I am thinking about aquiring a 19 foot seda glider but my current rack/saddles only have a 36 inch spread. Am I really going to damage the kayak if I don’t have a long rack (goodboy, llama, kayakpro) for a few hundred mile drive? I would be using at least a bow tie down on both sides of hood and would be buying the new rack later.
I see that the seda glider comes in different materials, and which one you’re transporting is going to make a big difference. Polyethylene is the most rugged construction.
As an engineer, I think the biggest factor will be your speed. Drive 30mph and you will have no problem whatsoever…
I know this isn’t the same thing, but just for reference, these kayaks are 15’ and I drove 2-1/2 hours with my speed held to 65mph, and I had no problems whatsoever. The real retention is the boat to the roof racks. The guy lines front and rear are there in case they start to shift, and then you need to pull over and fix the problem before continuing on. I tied them slightly to the rear of the car to reduce side load and to get the bow line to angle back, so it could help keep the bow from lifting. The end lines have very little tension on them so they won’t bend the boat.
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The boat will do just fine. The critical issue is making sure that the rack is firmly attached to the vehicle. There will be quite a bit on strain on it. Be sure to use bow and stern tiedowns in addition the the straps around the boat. If you have roof rails secure both the boat and rack to them. If not and the attachment for the rack to the car is questionable, for an option you can run a long strap around the boat and rack and through the doors. Not the windows!
Cam buckle straps are fine as is non-stretchable rope if you are good with knots. Avoid ratchet straps with a kayak. It’s easy to overtighten them damaging the boat.
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I would not try it with newer Epic or Stellar kayaks with their “honeycomb” makeup, but the older built like a tank kayaks would seem okay with all of your suggestions covered.
I need to go ahead and get a long boat rack but this kayak came up and I don’t have time to get the rack first.
If use use no rack
Use 2, independent bow/stern lines (4 total). An independent left/right line will greatly reduce sideways movement potential. Don’t make the bowstern lines too tight.
When I bought my first surfskiI made a ghetto rack out of an old extention ladder section about 12’ long.
In this case, I securely strapped the ladder to the rack, then my boat on top of the ladder, with plenty of foam padding in between.
You could also do something similar with a 2x10 or other large board.
Personally I wouldn’t like to drive 500mi with only 36" spacing. Passing semis, cross winds, and high speed all make some sort of end support and longer span well recommended.
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The ladder and 2x10 are really cool ideas. I wish I’d thought of that!
I just came across another V rack, the washrider Y rack.
Keep in mind that the boat material reacts differently. Plastic boats will soften and deform in the hot sun - that will cause lines to go slack. Rigid material is more brittle and liable to crack, especially if shicked by bumps. You can make custom cradles that fit your cross bars and support a greater surface area of the boat. Seek a source of bending ply that you can conform directly to the hull, then line it with high density foam. Stabilize the cross bars by bridging the two cradles with stringers and bond it all together with epoxy coated mesh, then varnish it. If the boat is suitably locked in, less tension will be required to keep it stable on the fore and aft tie downs.
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Just a question? What about an inexpensive trailer. That’s what I use for my longer kayak.
Whateveryou choose to do good luck.
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Trailer us a good idea, but dependingbon wherebyou live, it could get expensive. Cost of license tags, many tolls charge by the axle, trailer parking high require launch or parking fees ss comoared to cartop. If that is not an issue, it’s a good option, or l just deal with the fee and parling.
As @Jyak mentioned, a trailer is a great way to simplify loading, unloading, and transport. However, you need a trailer hitch with electrical setup. In addition there are issues with trailer storage, higher tolls, insurance, difficulty with parking and backing, and trailer maintenance.
In Maryland, with the exception of Queen Anne’s County where all vehicles require an annual permit, every other country requires a fairly expensive annual permit with a trailer, while there is no fee to park and launch a cartop boat. Other localities may have similar policies.
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