For anglers, transporting their kayaks is a concern that requires a lot of caution and measures to avoid unseen accidents. How to transport two kayaks without a roof rack will even be more burdensome than normal.
To transport your kayaks without a roof rack on your vehicle, some measures must be taken, or an unwanted accident may occur.
In this post, you will find out how to transport two kayaks without a roof rack.
Things To Bear In Mind When Transporting Kayaks
Take Caution
If Kayaks are not fastened or held in the right way over the roof of a vehicle, many risks will be involved. Transporting two kayaks over a busy road and an unracked roof is even trickier. To avoid unnecessary accidents or mishaps, you must ensure to hold your kayaks the right way so as not to cause road jams on the way.
Moreover, failure to transport your kayaks the right way might cause damage to your fishing boat. If held over tight, your kayak might lose shape, and also if held with retired straps or wrong ones your kayak might return to looking like crap without paintings.
Follow Safety Procedures
When tying your kayak on a vehicle with no roof rack, some procedures must be followed to ensure safety. Firstly, the cam straps must not be expired ones.
Also, the kayak must be held down with the straps both on top and through the hooks by the Hull. Negligence to observe these meticulous procedures can be severely costly.
Moreover, leftover straps are not to be allowed to flap freely in the wind, you can either make a daisy chain with it, or you wrap it around some nearby metal in the vehicle.
How To Transport Two Kayaks Without A Roof Rack
There are two major ways we will show you how you can safely transport two kayaks without any worry of mishaps or road accidents.
Use Pool Noodles
This is one of the most effective ways to transport multiple kayaks with a vehicle without a roof rack. Pool noodles are mainly swimming pool equipment. They are flexible foamy material with a hollow. They are always about three(3) to three point five(3.5) inches thick.
To transport two kayaks using pool noodles, place the pool noodles about two feet apart on the roof of your car. Meanwhile, before you do that, make sure to reinforce the pool noodles with either a metal rod or a very solid flexible rod. When you are done with that, pass your cam straps over through the hollows of the pool noodles.
Having followed all these procedures meticulously, draw the cam straps over then tie them to the inside of the car. Your car doors must be open while doing these. There will still be about twenty yards of the straps left in each of the pool noodles while doing this. You can now carefully carry your kayaks up on the car roof balanced equilaterally on the pool noodles.
Things to note while using the pool noodle
- Make sure the pool noodle is balanced equidistantly from the edges of the car roof.
- The kayaks should be placed cockpit down when being tied on the pool noodles.
- The cockpits of your kayaks must be aligned between the two pool noodles.
- Do not over-tighten the straps. Many fall to the temptation of stretching the straps taut; that can have adverse effects on your kayaks and the stability of the kayaks on the car roof.
Use Foam Blocks
Foam blocks are another wonderful alternative to pool noodles. You can use foam blocks to transport your two kayaks without worrying about safety. You will need at least two foam blocks to successfully mount your two kayaks on the car roof before transporting them.
Foam blocks come in many shapes. Some foam blocks are specifically manufactured for the transportation of kayaks. The best for you may be the foam blocks with V-shaped tops. The shape of the foam blocks will largely determine how you lay your kayaks in them.
Using foam blocks is almost the same as using pool noodles. You need to measure the area of your vehicle roof to determine how to effectively set up your foam blocks. For a popular rule of thumb, you can choose to measure four (4) to six (6) inches from the cockpit on both sides and lay your foam blocks immediately below them.
Some foam blocks make it easier to run your cam straps through them and above the kayaks. However, as we said earlier, it is not good to over-tighten the straps as it does not offer more assurance of safety, instead, it causes imbalance.
Why Cam Straps And Not Ratchet Straps?
If you have noticed, cam straps are always mentioned in this article, but we know they are not the only types of straps out there that can be used but why do we insist on it.
Pros of the Cam Straps
- It is super durable. Cam straps are known for their super durability. They can stay in peak condition for a very long time without wear and tear.
- Fewer components. Cam straps have fewer components compared to Ratchet straps. It is easier to use and less intricate to handle.
- Hold tighter. Due to the make-up of Cam straps, they are more malleable and wrap around the kayaks more reassuringly. Cam straps should be used when it is ensured that they are not retired or expired.
In Conclusion
To avoid embarrassment on the road and avoid possible mishaps, it is advisable for you to take note of safety precautions and procedures.
You can either use the pool noodles or foam blocks to augment the lack of roof racks of your vehicle. Pool noodles work superbly and can safely hold your kayaks without fear of the wind or falling, likewise the foam blocks.
Cam straps as we mentioned are ideal for getting your two kayaks in place, and with all these, you need not worry any longer about the safety of your kayaks or the problem of lacking roof racks.