J Hooks for kayaks and angled roof rack crossbars

Advice
#21

I am of the strong belief that all roof top boats should be secured with the belt and suspenders method.

The belt is the two cam straps shown in the video and the suspenders would be the bow and stern lines tied off tight to the front and back of your car.

My normal launch point is one block from my house and I drive under 20MPH getting there so I just go with the belt as we go there first and drop the two boats off. We then move the car to the take out 12-18 miles down stream and leave it. for the return back leg we may see speeds up to 60MPH and I don’t rely on gust the cam straps and add the lines bow and stern even though I’m 99.99% confidant in just the belt. If for any reason the rack failed or the straps slipped or broke I know the boats will not come flying off the car. When driving you can’t see what’s going on top but you see those lines in front and back and if they start going off a little you know you need to check it out.

It only takes a couple minutes and is worth the effort if you never once need them.

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#22

My belt and suspenders on straps is two straps at each point. Usually NRS or Thule. At least for trips of any serious duration. Was advised to do this when we first started paddling by someone who had been at it far longer than me.

I could argue that this beats one cam strap because should one of the regular straps break, in my system the boat is still not going anywhere.

#23

So you use 4 cam straps 2 on each cradle and no bow or stern tie downs?

#24

I am completely at sea about how you took what I said to mean no bow/stern lines. Just reread and I did not say that.

I use two straps at each point where people normally use one. On the side with saddle and glide pad, there are two straps at the saddle point and two at the glide pad. On the Hullivator, I add a second strap to the one that is usual at each cradle - the second strap goes around the portion attached to the crossbar and over the boat. Even the not-low-volume boat can develop a wiggle with just one strap used as intended if I am bounding on a dirt road or similar.

I do generally eschew stern line, just bow, after being behind a car on a highway with a loose stern line dancing dangerously near the wheel well. I got away from it before I risked having half a snapped off boat come thru my windshield, but it hardened my concerns about having any lines that I cannot see. The straps are not long enough to catch anything unless there is a break, and of course I always know what is happening w my bow lines.

We had a fender bender a couple of cars ago with the boats up, on a highway. The boats - never - budged.

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#25

Celia, would you happen to have a YouTube video that describes a bit of your technique. Sorry I’m a newbie and trying to learn

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#26

No but it doesn’t need one. Use a strap the same way you would be shown anywhere, loop over the boat, around the cross bar and and tighten on the outside. Then get another strap and do it again.

The Hullivator adaptation is only of import if you have a Hullivator.

#27

Watch this: Flying Kayaks - YouTube. Also, when you’re dealing with factory rails and cross bars, I recommend getting a separate crossbar system. I definitely don’t trust the factory crossbars, and as you’ll see in the video, J-cradles can fail at highway speeds - especially without a good bow line system.

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