Transporting a kayak question

[JMacs]

Hey all,

I have a new (to me) kayak. It is a Current Designs, Whistler, 14'-6". I need to move it. It has to last 590 miles at 84 mph on my roof. I have the Yakima j-hook mounts. I have the bow lines going down to hooks on the side of the hood. Stern line to the receiver. (And yes, I will have lines going around it at the j-hooks. I just didn’t put them on when I took the pictures while test fitting everything last night.)
I am a little concerned about the openings and if there will be any issues. There is a bow storage area with a hard plastic cover that is held in place by two straps. There is the open cockpit. And then there is the stern storage area that has a rubber cover.

Do I take the rear rubber cover off and let the area get some nice fresh air on the drive? Do I wrap it in saran wrap and packing tape?

Thoughts? Advice? Warnings?

 

[calicamper]

Best setup is in your case is a cab top rack and the whole thing moved forward. Get a cockpit cover.

 

[NOPEC]

Hey all,

I have a new (to me) kayak. It is a Current Designs, Whistler, 14'-6". I need to move it. It has to last 590 miles at 84 mph on my roof. I have the Yakima j-hook mounts. I have the bow lines going down to hooks on the side of the hood. Stern line to the receiver. (And yes, I will have lines going around it at the j-hooks. I just didn’t put them on when I took the pictures while test fitting everything last night.)
I am a little concerned about the openings and if there will be any issues. There is a bow storage area with a hard plastic cover that is held in place by two straps. There is the open cockpit. And then there is the stern storage area that has a rubber cover.

Do I take the rear rubber cover off and let the area get some nice fresh air on the drive? Do I wrap it in saran wrap and packing tape?

Thoughts? Advice? Warnings?View attachment 667543View attachment 667544

Hi There

We travel all over the place, lots of it on gravel roads, with two smaller ocean touring kayaks on our TC and have never had a problem. Here is my suggestion based on your post.

First, we don't travel over 65 mph, ever, with the boats on. I don't know the math or the specific physics but at over 80 mph, I think things are ramping up quickly as far as stressing your attachments points and your system in general. Without being preachy, considering slowing down a little might help a bit with the safety margin.
Secondly, I would bite the bullet and buy a coated fabric cockpit cover and travel with it always on. They are pretty cheap and with a quality boat like you have, you will need one anyway off season to keep the 4 legged and winged riffraff out of your boat.
As far as your hatch covers, I would put duck tape around the fastex buckles on the front hatch just for redundancy and at the back, two full lengths of duck tape around the hull and over the front and back edges of the top of the hatch. Good Luck with your trip!

 

[Howard70]

NOPEC's advice is solid. Only change for me would be Tyvek tape instead of duct tape as I hate the duct tape residue. The physics is wind resistance increase as the square of the speed increase.

Howard

 

[JMacs]

NOPEC, if you have ever driven across western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, you would understand why I want to drive 84. I will look into a cover.

 

[calicamper]

NOPEC, if you have ever driven across western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, you would understand why I want to drive 84. I will look into a cover.

High speeds you want two bow ties. The idea being the long hull / bow has wind loads taken up by the “v” two ties from each side vs wracking the hull with wind loads. Decked hulls are less of an issue than say canoe but at high out west speeds for sure single tie isn’t really easy ideal at high speeds.

 

[JMacs]

Calicamper, thanks for the advice. I do plan on having 2 on the bow. Last night's test fit showed that the straps I have aren't quite long enough to reach the driver's side loop.

 

[NOPEC]

NOPEC, if you have ever driven across western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, you would understand why I want to drive 84. I will look into a cover.

Haha, good point, one forgets when living with all these damned trees. I grew up in similar country and a long time ago, while attending a conference at Ft. Laramie NHS in WY. , I did make it over to Scotts Bluff NHS in NE. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think it is just beautiful country and seeing more of it is definitely on my list.

 

[pith helmet]

nice boat. i have a CD fiberglass 14 footer.
my preference with canoes and kayaks is to fix i where i can travel with it top side down with top side up as second choice. i also like rope v straps as rope doesn't lose its tension as easily. the open cockpit doesn't worry me whether the way you have it or top side down, id be concerned about losing my nice cover.

 

[JMacs]

I've been up and down the I-80 / I-76 corridor too many times to count over the years. That said, I have always wanted to try canoe / kayak from Boulder to Omaha on the South Platte. Might go stir crazy by the end, but it would provide a unique perspective of the area. I figure it is around 550 miles. 3-4 miles per hour, 12 hours a day. 15 days maybe?

 

[pith helmet]

also if the bow straps are in contact with any part of the vehicle it will cause a problem for you on your nice truck, same for any loose ends of straps or rope. sorry if that seems too obvious to state, but that's a long haul.

 

[NOPEC]

I've been up and down the I-80 / I-76 corridor too many times to count over the years. That said, I have always wanted to try canoe / kayak from Boulder to Omaha on the South Platte. Might go stir crazy by the end, but it would provide a unique perspective of the area. I figure it is around 550 miles. 3-4 miles per hour, 12 hours a day. 15 days maybe?

Your numbers seem pretty good. We always plan on one storm/rest day per week and it usually works out that we use all of them over the long haul. 12 hours of paddling on back to back days is pretty hard on the back and the old butt. I know we harden up as the days and weeks go by, but it is supposed to be fun! While you are buying your hatch cover, buy a kayak seat cushion as well. Best 20 bucks you'll spend for a while?

I don't know about getting stir crazy on foothills/prairie rivers, we have done a few over the years and never seem to tire of them. I always find my bias towards the flatlands ensures there is always something interesting to see and do along the way, sometimes you just have to look a little harder than here in the mountains. We are leaving in a few days to go and kayak the South Saskatchewan river which flows through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Cheers, Bob

Hint - If you do the trip, go early in the season as the slower rivers tend to slit up later in the summer........

 

[Tex68w]

I need to get into long distance touring kayaking.

 

[pith helmet]

I need to get into long distance touring kayaking.

I used to kayak and canoe all the time, really miss that. Should get back to it.


this book was written by a really good friend of mine, a great winter read for those who like the water and a good adventure tale.
he has done some amazing things in kayaks, not the least of which was a solo trip in the late 80’s beginning on the red river of the north into lake Winnipeg and all the way down the Mississippi to Vicksburg.
if I recall, this book picks up on the next leg of that trip which went from MS to the Florida keys and beyond.

 

[Alloy]

Calicamper, thanks for the advice. I do plan on having 2 on the bow. Last night's test fit showed that the straps I have aren't quite long enough to reach the driver's side loop.

For highway I run 2 bow ties + safety line or make sure the middle has a ratchet strap front an back of the cockpit.

Not saying it's right but I've always carried boats right side up or upside down.

Don't trust the mfg carry loop. Run something stonger through the bow eye.

I've carried canoes/kayaks 1000's of miles at 60-90mph and I've screwed up. Two thing that saved it from being a disaster.

1.) Always having a secondary tie down that's just as strong as the primary.
2.) Never traveling if there anything loose rattling or making a noise. If something shifts I want to see / hear it right away.