: I have a rack (Yakima) on my van to carry two Cobra Fish-n-Dives (36"
: beam S.O.T., very stable but S-L-O-W. I'm building a Ches. LT18 for
: touring) I have rollers on the back & cradles on the front. Reasonably
: secure & convenient (the rear bar w/rollers is right by the back of
: the van since I have full-length rain gutters). Heave the bow up onto the
: roller, then scoot the boat into place.

: Stackers were not a good option for me-- 3-foot wide boats sticking up above
: a mini van made for a package taller than I wanted to deal with (and I'm
: 6'4"!)

: Three suggestions: 1. if you go with a commercial rack, I think the Thule
: racks are better than the Yakima. The round bars of the Yakima tend to
: rotate in the towers, and the cradles rotate on the bars. I don't think
: the frustration is worth the small price saving, but YMMV. I can't comment
: on other brand racks.

I had the same problem with the Yakima round bars and Hully Rollers. The cradles on the front bars were not a problem. I drilled and tapped a small hole through the tower and the bars and inserted a set screw. No problems in over a year.
Bill

: 2. Get extra-long bars and mount half of the cradles outboard of the tower
: (or across where the tower connects). You can carry boats wider than your
: roof. This is most practical if you will be removing the rack when not
: carrying kayaks - you won't have these bars sticking way out past your
: roofline to bonk your head on!

: 3. There are some cradles that boast a surface that lets the boat slide
: easily. This may be a better choice than the rollers, which can clog with
: sand. (I don't have experience with those cradles, so I can't say)

: After my boat's in place, I put a length of foam pipe-insulation between the
: roller & the hull to provide a better fit of the hull contour and
: spread the force over a larger area to reduce the chance of denting. Don't
: know if this would work for you, but it's cheap enough to try.

: A bow & stern line are a good idea in addition to whatever cross straps
: you use. If nothing else, you can see them while driving & if they
: start dancing around, you know you ought to pull over & check your
: load. Plus they're good insurance in case of strap, cradle, or rack
: failure. (One club member tells the tale of seeing his entire rack, with
: boat attached, go bouncing along the freeway - ouch!)

: Have fun!