Re: [Paddlewise] locking a kayak to a roof rack

Hi Mike -RE: Locking a kayak to a roof rack -

I went to my local hardware store and
bought an appropriate length of steel cable sheathed in plastic - I think it
was 14 feet in my case. I also bought two steel eyelets, two heavy aluminum
swages (I've forgotten the correct name of these but the hardware store will
know - they're the things which crimp the cable around the eyelets) and a
decent combination padlock. At home I swaged the cable onto the eyelets
using an ordinary vise, but a good long pair of pliers might work - or a
good heavy hammer or maul. Total cost, about $12 if I'm remembering
rightly - oh, and about 5 minutes' work time.

Now new holes in the boat this way.

The cable sits in the boat except when I'm away from the car or van. Then,
takes about 20 seconds to loop it through the hip blocks inside the cockpit
and around the Yakima bar. I guess there's no reason you couldn't leave the
cable around the whole affair, boat and rack bar, all the time when the boat
is on the car. I've scratched up my paint job enough so that I don't want to
make it any worse than it is, and I'd worry about the padlock banging
against
the roof or window of the car when I'm driving down the highway at 60-70
mph.

Similar cable locks are available from Boulter of Earth and other companies.

Bill Hansen
Ithaca NY



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