poly boat in hot sun

Family vacation at the beach (Destin) - question is whether or not it’s a good idea to bring my new-to-me Perception Shadow 16.5. It will ride on j-racks if it goes, and sit up there on top of the car in the hot sun when I’m not using it. We’re staying in a condo, so no shade to park in probably. I know poly boats can be easily deformed, and I have owned a deformed boat before; don’t really want this one to get that way. I’m anxious to get some seat time in it, but wondering if I will regret bringing it. Any thoughts?

Bring it
Just don’t ratchet the hell out of the straps – snug is good enough.

J-racks are good
J-racks are pretty good at not deforming boats, as the boats are mostly on side. Putting them straight on cross bars (not rack or paddling) is worst. next worst is foam block on cross bars.



If it gets really hot, you can always loosen the straps when the car is parked (but do remember to re-tighten before you drive again).

And turn the other side
Turn the other side up from time to time, while not moving it. Maybe bring lock cables too, for security? Or take it to the beach all the time even if it just sits on the sand during the day (assuming it is a beach where you will be going to)…

Yay!
The ayes have it - boat goes to the beach

If you can find some scrap Ethafoam
or minicell, you can cut a wall to stuff between the deck and the hull. Has to be fairly snug to stick in place. I had to do that for a poly Necky Looksha Sport, because, lacking the front foam wall of my ww kayaks, it took a summer dent even though it wasn’t tied hard on my rack.



Loading on the seam line, against a stacker, may help, but without a front wall, a boat could deform even tied against a stacker tower.

wall where?
Its got a bulkhead just forward of my feet and another about a foot behind my seat; where did you mean this temporary bulkhead to go?

For years we brought our Perceptions
a poly Shadow, and a poly Eclipse to Florida and left them on the vehicle without a problem, but I had them on Saddles and the saddles were under the bulkheads.

If you can get your boats so the bulkheads are over the J cradles or close to them you shouldn’t have a problem. If you can’t get them close to tthem while travelin.ust loosen the straps and move the boats while the car is parked.



Jack L

In a somewhat related question
My father borrowed my 16ft poly SOT and then placed it in his shed on two 2x4 up in the attic space. I’m debating leaving it there as it frees up space in my garage. Will the kayak dent by being supported in two locations hull down in an unventilated shed all summer? It can only be hull up or down as that is all the room there is.

Thanks

Derek

Yes, it will dent
I’ve seen that happen many times to plastic kayaks sitting on store floors on similar supports or just on the floor. And that’s air conditioned indoor displays… Usually these bumps will disappear with some time in the hot sun, but might not if too deep…

Yes
An attic space is the hottest and worst.

If it absolutely has to be up there make sure the 2x4’s are under the bulkheads.



jack L

Sometimes they melt
I’ve read about a person coming back to a hot beach and finding a puddle of yellow plastic there.











sorry, I couldn’t resist

WHEW!!
Mine’s not yellow, so no worries, right?