For those that have participated in multi-day kayak symposiums or classes, what did you do with your kayak at the end of class each day? Assume that the class location is out of town and you are staying in a hotel/condo/campground.
roof of the car
– Last Updated: Feb-13-15 2:28 PM EST –
Generally just leave it on the roof of the car. If it seems sketchy, I throw a lock on it, but normally not. Especially if there are a lot of other kayakers around (which generally have nicer looking boats than I).
Thefts of kayaks off of cars are relatively rare (especially as compared to something like thefts of bike off of cars). The gear inside the car may be more tempting than the boat on the roof.
campgound easy
Campground is easy as you just leave kayak on you roof rack. Never done hotel but if I did depending on hotel if I was at like a Redroof get ground floor and bring kayak right into room with me. I wouldn’t leave it on a roof rack in some hotel parking lot. So no big hotels for me with a kayak. Camping is your best option as your tent will be right by your car.
Cartop Hotel No Problem
Just park stern end over the lot median or lawn so no one takes off the tail of your kayak. Put a Lasso Lock or some other imposing looking lock cable on it to keep the less determined and non-powertool wielding shifty moraled character at bay. Park in view of your room or near front of well lit main entrance as there’ll likely be known cameras at the front door.
What Symposium are you going to?
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Cartop or…
One thing that is common in Symposiums is that the organizers try to get more boats onto one car or trailer to limit the parking impact on the launch sites. So you may see arrangements to leave boats on the intermediate days in an area around where the outfitter is based so they can gang up the boats for the next day’s classes. Or, maybe they will try to get boats bunched up for the next day when people gather after classes at day’s end.
Or maybe parking is easy and everyone just drives their own boats back and forth from the motel or campsite.
We have done all of the above, depending on the symposium. Just don’t leave an end sticking out into the parking lot for a drunk to find on their way into the motel at 2 in the morning if you go with the last option.
Call the organizers to see how the one you are thinking of will work - more reliable answer than a blind question on the board.
One security measure and I believe it
was noted on this site, is to put a few rolling objects in the interior (hatch or seating area) such as marbles or a few metal bearings. Hopefully that would help dissuade, due to the noise in the night, any desire to remove said boat from its perch and possibly get an “Oh S__t!” from the potential thief. 
Doesn’t hurt to try.
Car top and lock
I have parked at hotel lots with 2 composite boats on the car, under a light in the lot, with lasso locks on both boats with no problems at GGSKS. Once the hotel let us park the car in the U drive at the front door overnight, it might have helped that we told them we would be leaving by 6AM.