Always check your straps for wear

http://up.craigslist.org/boa/5722242848.html



I feel bad for this guy and hope he finds his boat.

Yet another one.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/08/kayak_road.html#incart_river_index



Driving with a suspended license didn’t help the situation.

Or double the straps
This is a case where bow and stern line may not have helped much depending on which strap broke and how fast he was going.



But one of the things we got from the guy who started Maine Island Kayak Company was to always double the straps. That is two at each point. I/we don’t do it for shorter trips, but for the long trips the boats always are double strapped. And they are now again with the Hullivator, since my little boats is a too wiggly for my taste with just the single default strap. So I always add a second fully around the boat and the rack structure.

A War Drove Malfunction
Always check your straps for wear!

Did no one tell Ms. Jackson?

Or did halftime cleavage come abreast

where B-ratings X-out traction?



But sometimes taking higher road

the unharnessed Goldberg’s rube,

finds high-speed yaks drop in their tracks,

and unsaddled feels such the boob!

bummer
I lost a pickup cap at speed once, but I noticed.

I saw …
a Studebaker Avanti loose it’s rear window at about 120mph. I think he noticed.

T

trucking

– Last Updated: Aug-15-16 9:11 PM EST –

like and load strapped on a truck put a few miles on it then stop and check the load. He could easily see the kayak while driving as it projects way over the front hood.

!

Yes, Even When New…
And driving long distances there will be strain marks left on the straps, which I noticed after doing a round trip drive to Rockport, MA from Berwyn, PA last summer. My 4Runner was carrying a 21 ft. long Fenn Mako 6 mounted deck down on foam blocks above it. Fortunately, like Celia recommends, I double strapped it, since I was travelling at turnpike speeds.



Wash and dry straps frequently and lubricate metal buckle and spring. Even when left alone, straps will deteriorate on their own. So, maybe after two years discard and get new ones, since they’re cheap.

What does washing do for the straps?
Other than removing smushed bug guts, if any.



I’m sort of fastidious about my straps and bow/stern lines - always daisy chain them as they come off the boat and put them in a Trader Joe’s bag designated for that stuff.



Never thought of double strapping for the only 500 mile trip I made carrying my boat. But I did check the boat often - and never went above 65 mph.

35 mph is enough
to take a long boat off the roof.



The guy who told us to double strap is the person who brought the BCU, and Steve Maynard now head of the PNA, to this country. He has hauled a lot of boats.

Grit and road salt
When you wash the straps, it becomes clear how much dirt is ground into them. It will surprise you.

I always
run the straps through my fingers to feel if there is any wear or loose threads, if so, it gets replaced.

If You Paddle Out In The Ocean
Washing helps get rid of all the caked up grime and salt on them and de-stiffens them too, so they’re more manageable to use. Plus, now you can observe the webbing better and see the very fine strain marks, if any, on them. Rinse well and re-lubricate the metal hardware, since the springs will corrode and no longer be effective.



Yeah! Fortunately, the springs break on me, usually, when I’m strapping the boats down.



Other than salt and grime, sunlight, over time, will hasten the deterioration of straps. So if you notice a powdery substance on your straps, don’t use them to secure your boats on your car.