Just thought I should post my mistake so hopefully people can learn from it and not do the same thing. I went paddling on Saturday on a lake about 4 miles from home. I have a Yakima rack and on short distances will sometimes leave the bow and stern tie downs off. My stitch and glue kayak came off the roof of my car around 60 mph, fortunetly no one was behind me and no one got hurt, with the exception of the boat. So no matter how late you are running I would make sure that the bow and stern are securely tied down. I see many people driving with the same setup as mine without the tie downs, just be aware that the unthinkable can happen... *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Chad, May I ask how the boat separated from the rack? Was it a problem with the rack itself, or the straps holding the boat to the rack? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The main purpose of the bow and stern lines while cartopping is to help keep your boat from twisting. Looking at the carrying handles on my boat, I see they are held in place by little wood screws -- #10 I think -- in 4 mm plywood. Don't bet your life on the strength of that! Many boats are equally lightweight. Do not expect the carrying handles (of most boats) to hold the boat if the straps fail. Put your effort into properly tightening your straps over the boat fore and aft of the cockpit. Check your towers if you are using an aftermarket rack like Yakima. It is way too easy too leave them loose. Having seen my bicycle leap off the top of my buddy's Porsche some years ago, I can tell you that a loose Yakima tower is a real hazard. I don't bother with bow and stern lines at all unless I'm going on the freeway. jerry. At 09:30 AM 07/18/2000 -0400, Steve Cramer wrote: >On Tue, 18 Jul 2000, Sailboat Restorations, Inc. wrote: > >> Any comments? How many people >> really use bow and stern lines? > >I do, although I will on occasion leave them off when I'm driving a WW >boat < 5 miles in town. You want them just tight enough not to flap. Don't >crank them down tight. > >Steve Cramer > > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not >to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission >Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net >Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net >Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ >*************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> > Any comments? How many people > > really use bow and stern lines? > > I do, although I will on occasion leave them off when I'm driving a WW > boat < 5 miles in town. You want them just tight enough not to flap. Don't > crank them down tight. I think they are very important, esp. when driving in winds or long distances where either vibration or an unexpected gust can slowly loosen or shift the boats. Here in Washington we have areas with signs stating "gusts" ahead - due to some land mass feature creating a venturi affect - and if your boat isn't tied bow and stern it could be in trouble. Not to mention other cars on the road if it happened to fall off. I actually have hear a lot of stories from commercial outfitters to private boaters about their flying boat experiences.... Andree Hurley - http://www.viewit.com/ Viewit Dot Com - Websites for Specialty Businesses On Water Sports, New: Online Sales - http://www.onwatersports.com Online Editor - http://www.canoekayak.com - July 2000 is live *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Andree Hurley wrote: > I think they are very important, esp. when driving in winds or long > distances where either vibration or an unexpected gust can slowly loosen > or shift the boats. Here in Washington we have areas with signs stating > "gusts" ahead - due to some land mass feature creating a venturi affect - > and if your boat isn't tied bow and stern it could be in trouble. Not to > mention other cars on the road if it happened to fall off. I actually have > hear a lot of stories from commercial outfitters to private boaters about > their flying boat experiences.... > Don't forget rain here, too. When the straps provided by most rack companies get wet they stretch. Last week I drove less than a quarter of a mile in a heavy rain and the straps loosened to the point where one of the kayaks on my roof rotated about 15 degrees. Neither of them moved forward or back, but it was an unnerving experience to see the straps that you knew were tight five minutes before get that loose. Mike -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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