I’ve started using J cradles instead of hully rollers and regular cradles. I find the J cradles more secure, but since they don’t have rollers, they seem to be much more difficult to put on and take off the boat - on my own, which is most of the time. And by the way, I’m 79 - in pretty good shape but I cannot lift even a 40lb boat that high. Thanks much.
J-racks are almost always loaded from the side. They are useful for carrying multiple boats on a narrow car and are generally less expensive than saddles or saddles and roller combinations. They now make a saddle with rollers incorporated which most people find more secure than the Hulley Rollers. I’ve personally found saddles to be very secure even at highway speeds and extreme wind conditions.
However, if you are short or your car is tall J-racks can be difficult to load and strap down. They can be more of a physical challenge in terms of strength if you have a heavy boat.
With saddles you generally have a choice of loading from the side or back. Loading from the back generally takes less physical strength.
Then again, there is the Cadillac option of a Hullavator or something similar.
Avoid bargain priced j-racks from lesser known companies. There are reports of them breaking at the junction of the J-rack and base.
The trick is to position the kayak next to your vehicle but 4’-5’ away and then lift the bow and prop it up in the front j-hook, then move to the stern and lift that. Once I’ve got the stern off the ground about waist high I can hold the kayak on its side and slide it forward some. The farther forward I slide the kayak the lighter the stern becomes to the point that I can just lift it one handed and drop it in the rear j-hook. Then it’s just a matter of positioning it where you want it and strapping it down.
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If your vehicle isn’t too high (and if your boat is long enough) my technique may work for you. I park on grass - a slight downhill slope helps but isn’t necessary; place the boat a couple of feet away from and parallel to the vehicle. Lift the bow and roll the boat toward you, then rest it against the cradle with at least 12" from the contact point o the tip of the boat. The stern will drag a bit, but it’s on grass so no harm done. Shuffle back toward the stern without letting the boat go entirely because it may want to roll back and out. Lift the stern into it’s cradle while also applying some forward force to keep the bow from sliding out.
It’s not pretty, but you’re by yourself so no one can laugh at you except you. And being able to laugh at yourself is a good thing.
Thanks to all of you - both for the warning and, from Low Tech and Buffalo Alice, the suggestion to follow a sort of two step process. I’ll give it a try.
Strap your kayak down to the roof rack not the J-rack. It makes the boat and J-rack secure. Instructions for j- racks often say otherwise but experience and my friend the GM engineer agrees.