I’ve just purchased my first kayak and I wanted to see if anyone had ideas on how to lock it up at a put in/take out point? It’s not a fancy kayak or anything, in fact it is the cheapest one I could find - but I still would like to keep it and not have someone steal it. It’s a Pelican Trailblazer 100 - but there are no holes that I could run a cable through. Really the only holes would be on the ends, where the carrying looped handles run though. Any suggestions??
Thank you!
Why lock it at put-in?
Since you would only have it there while you got it on the water…
or are you talking about leaving it in some kind of public racks overnight?
Maybe…
…he needs to run his vehicle down to the takeout and get a ride back.
Does it have a scupper plug? Maybe you could run a cable throuth the hole and out the cockpit.
Dont think that model has a scupper plug
yet, but certainly a little DIY retrofitting of some sort of little handle or bracket or ring mounted on top is possible, on that little tray in front, using washers and glue. Assuming they just want to lock it up for a few minutes with a bike cable or something to avoid making it really easy for some kid to go on a joy ride while the car was being parked.
Main thing is, TAKE THE PADDLE WITH YOU if you have to leave it for a few seconds at the launch to go park.
Oh, my gosh, I am laughing thinking about what I had happen this past crazy weekend. We put my kayak down, and went back to the truck a few feet away, and a loose toddler started to try to get in it, and it is on a river sandbar, fortunately way too small kid to push the boat in, but they are FAST when they are curious. I’ve also seen teens come up really fast out of seemingly nowhere, to check it out when moving a vehicle. Most creative was someone rushing up one time to the shoreline on a ski doo when he thought it was unattended… hey, what are you doing?- and suddenly his whole body language changed and he pretended he wasn’t looking at it, got back in the water, and he got right back on his little egg beater noisemaker and pretended to be concerned with that. Uhm hmm.
possible lock-up
I have been wondering about a lock system for my WS Tempest 170 composite. One that would lock the kayak to my Yakima rack and also be able to lock the kayak to a post, tree, etc.
I am intrigued with the Kanulock hold down straps with internal steel cables. Customers appear to like them. Not cheap at about $70.
https://www.amazon.com/Kanulock-Lockable-Reinforced-Stainless-Straps/dp/B0094BFGG4
Then have a stainless cable, fairly lightweight, made up with swedged loops at both ends to just fit around under the cockpit opening and secure it with a padlock. Then use one of the Kanulock cables to thread through the padlock and around a secure object.
I think my primary concern is for theft while on a parked car. But even if they get it, it is not so easy to make off with a 17’ red chili pepper.
This is all speculation, I have not tried this.
Cable
I use a coated heavy duty cable to lock my kayak to my Yakima rack. I have a SOT, so I have the luxury of scuppers to run the cable through. I got one that’s pretty beefy and not too long. The loop end just barely fits through the scupper hole, around the Yakima crossbar, Masterlock the loops together and then feed the cable through until the lock is up in the kayak so it won’t bang on the roof of my SUV. Yakima rack is locked. I know this isn’t foolproof, but at least it presents a challenge to the casual snatch & grab. I wonder if there is a motion sensor set-up that could be added if you were traveling and had to leave the kayak on the rack overnight at a motel???
We travel great distances with our rafts & gear in or on a trailer for whitewater rafting trips. We stay the night in motels frequently and our gear and rafts are not locked in any way. We try to park the trailer close to our room if possible but that’s about it. So far…knock on wood…nothing has been stolen out of the trailer. On the way home from a Rogue River trip, back to Utah, we did choose to skip Reno and drive further to stay the night based on our fear that Reno might lead to theft???
a few options:
– Last Updated: Jun-30-16 6:44 PM EST –
1. Here's a method some people use, a long cable lock works but NRS makes a kayak-specific lock:
http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server2100/6p8lmnk/product_images/uploaded_images/kayak-cable-locking-system.jpg?t=1404926202
A tree can take the place of the rack in the image, or a second lock can be introduced to lock the lasso cable to a tree. What's important is that the two loops have enough tension between them to prohibit them from being slid off the ends.
2. If there are any holes in the seat bucket - mine has an opening where the bucket is attached to the coaming - you can often slide a cable through there.
I lock my kayak using #2 when I do a paddle/bike or paddle-hike round trip.
Additional lock-up thought
My earlier post suggested an additional cable with padlock to secure around under the coaming, as place to lock to on the boat.
I realized with the two Kanulock straps needed for the car rack, one could go around a tree and then pass through the other one, which could be tightened up around under the coaming for off-car locking.
Hasp Staple
I installed the staple part of a hasp on my Pungo 120 … drilled 4 holes near the bow and screwed the staple down with 1/4" bolts and self-locking nuts; then just used a bicycle cable lock through the staple and around some hard object … like the tongue on our popup camper or around a tree at the campground. Yes, someone could bring their 7/16" socket wrench and undo the nuts, but it’s just something to keep joy riders or opportunists from taking it … a determined thief will overcome whatever you try given enough time and privacy.
Locking straps
I have the Thule locking straps http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-rack/accessories/thule-locking-straps-10-ft-832-_-1678740
Plus the cable with loops in ends and padlock.If at hotel I use both.
The funny thing about padlocks is there super easy to pick, look at youtube. Its darn right funny. I use a padlock I have for something else that cant be picked without an elaborate special tool, Abus Granit padlock but cost ALOT.