you can do whatever
i get better mileage and a relaxed feel1ng by driving the speed limit or less. i like about 60 mph with boats.
I agree with Pika…
and am astonished at what passes for the “logic” of “it’s better to drive fast…”
Jeff
Driver, secure your load
I make sure my rack is tight, first, then the boat straps. If I am going to do extended periods of time on the freeway, I dfintely put on a bow tie (not bow tie, bow tie! On the kayak, silly, not on me! sheesh), and sometimes a stearn tie. The shorter the bar spread, the more likely the end ties go on.
Then, I drive the same as I normally drive.
Check the load at every stop along the way. Things can get loose sometimes.
Interesting numbers
My 2007 Toyota Matrix with 5-speed manual (great kayaking/camping car, BTW) usually gets about 31-32 MPG at 75 MPH when commuting solo.
Yesterday, we drove 300 miles with two boats on the roof, a total of four passengers, and all our gear, at about 60-65.
The mileage: 30 MPG.
Evidently, the slightly lower speed was nearly enough to offset all the extra weight and drag, and our trip cost each person something like 3 cents per mile.
So afterwards I splurged and got the DOUBLE cheeseburger and an EXTRA nut brown ale …
honda civic
with two tempest 165s on top, 70 to 80 no problem, I use J saddles with straps resonable snug but not overly tight as my cross bars are under the bulkheads and front and rear tie downs snug but not tight.
The only problem is I have thule square bars and they are noisy above about 60 ( no problem just take the hearing aids out ha ha) when the kayaks are on the factory Subaru cross bars they are quieter.
I will have to exsperment with the square bars as the civic still gets 38 mph with the kayaks on it, so we us it more.
Dennis
Scion XB
with two 17’ kayaks on the roof… 70 - 75 mph isn’t out of the question.
Lots depends on the vehicle too.
With a canoe and kayak on my F150 at an average of 70 mph I get 17.3 mpg. Take them off and I get 17.8.
No Problem!!!
I loaded Missy’s Carolina 13.5 on my Tracker and drove to California and back at speeds that sometimes exceeded 80 MPH WITHOUT any fore or aft tiedowns.
Just shows you how stable the Malone racks are.
Any day on the water is a great day,
Cal
I’ve noticed that, actually. NM
74 mph
More for keeping less than 10 mph over the speed limit of 65.
That’s been fast enough to blow most of the stickum letters of my Wilderness. Now it says “WILD” on one side and nothing on the other :).
It really has to do with whether your boat is still stable up there, the bow not bobbing around too much.
Re your boat flying off your car and your getting sued, a good measure is to always use safety tie downs at the ends. They make a good tell tale on whether the boat has shifted, and help demonstrate reasonable effort to keep your boat on your car (for legal purposes) in the event that an accident does happen.
Paul S.
Well
I have driven 80 mph, with two 16 ft. kayaks on top of my little Focus. We got lost on the way home from Algonquin, and I just wanted to get home (which was still hours away).
Once we drove about 15 miles at up to 55-60 mph with one kayak in the j-hooks without the straps or tie downs (forgot!). Doh! Boy was I lucky that boat didn’t fly off and hurt someone. Believe it or not, it didn’t budge.
Usually I drive 65 or under. Esp. when it’s windy, I try to keep the speed under 65; my Focus can blow around like a sailboat with the 2 boats on top. I do have a reputation to remain as the most conservative driver of all the kayakers around here, ya know. Most of 'em do 70-80 easily on the highways.
And I do use bow and stern tie-downs most of the time; always on long trips, and always when it’s windy.
Tie downs optional…
The following “scientific” research suggests that you can go pretty fast before your boat becomes a flying missile…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcE6QrgDbUs&mode=related&search=
Your boat, not my boat.
puzzlepax
More money than brains?
150 heading to the put-in
25 coming home
Cheers,
JackL
dont be scared
as long as you tie em down properly.
I use 2 of those ratchet strap type tie downs you can get at walmart or wherever. secure the boats to the roof of the suv with both straps running through the rear passenger door. one toward the fron of the door and one towards the rear. Tie em down with the doors open, b/c if you go through the windows you will have to get in ‘Dukes of Hazzrd style’ since you just tied your doors shut. These straps are VERY strong and very easy to tie em down since you can contol the amount of slack on one end vs a set length of rope where you have to tie knots and stash the excess/trialing piece somehow.
I have been using this method for 4 years with NOT ONE problem. Usually it is 2 14’ boats on the roof, but countless times there have been 3 or 4 boats on the roof and sometimes 2 14’ boats and a 16’ canoe.
EVERY trip, I will cruise at about 85 mph, with some stretches doing well over 90. I have personally tested this setup with 2 boats to 120 mph. Not once have my boats budged, not even an inch over the course of a 5+ hour interstate ride @ 90 mph.
I lay the boats upside down so that the cockpit opening is agianst the roof. so the only drag is caused by the hull of the boat rather than air filling the cockpit and creating much more drag.
I am EXTREMELY comfortable with this tie town method, and am not afraid that the big $$$ investment on my roof will get damaged.
BTW… this is stock roof racks on whatever suv we have at the time (jeep cherokee/exploer/tahoe/ etc) and not a Thule or yakima, and def none of the j style braces. this method is significantly less drag than a j stlye rack, since the cockpit opening is agianst the roof the force of the wind coming into the cockpit is not a factor like a j style or other upright carrier
Once got 31mpg from Atlanta to
Balsam, NC, with a 15 ft WW canoe on the racks of a 4 cyl. Accord. This is an increasingly mountainous route, elevation gain about 2000 feet. No consistent headwind or tailwind, not pushing the speed but not draggin either.
I feel a k-1 or c-1 must have less drag than an open canoe, but not as much less as one might expect. Two kayaks are likely to add more drag than just twice the drag of one, unless cleverly racked on edge, so that air does not pile up under the hulls.
If a canoe is tipped a bit down at the front of the car, a lot of air is parted harlessly, while air coming up under the canoe may escape without too much drag. Note that I get the best results without the Yakima fairing when carrying boats. It works better to just use Windjammers, and allow air to pass more freely between the car top and the boat.
Our Accord has cleared 100 mph easily with an open or decked board on top.
plus
if someone stays tucked behind your bumper @ 80 mph, if the boats fly off they’re going over them, not through their window.
How fast do you drive w/ kayak on cartop
– Last Updated: Jun-05-07 6:30 PM EST –
With gas at $3+ dollars a gallon! Drive at or near the speed limit. For those driving right on someone's bumper at 80 miles an hour, if that person brakes quickly...no more kayaking! Keep a safe distance.
couple of car lenghts, 3 second rule.
Your kayak or mine? L
Your car or mine?
I’ve had yaks and lumber to 100mph on mine - for short bits. 75-80 longer stretches. I can pass and maneuver pretty much like they’re not there. Some setups I’d do this with - others no way.
Yeah and the steering wheel is on
the wrong side too.