At 03:07 AM 8/8/99 -0700, Matthew Blumenthal wrote: >I know that this is a total newbie question, but as my new kayak will be >here very shortly, it's important to me! > >I have discovered that there are no roof racks made for my car. Thus I will >have to buy another vehicle to transport the kayak. Get a trailer. Beats the heck out of roof racks anyway, since you don't have the high overhead load and unload problem. Good lightweight trailer hitches, installed, run about $125. Lightweight boat trailers new run $400-$500, but if you nose around the right sporting goods stores or marinas, you can get a lightweight used one good for hauling an aluminum fishing boat for around $100, and you're ready to go, and you're still beating the cost of racks. The trailer I use is an old, about 1970, Sears utility trailer, with the box -- I got it several years ago for $50. The tongue is way too short for a kayak, but some square steel tubing from a local welding shop, a drill motor and some bolts extended it enough to use. The boats go on a double-wide rack built out of 2x4s and carpeting. The nice thing about trailers is they take a load/unload cycle out of each kayaking trip. Since the boat stays on the trailer except when its not at the lake, there's no loading up when leaving home or unloading when getting back. Downsides -- you do have to learn how to back up with a trailer. Fortunately, it's easiest when you have a long tounge on the trailer, and practice helps. Finding parking when you stop at the convenience store for coffee while on the way to an early morning paddle can be tough, though. Frankly, there are so many advantages to trailering kayaks I don't know why more people don't do it. Hope this helps. -- Wes *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Aug 09 1999 - 14:47:49 PDT
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