Anyone carry an assembled puffin on their car racks? if so… was it OK?
Yes, I have
I’ve got an older Puffin and have hauled it many times. Advisability of hauling depends somewhat on your rack arrangement and how far apart the bars are. If you are travelling a fairly modest distance at moderate speeds (like under 50 mph and for less than an hour or two) I would say just strap it, hull down, on a standard rack and don’t worry about it.
However, for longer or high speed hauling I would recommend using padded j-racks like the ones Thule makes, or the wide padded saddles that conform to the hull shape. The strongest dimension on a Puffin is gunwale to gunwale so being on its side is the best way to carry it.
The continual pressure from the constant windspeed of highway travel can bow and deform a folding kayak frame, as I learned first hand last year when I hauled my Feathercraft Wisper 500 miles on my roof from Quebec to NY. I have had to put many hours into trying to straighten many of the frame sections that were deformed by this and some are never going to be completely straight again.
In that case it was likely due to the less than optimal distance between the crossbars on my newer vehicle, a Mazda CX5 with a short roof. I used to haul my 14’ 9" Feathercraft Kahuna folder 100’s of interstate miles with no problems but that was on a '92 Volvo wagon where the crossbars were much much farther apart.
I normally carry my rigid kayaks hull up, but not the folders. The Puffins have too wimpy of a deck structure for that anyway.
Tips for hauling any folder: deflate the sponsons until they are fairly soft though still partially shaped. I’ve had a sponson rupture from heat expansion when I failed to let out some air before hauling on a hot day. And always remove the flotation bags if you use them because turbulence can suck them out. Secure the bow and stern to your bumpers for safety by looping 1" nylon webbing around the ends and running rope to the bumpers or other attachment points. I don’t trust the Puffin carry handles for this attachment since a strap failure at high speeds could strip the velcroed deck right off if the boat windmilled.
No matter how many time I read the title
…I visualize someone stuffing a small, charismatic seabird.
on the other hand…
– Last Updated: Sep-06-16 12:12 PM EST –
...better than puffin' a pack, which isn't good for your lungs.
Webz
These comments are gems of the interwebz.
Mmm mmmm good
– Last Updated: Sep-06-16 8:46 PM EST –
goo.gl/CIpUiQ
Almost
Ready for prime time !
Pack’n a Puffin??? Hand me my…
– Last Updated: Sep-06-16 7:39 PM EST –
...old trusty Colt! (Or Just horsin' around with the lines?)
He was packin' a puffin,
but mighty slow on the caw,
Sam's hill duel for the birds,
tailored Albert'Ross had to fall,
So one's word's worth to crow,
at hand beats to round bush,
while 'ole mariner's rhymin'
ties-on ostrich of truth's push
Revenge of the Puffin
There once was a puffin
Who escaped bein’ stuffin’.
He flew way up high
And let the poop fly,
Releasing a gooey sh*t muffin!
Ah, the…
…stuffin’ that screams are made of.
I tell you! The gull of such birds!
Many blessin’ be to you for the limerick,
TW