Okay, I know that thieves will get the kayak no matter what you do, but in general, what do y’all do to secure your yaks overnight if you are, say, in a hotel? I know, don’t bring it, etc. But if you must, how do you lock em? I find it hard to find even a place to lock onto the yak (but thinking of adding a dedicated hook eye through the plastic to lock to). Ideas please?
Locking Kayaks
Two plastic covered steel loops one over each end; a longer piece of the same to tie them together; thread under roof rack, up, in and through, under, around the seat and out; one lock clearly visible to possible theives.
Not 100% safe but good enough to keep all but the most driven theives away.
Bicycle lock
All my boats have space between the seat and the side of the hull that I slip a bicycle cable lock through, and then around my rack. My Perceptions have “bulldog” security cleats to run cable through, my CD boat has a u-bolt installed.
As Krousman does
Lots of times I will bring the kayak into the room. Otherwise, I park near the office. Also, ask the desk clerk if they can store it inside.
Cable and Lock
cable can be snaked through the space that usually exist between the seat and the gunwales. In my surf kayak, I actually had to glass under the front deck a loop with pvc tubing to run a cable through.
sing
Go to Wally World
and pick up a thirty foot dog run cable which is plastic coated. I think about nine bucks.
Cut the snap swivels off the ends, get a good padlock and you are in business.
I keep two of them in my vehicle with a bunch of keyed alike padlocks at all times works good for keeping the mountain bikes as well as the boats secured while we are camping at motels or any other place.
Cheers,
JackL
The Club
Secure The Club to cockpit coaming, run cable lock through Club and around rack. If you have a big cockpit better make sure you get the right sized Club.
Python Adjustable Locking Cables
I use Python Adjustable Locking Cables by Master Lock to secure my canoes and kayaks to my vehicle overnight.
http://www.masterlock.com/cgi-bin/class_search.pl?class_id=B1007
Each boat requires two adjustable cables, one in front and one behind the cockpit of a kayak or the center of a canoe. I thread a third cable with a loop at both ends through the adjustable cables. The length of the third cable is fixed so that the adjustable cables that circle the boat are immovable. The fixed-length cable runs under the roof rack which is locked to the vehicle.
Pickup camper shell
I drilled and bolted a 5/16" u-bolt near the cab, provides a good place to run the cables through. Will use the ideas above to secure the boat to the u-bolt.
I can’t remember its name
but I picked up a cable that loops around my seat. Then at the other end has this palstic orb attached that I then toss into the car. I close the door and bingo it is locked to the car without a lock. I throw it into back by the hatch so it is a bit more secure than into a window.
The Lasso is designed to lock your kayak
to your car. It’s a cable lock that loops through each end of the kayak and then wraps around your roof rack to take up the slack. I’ve used one to lock two kayaks to my car with no problem. A determined thief with good bolt cutters could get through it, but I really think most thefts are opportunity crimes and if you don’t make it easy for them, they’ll pass.
Make your own kayak locks…
I went to the hardware store and purchased the heavy, plastic coated cable and the accessories to make my own “loops” in each end. I made a separate loop/lock for each end of the kayak. I made a loop that fit over the ends of each kayak but not so large that the entire kayak could fit through it. I then made a loop to run under my Yakima bars that locks to a similar loop/cable made for the other end of the kayak. The length of the cable is just barely long enough so that the smaller loops meet and can be locked. It’s easy to lock them up but the length of the cables and the size of the loops that go around the ends of the kayaks is critical…hence making your own.