I’ve a need tomorrow to lock my unattended kayak on my car. No time to purchase a kayak specific lock, but I’ve got a high-end long thick cable from biking with two loop ends. Two thick to go through the metal cleat on my kayak deck, how can I possibly secure the kayak to my Yakima racks? Without an attachment point on kayak, seems kayak can slide out either way off the cable!
Martin
Can you go under the seat
or around the post that attaches the seat to the hull?
Kayak Lock
Assuming yhou are using a Kroptonite cable, go buy two 4’ long additional cables. loop one over each end of the kayak (they should not be able to slide past the coclpit, if they do you need a shorter lenght) Run your longer cable through the loop ends of the shorter cables and around your rack bars making sure that the end cables cannot be pulled off the boat. Wrap the long cable around the cross bars on your rack to take up any slack.
Pad lock
Get a pad lock that will go through your metal cleat and around the cable … pretty simple! Bob
excellent
Why didn’t I think of that! Excellent and simple suggestion. Now I’m feeling rather stupid!
Steering Wheel Lock
Use a steering wheel lock. Affix across your cockpit and between your cockpit combing and run the cable through the steering wheel lock and your car’s rack. Work’s great and is bomber.
Guess it works
I always wondered whether that would work.
Awesome.
A simple bike lock or ski lock will work too. Available at Walmart.
cleat
the small cleat on my deck is a nice to have. of course with a screwdriver, it could come off in 15 seconds.
Ponder that for a long time
Seems like they would work no problem with the loops catching to the hatch combing.
Brian
a simple solution
my simple solution is some coated cable, about 30 cents per foot, and some fittings that you just hammer shut to make loops. It can fit through the carry loops on the end of my kayaks and loop around the rack.
the club!
i’ve seen people use “The Club” steering wheel locking thingee across their cockpit.
you could probably loop a cable underneath it to ad additional security.
Does your Yakima have locks?
If your Yakima rack hasn’t been fitted with locks they can just take the rack off with the kayak. I got those locks on mine after I heard of a dealer-sponsored trip that returned to find all of their racks stolen.
Other than that I padlock a cable to the cleat and if I’m feeling really paranoid (I lost and unlocked Impex off my rack a few months ago)I run another cable through the seat.
Maybe I should hang cowbells to the cable and set one of those Radio Shack motion detectors on the roof of my truck?
I’ll tell you that after you lose a kayak–wake up and find the straps cut and the kayak gone–it isn’t paranoia anymore–they ARE out to get you!
Tampered Tule Rack
For what it is worth on locking the kayak rack as well. Recently left my unattended automobile with my Tule Kayak rack for a couple of days while I paddled with a group out to Tangier island Maryland. Upon my return someone had attempted to remove my locked rack. The one lock was bent down. With little effort it came off in my hand, but the bolt remained in tack. The other side received some sort of blows bending it downwards but it remains intacked.
Mark
What is a cleat?
I’m new to kayaks and looked at me new Necky Manitou to see if there were “cleats” on it. I leave my garage up often and have been thinking of ways to secure my two kayaks to the rack i built. I have been following this thread with interest, but I haven’t been able to fing anything on the deck of my manitous to run a cable through. What exactly are cleats and do all boats have them?
thanks,
rob
Club
I found the steering wheel locking mechanism really a great idea. I will stick to it.