Hanging canoes on their side?

-- Last Updated: Jan-04-09 3:20 PM EST --

For years when I owned my own place my canoes/kayaks hung in garage ceiling by straps. New garage situation prohibits hanging from the ceiling{to low},and door intrusion. For now they are parked on garage floor,but with cold weather I would like to get them off the floor so I can park my car in the garage. I had been thinking of hanging them from their sides by hooking gunnels over a pair of padded angled 2X4 off the wall.Also thinking of second set under opposite side of the hull,and padded. This allows roughly 18" of protrusion into garage space from side wall.Storing updide down flat on a rack is not an option because of width,and protrusion into the parking space. This will allow my car in garage,just will not be able to enter right side of car until out of garage.

I have a Carb/Kev Placid Rapidfire with wood gunnels & Royalex Bell YS solo with vinyl gunnels. Garage is not heated or air conditioned,so there is a wide range of temperatures. Will this damage hull,or cause problems with the hull/gunnels? Anyone store this way or something similar? Suggestions,besides the obvious flat storage,different local,outside etc.etc.?

billinmd & apple

Rails OK, hanging idea
Wood rails on composite and vinyl rails on ABS do not require removing fasteners - even below zero.



Here’s an idea for hanging sideways. open the eye with a screw driver, then Screw 2 eye hooks, as close to the thwart spread as possible, into the garage 2X4s or wall.



Tie rope loops around each thwart. Hand the loops over the eye hooks, hoping your knotcraft is working.


I Did It
Bill, I hung a Ranger F/G canoe for a few years while renting inside a shed on the property. I put some of the big U shaped screw in hooks and bent them out some, put some old carpet remenants on those and then looped the canoe with some rope tied off on the rafters for added strength. Did well with that although I did worry about what it would do to the canoe…in the long run nothing!! Wish you well.



dougd

Your boats are relatively lite
So you can probably get away with it.



Charlie has the best recommendation for making sure your boat stays on the wall, otherwise I would be real worried it could be bumped off the hangers.



Your other option is large J-hooks to rest the boats in.



My garage ceiling is full of boats:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/nermalgod/Paddling%20net/IMGP8291.jpg



http://www.aquaracks.com/



This is the best J-hook system I’ve seen for canoes. Better than Talic which is the advertisement I am seeing to my right as I write this. Aquaslings may also be a good, less intrusive option when the boats are not present.


Plant hangers
On the KFS web site I saw a post where someone used plant hangers and attached them to the wall. Just add some pool noodles for padding and your set. Fairly cheap and the set up looked very nice. Myself, I used some ladder hangers with pool noodles for my pungo. I haven’t seen any sign of damage yet.

Thanks everyone.
I was more concerned about if it would deform the hulls. Charlie answered that concern. Like his idea,since rope loops can remain on the boats. That way no real intrusion or head bangers into the garage space if I need to work there with boats removed. Thanks all.



billinmd & apple