My white water kayaks have some form of security loops on them so they can be locked to the car/truck. My sea kayaks don’t have anything to lock them to the vehicle if leaving them on over night. There is the seat but it is really on one or two screws holding one side on. There is the rutter but again easy to remove a bolt to free the kayak. I know if someone wants to steal it they are going to. Just looking for a piece of mind. How do you secure your sea kayak to your vehicle?
RR
Lasso Lock
Nothing will stop a serious thief but Lasso Lock will certainly help
stainless U-bolt
Stainless U-bolt aft of the rear hatch, backing plate, loctite the nuts. Cable lock to rack.
Just trying to the casual thief. Not much you can do against a pro.
Motion Sensor
Small, remote controlled, battery powered motion sensor stuck inside cockpit. Activate/deactivate from keychain remote. Sell for as little as $30.
Can never stop a pro, but at 120db might give him pause.
Who seels those
remote motion detectors?
Motion Alarms
www.safetyandsecuritycenter.com/recoadmoal.html -
sells a decent $39 one. Not sure if they still do, but Radio Shack used to.
I think you will find that removing the
screws from one side of the seat does not allow a thief to get around a cable lock run behind the seat. At least not on my Necky.
I use two cables
they are 3/8" and plastic covered with factory loops on both ends. (got them at Wal Mart and Home Depot) I use 1 short one, about 3 ft and a longer one about 10 ft. I put one end loop through the other end on each cable (like lassos) then the short loop (lasso)around the stern and the longer around the bow. Lead the long one back under your cross bars and use a heavy padlock to fasten the two remaining ends together.
OK to use just one cable?
I have 2 cables but only use one. I slip the large loop of the cable over the stern, and wrap it around the roof rack enough times so the small loop at the other end of the cable arrives just right to be padlocked to the bow security bar while keeping the cable tight so it can’t be slipped off the stern. This might not work for longer kayaks.
I’m sure any dedicated thief could steal the kayak whether one or two cables, but at least a cable is a psychological deterrent and means someone has to have some kind of tool to cut it. Unless they just remove the whole roof rack with the kayak attached, but I can’t paranoid about extremes like that.
thanks
Thanks for the info. My kayak is a 17’ Storm and I usually run the cable down through the seat and over the kayak a few times. Just trying to stop the quick grab off my roof when the boat is left unattended. Keeping the honest person honest.
RR
The Club
Get one of those “clubs” used to lock steering wheels and lock it in the cockpit opening. Run a tie down cable through it. They will either have to cut the “club” or the cockpit.
…
get a lasso lock, that will definitely help.
Tie-Yak
Loop one end over the bow, one the stern, thread the cable through the rack, and wrap as needed to shorten, lock the two loop cables together.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___67390
Insurance?
Nothing is gonna stop a good thief. Quit worrying about it. Call your insurance guy and make sure your covered.
No need for loops…
…just run a cable between the cheek plate and the hull.