Just finished a 25 foot long garage, which will be used mainly for storage of bikes, motorcycle, and boats, etc. Looking to wall mount on their sides my QCC700 and surf ski with a fairly low profile rack. (They’ll fit in between the oil tank-have about a 21" space.) Anyone have any recommendations as to what side mount system to use? I see there’s Martin Creek, Hardy, and Talic advertised. I’d like to avoid a pure nylon webbing strap as sometimes loading them in can be tricky-akin to threading a 21 foot long needle. A more rigid j bar or suspended sling rack would probably be easier. Many thanks.
Make your own
I’ve probably got less than $20 into this 4 boat holder. If you’ve got some 2X4s still laying around it would be free except for a couple of 5-inch lag bolts. Here’s what it looks like. http://community.webshots.com/photo/143992441/219951930uRfoOA
Randy
Web straps
Use web as sling straps. Many ways to do it.
If you want to buy, Talic has a newer cheaper ($39.95) item specifically for wall mount. A plastic and web contraption that should do the trick nicely.
http://www.talic.com/slingSet.htm
Simple loops hanging from the ceiling or a bracket work too. Add a buckle to one or both loops. Walk one end of kayak in, buckle other loop together under hull. Quick and easy one person system. I have similar out back under a roof overhang.
The wooden arms on their sports hammock also come in versions that attach to exposed wall studs so you don’t need the whole rack. Also, easy to build something similar. Can’t find them on the site. Kayaks also rest on the web - not the arms.
I have a set of the Talic Seahorse stands that have proven to be VERY useful (easily enough to justify the price - space is at a premium for me). Mostly for fresh water rinse, but also repairs and such. I completely refinished a hull on them. Very light and easy to take along. You could use a set of these along the wall as storage (and have them for other uses too), and hang the other boat above in a slingset.
Galvanized pipe rack
I made mine after seeing a picture posted here. For each yak you need:
2 ea. 12" 3/4 galvanized threaded pipe
2 ea. 6" 3/4 galvanized threaded pipe
2 ea 45 degree elbows
2 each caps
2 each threaded 4 bolt flange
8 lag bolts to attach the flange
foam for padding
I can send you a digital pic if you want.
Bob
ceiling?
Have you considered a pulley system?
I hang 3 kayaks from the ceiling in my garage.
It helps me make use of otherwise dead space.
Also allows u to lower the boat right onto your racks.
2nd this idea
I’m not handy at all, but I just thought the prices were too high for the commercial racks. I found a couple of old shelf brackets around. I found some scrap 2x4 and cut it into pieces, upolstered the wood pieces by stapling some pieces of old rug on them, and screwed these 2x4 pieces into the brackets where the shelves would normally sit. I even cut some triangular chocks and screwed them into the end of each “shelf” and padded them with rug so the boat could stand on it’s side. I think I actually splurged about $2 for a couple of paint rollers which I cut and slipped over the metal part of the brackets that mount on the wall so they wouldn’t scratch the hull. Most of my poor carpentry is covered with rug, and it doesn’t look half bad and it works great.
Lou
Kayak hangers.
Lots of options to consider. I adapted 2 straps, designed to hold misc. supplies for tree stand hunters, to suspend my kayak from four bicycle hooks in the garage. The straps include side release buckles and a spring-tension slide which can be used like a pulley to raise and lower the kayak. The straps are long enough that I can lower the kayak to work height for gluing foam or replacing registration numbers. Lumber yards also have fairly heavy duty galvanized shelf standard systems, which would allow for changes in spacing or uses; the kayaks could be stored on padded shelf bars, shaped plywood supports, or short pieces of webbing suspended from the bars (add an “S” hook for easy on/off). Any webbing system is easier to thread if both ends of each loop are not anchored to the same point. Alternatively, you can add a short piece of pool noodle to help hold the loop open, but it may still twist sideways.
Kayak rack
Here’s what I did a few years ago.
Go to kayak rack.
http://community.webshots.com/user/dencor4
Well padded two by fours for support
while loading and unloading.
Straps for long term hanging. Can you slip in beside th rack to hook them up? Side release ladderlock buckles (yes they make them in two inch widths) for transitions and adjustments.
Thanks All
I’ve a buffet of suggestions, and will likely attempt to fabricate something first now. I’ll probably use the hung sling racks from the ceiling for the plastic family boats. My QCC and ski will need to hang at foundation level below the windows, so here I’ll go with something more rigid. Don’t really want to bang the carbon boats around trying to thread the needle. Plus, they’ll slot in the space between the oil tank and foundation wall. I like the idea of using the nylon webbing as a hammock to cradle them. Appreciate your suggestions and photos.
Mark
I second the strap method
…mentioned by Greyak, gstark, and thegoose. A strap or set of ropes is cheaper, more flexible, and more easily adapted to changing conditions (as in, full, fuller and fullest) in a garage. I have my kayak on two pullies mounted in the rafters of my garage. Drop the ropes, insert the fore and aft ends, and haul away. If you are concerned about the kayak falling out, you can put a support rope to clip between the two loops, but I have not had this problem.
Sometimes I keep the kayak just three feet off the ground when it is in constant use (April-October). In other seasons I can lift it far overhead so it is out of the way of cars (and mice!)…but not spiders. To keep out spiders, I covered the cockpit with an old sheet held on with bungie cords.
I have nothing against racks, but I don’t see how they would be as flexible as a strap/pullie setup.
Thanks, but…
I’ll use the straps for my other boats, mainly the plastic kayaks that don’t get as much use as my race boats. Storing on the rigid rack would be a lot easier than trying to ‘thread the needle’ with a 18-21 foot, blunt nosed kayak/ski. Sometimes the straps don’t remain open wide enough and the front of the boat hangs up on the carry toggles, etc. Thanks again all, for your input. the very happpiest of holidays to you.
How the straps stay open…
… depends on how you rig them. Mine when empty are wider then the boats - particularly bow or stern. You only “thread” one end (really just walk it right in). The other end is open until you buckle it - and the closed loop supports one end of the boat while you do.
Hard racks may be fine. Really depends on what you build. Hard to make something more gentle than 2" web. Q700 is tough - could survive most any storage option - but I’d keep it on its side. The ski probably better off resting upside down on it’s deck on some soft form fit foam.
I was thinking the same,
but how about mortise and tenoning a setup against the wall? Mount it with lags to the wall, and tenon an arm into your verticle support. If interested, I can explain further.
Sherpa