the rope TIGHT and KEEPS it that way, every other method I have tried always loosens up. You can do this at bow, stern, and both athwartships ties. Jeff
2020.8	Cheap trailer kit for carrying boats	ONE900::MARIKAR		`Wed Apr 21 1993 16:18`	9
	KayMart is carrying a kit for making a trailer which is kinda foldable for around $275. It comes with the necessary electrical accesories and all. Its only a frame but it should be a relative no-brainer to add some planks and make it usable for carrying a boat. I'm not sure how robust it will be on a highway at 70 MPH. I figure it will take me around 5 hours or so to put the kit together. Anyone have any experience with this do-it-yourself trailer, particularly in regards to its mechanical strength ? /Mo
2020.9		EMDS::MCBRIDE	Flick of my BIC Scarecrow?	`Wed Apr 21 1993 16:33`	5
	K-Mart, ADAP, etc. all have tie down straps available of varying sizes. The ratcheting mechanism comes with it and they cost less tha $10.00 the last time I priced them. Brian
2020.10	Inexpensive tie wraps with ratcheting mechanisms	ONE900::MARIKAR		`Mon Apr 26 1993 10:10`	11
	I found the cheapest ratcheting mechanism with the wrap was at Uhaul..It came to less than $6. I've added 2 of the ratcheting tie wraps under the hood and the canoe is a lot more stationary now. I retained the bungy cords, and kept a clothes line to 2 of the fenders in front and the rear bumper. Thanks for all the input. /Mo