Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board

Racks work fine

Posted By: Brian Nystrom
Date: Friday, 28 February 2003, at 3:17 p.m.

In Response To: kayak transport (brad shepard)

I'm not a fan of "stackers" or "J-cradles" that hold a boat on edge, but racks with standard saddles secure boats just fine. Four foot spacing is actually considered pretty wide by car standards. In a well mounted rack with saddles, a typical sea kayak is held very tightly and is quite secure. The spacing on my car rack is ~3' and 18'-19' boats don't even budge at highway speeds on windy days. The car gets blown around, but the boats are secure.

Quality of installation matters, so make sure that you follow the instructions carefully, or double check the installation if someone does it for you. Some installations are more secure than others, due to the design of the vehicle. It's up to you to determine whether your're comfortable with the rack for yours.

The purpose of bow and stern lines is as a backup to the main straps. They insure that the boat(s) cannot come off to the front or rear in the event of a failure.

Honestly, you're worrying about nothing, but if racks bother you, go ahead and get a trailer. Keep in mind that most trailers secure the boat(s) in a similar fashion to a rack.

Messages In This Thread

kayak transport
brad shepard -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 1:05 a.m.

Racks work fine
Brian Nystrom -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 3:17 p.m.

Re: Racks work fine
Don Lucas -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 4:58 p.m.

Re: Racks work fine
Brian Nystrom -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 5:38 p.m.

Re: Racks work fine
John Leonard -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 5:44 p.m.

Re: Racks work fine
Ed Hopkins -- Saturday, 1 March 2003, at 9:56 p.m.

I forget people really do that!
brad shepard -- Thursday, 6 March 2003, at 1:13 a.m.

Re: kayak transport
John Leonard -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 5:41 p.m.

Re: what I gather is....
brad shepard -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 7:22 p.m.

The long haul
Pamela -- Friday, 28 February 2003, at 10:00 p.m.

single end-lines
brad shepard -- Thursday, 6 March 2003, at 1:08 a.m.

Re: single end-lines
Pamela -- Thursday, 6 March 2003, at 8:42 a.m.

Re: single end-lines
Mike Hamilton -- Thursday, 6 March 2003, at 12:05 p.m.

Re: single end-lines
Mike and Rikki -- Sunday, 9 March 2003, at 3:13 a.m.

Re: what I gather is....
RickW -- Sunday, 2 March 2003, at 7:38 a.m.

Wow,bad luck,thanks for post *NM*
Don Lucas -- Sunday, 2 March 2003, at 9:29 a.m.

Yes! the "inverted vee"!
brad shepard -- Thursday, 6 March 2003, at 12:50 a.m.

Re: what I gather is....
Robert Woodard -- Thursday, 6 March 2003, at 9:51 a.m.

But WAIT...about Thules and braking
Mike and Rikki -- Saturday, 8 March 2003, at 12:42 a.m.

Re: kayak transport
Alex -- Saturday, 1 March 2003, at 5:02 a.m.

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