What type of rack saddles do you folks with very hard chined boats use?
None of the offerings from Thule or Yakima seem to be designed for our boats.
Currently using Thule, but they lack lateral support, and the boat wants to slide off sideways until I strap it down.
Yakima’s Mako saddles make the boats rest solely on the chine, due to their shape.
Home made
I make my own saddles. I have used wood cut to each kayak which required me to switch saddles if I switch boats. About a 5 minute change. I still use wood on the truck rack but I am using bent EMT on the car. With a 24’ piece of 1" bent to 15 degrees and covered with flexible plastic tubing, it will fit all my boats but fits my Caribou best. My V saddles swivel for loading. Also I dont have to remove them if I want to put the bike carriers on. I dont have any plastic boats so I cant comment on them. There is a V bracket carrier set up listed on this website. I believe they use more angle and they dont swivel. The boats rest on their chines.
Thule?
I’ve seen Thule with flat sides that should work well for hard chines. These may have been older models though.
The other option is to transport it sideways on J cradles.
I do not think Yakima makes saddles that fit well for edgy boats.
Carving your own from foam or wood to a perfect fit is also an option.
foam blocks or Malone
with foam blocks and s&g kayaks I’d put a half hitch in the straps on the inboard side so the kayak can’t slide sideways.
Hully Rollers
I always used to use Hully ROllers for mine. I have made some foam blocks cut to match the shape of the hull, but haven’t really used these exceptfor a couple short trips. I never had problems with the rollers, but lost them (ex GF had them on her rack when we partedways).
saddles
I use mako saddles on both of my chined boats, works fine. They support the bottom of the boat, so if they are out far enough that only the chine hits them they are too far apart. For most sea kayaks they have to be very close together almost touching. Hully rollers are ok on poly and glass boats, too little support for my wood stripper.
Bill H.
Mako saddles work fine
Distributes the weight on the keel and chines… no big deal.
Makos are fine
Makos cup the hull of a hardchined CD Suka as well as the North Shore Fuego which has medium chines much like the Impex boats.
The CD rep suggested I move in the saddles and now they have more contact w. boat boats. I’ve just driven ~500 miles in the last week since the adjustment w. no issues even in 40 mph quartering wind at (posted) highway speeds.
As to the Hulleys, they are the answer for someone who’s 5’3" like me…loading is so easy, I can use leverage to get the boat on an angle, then guide it in w. one arm… and they’ve never marred any of my boats.
agree with makos
used them with a Caribou for years and they fit fine. Try sdjusting seperation between the saddles as previous poster suggested.
You learn alot on P-Net
Until this thread it never occurred to me there was an issue with cradles and hard chined boats. When I got the AA I just put it up and strapped it down without thinking about it. I guess I lucked out or something.