Re: [Paddlewise] Roof Racks

I've seen straps fail twice.

One of the top tier of a trailer going over the Bucksport Bridge in ME (nylon
strap that got we and loosened). A P&H Ice Floe was "launched" down the road.
No-one hit, minor gelcoat damage.
Second, a brand new NRS strap loaned to someone. Strap broke in the back and
they noticed the boat swinging down beside the truck. I got the strap back and
it was torn (the truck had a cap with ladder racks on it and I *guess* the
strap rubbed aganist the support).

I've hauled as many as 5 sea kayaks in Yak Saddles from ME to FL and only had
to tighten a strap or two the entire trip. I don't use bow and stern tethers. I
do throw a security strap around the load.

rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote:
> 
> > Bob Denton wrote:
> > >
> > > I think we have a good experience base here on the list. Has anyone EVER
> > > experienced strap failure?
> 
> I have never had strap failure but I also use front and back bumper
> ties.  And I don't completely trust the cam buckles on the rack straps
> and therefore tie several half hitches after snugging up the buckle
> strap.  This is just in case the spring fails on the buckle...at least
> the knots should hold awhile.
> 
> I know it is a pain in the tush to tie the front and back bumper straps
> but it is a smart thing to do.  I have a setup I bought in a RV shop
> that consists of webbing straps with hooks and an adjustable cam
> buckle.  My straps are wearing out and tearing and so I will have to
> restring the contraption with new webbing straps.
> 
> The only failure or near failure I have ever had was with my Thule bars.
> I was carrying a couple of hardshells sea kayaks on the roof on a trip
> from NYC to Maine.  Since I was removing the roofrack between trips (I
> park on city streets), I probably hadn't tighten the bars sufficiently
> to their towers (roof-gutter mounted) when I set up the rack at the
> start of the trip.  At about the Maine border, I stopped for a break and
> did my usual checking of the cartopping situation.  One bar was within a
> hair of coming completely out of one of the towers.  Another couple of
> miles of driving and it would have come apart.  Since the straps were
> tied around the towers and bars, they would have come loose too.  My
> guess is that, given that I had the front and rear bumper tie-downs, I
> would not have had those hardshells flying down the highway but the end
> of the bar may have dented my roof-top some.
> 
> Bumper ties are a must.  On another occasion, I was cartopping a bunch
> of boats (3 sea kayaks and one whitewater boat) locally on a city
> parkway after a trip without bumper ties.  It was late when we got off
> the water and I let our supposedly trusted local kayak instructor tie
> one side of the setup.  As we drove down the parkway along the Harlem
> River, I could see the shadow of the boats alongside me and thought to
> myself about the optical illusion that highway lights can create with
> shadows.  I said to myself "It looks like one of the boats is hanging
> out sideways."  Sure enough, I looked up and indeed the front end of the
> whitewater boat had come completely loose and was now almost
> perpendicular to our line of travel and just missing hitting center
> island light posts by inches.  I was in the extreme left lane and made a
> mad turn across lanes to the right shoulder cutting off some taxis in
> the process (NYC taxi drivers must now think kayakers are r-e-a-l-l-y
> crazy drivers! :-)).  Seems that instructor type was as tired as we all
> were and had completely forgotten to tie the front rack strap on the WW
> kayak!  If it had been a longer sea kayak, what a mess it would have
> been for all the boats on the roof!!!
> 
> I guess both near accidents were not mechanical failure but human
> failure.  I don't know if that counts but it should :-).
> 
> ralph diaz
> --
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
> PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
> Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
> "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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-- 

  Mike Hughes 
  Virginia
  USMC 65-68
  "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never know."
  Mailto:mike.hughes_at_pressroom.com
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