I recently bought my first kayak. A Necky Manitou II. I have built a rack with 1 1/4" galvanized steel tubing. I thought the perfect spot. Gave it a good coat of UV protectant, and come to find out the sun is alot more damaging than anticipated.(according to Guidelines article I read). Questions; 1- Are the kayak covers boasting UV protective suitable?
2- Is that UV protectant the same stuff as Armor All?
Note: It really will be in the way if I have to bring it inside. Thanks!
Give me something!
C’mon! Do you really not know?
ok ok! 
– Last Updated: Apr-14-08 10:04 PM EST –
I've stored my kayaks outside all of last summer and this Michigan winter. One is a fiberglass sea kayak at 16 feet, one is a river kayak of thermoformed plastic at 13.5 feet. I added a roto old style slalom kayak last fall.
to protect them from the elements I did this:
1. made sure they are off the ground. The seakayak is on rollers, the river kayak on padded J supports, the little kayak on floormounts over heavy plastic.
2. Keep them in protected area. Mine are under a 20" roof eave with evergreen landscaping in front.
3. Use a marine grade canvas which is UV treated
or a UV resistant thick plastic tarp.
4. use cockpit covers.
5. store them on their sides, they are strongest there.
there now ;-)
Thanks! Sorry it’s close to bedtime.
And I see all these replies with nothing for me. You know it’s all about me. (joke) NO ,really,thanks for reply. The area is probably half day of sun though. How would you store on side with my set up?
Ok
If you really are a going to be a paddler you need to get your priorities straight. It is your furniture that is in the way, not your boat and gear. http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u153/tsunamichuck/ebaystuff134.jpg
inside then?
Without question TChuck?
Yes
Protected from the elements when not in use and safer from being stolen.
priorities
Mine spent the first winter in my living room.
I love them but they are fine outside. The passion of Tsunamichuck notwithstanding (and passion is a fine thing)your kayak is a boat, not a Faberge jewel encrusted egg. Meant to be outside. You can pamper them with TLC protection
As far as your setup you need enough vertical space to rest a kayak on its side with enough room to rotate it off and on the rack and maybe snap a mighty cable lock through the seat, too.
If you are concerned about UV damage, all the antiUV potions in the world are not as good as keeping a kayak out of the sun when not in use. Since most of us work, family or have other things going on in our lives that is much or most of the time.
Spare them from the sun. Be creative and fine tune to your situation.
Post a pic if you want more advice. Ciao now.
Simple solution
go ahead and store them outside, but cover them with a el cheapo blue plastic tarp, (or pay a few bucks more and get a silver backed one).
You will have to replace the tarp ever few years, but the cost is negligable.
cheers,
JackL
outside
all good advice. i’ve used one of the commercial kayak covers, can’t remember which one but they are all pretty similar and pricy. big advantage is that once on they won’t blow off or flap around in the wind. also, if it will be hot, vent your bulkhead or leave the hatch covers off or partly off. take a look at brian nystrom’s webshots pages–he has a nice setup.
Outside is fine
Just cover them…
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1502847200041263145tsgFQi
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1502847390041263145uyitFq
Andy
The “blue tarp” the flag of rural-dom
and it’s thinking since the day it was invented. No offense Jack, but they do make less aerthically offensive tarps for your neighbors. Ban the blue tarp.
Dogmaticus
Oops, I forgot
some of you folks live in high end gaited communities.
I have to admit that I like the browns, greens and silver ones better than the blue that most commoners use.
Cheers,
jackL
Dear serf, thank you for choosing
brown and green. Be advised you still are under watch for advocating “rural blue” to the masses. ; ) Windows happen, afterall. Leaves fall in Autumn. And then there’s that glorious blue tarp covering the dead pickup truck bed with the tree growing out of the hood. My neighbors and I have worked out a great agreement on which side of the house can go “Appalachian”- the side with the fewest windows that oppose each other.
Dogmaticus
We had all of those colors
– Last Updated: Apr-15-08 3:01 PM EST –
...on the dog pen. Yup, a genew-whine pen with chainlink panels and all. Keeps the dogs in AND keeps the mtn lions and stray dogs OUT.
But we ditched the blue tarp, and now it's mostly heavy-duty silver plus brown and green leaf camo. The blue simply clashed with the forest tones of our locale (my aesthetic decision, not the neighbors'). But at least it's not a sea of officially-endorsed blandness a la Highlands Ranch.
BTW, the heavy-duty silver tarps last longer, block light much better, and are smoother (snow slides off faster).
The neighbors aren't nearly close enough to give a damn. And besides, their various earthmoving equipments and other non-suburbanite yard ornaments give snobs who might move here the big middle finger.
OUTSIDE’S OK…
Send me an email, and I’ll send you pics of our yak rack out back -the boat rack I built & installed in our back yard that’s done yeoman duty, and the boats seem to like it just fine.
Yes, sun, unmitigated, does a body, and many a kayak, harm. Especially down here in South Florida, where our Northern friends (living in Miami, those are just about the only kind we have!) & Midwestern family (not to mention all the tourists) burn after thinking they’re used to being outdoors in summer… At any rate, even way down here, we store ours outside, through thick & thin, heat, sun, rain, and a hurricane or 2 or 3, but mostly through the subtropical sun, and they’re all just fine.
Protectant(s), covers, and good sense should keep your boats just fine for the foreseeable future -and we’ve had ours out there for 4 years. Possibly more important might be keeping bugs, yard debris, & critters -and potentially voluminous rains - out of the boat -some sort of cockpit cover will help, as will on-side or upside-down stowage.
Hope this helps you ease your mind when the boat’s on the rack and not in the water where you’d
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami
Hey, there might be a chipmunk nest
on my 21 year old chevy engine block, and cardinal crap on the side mirrors, but I would never stoop to covering it with a blue tarp.
It enjoys baking in the sun, rain, and snow which enhances the rust on the cab roof.
Come to think of it I better see if “Ol faithful” will still start tomorrow after it sitting for four months while we were down in paradise.
Cheers,
JackL
Thanks to all!
I’ve really been stressed about all this and I’m really laid back and not the sort of person to be stressed about anything! So thanks!
As a man of respect I’d expect no
less. I’m looking forward to the trip report, btw.
Dogmaticus
As a man of respect I’d expect no
less. I’m looking forward to the trip report, btw.
Dogmaticus