Wondering what you folks use for storing your boats. My husband and I live in a third story apartment and let me tell you, he loves me a lot to help me make it around some of the corners and into the apartment. We have three boats now. The two ten footers stay outside and lean on the porch wall. But I have no idea what I’m going to do with the Tempest 165. Currently, she hangs out in the middle of the hall between our bedroom and the kitchen and has made accessing the laundry room a little more fun than it used to be. The cats don’t mind though. They have lovingly shed all over the cockpit and when they get mad with each other one sits at bow and the other at the stern and they glare.
I know this can’t be a long term solution. We are house shopping now but we won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Even if we buy a house without a garage, I’ll still be able to install a wall hanging system. However, here I really can’t put more than a picture on the wall. Don’t really like the idea of leaving her on the truck full time. Locked down or not, it would have me constantly worried she’d drive off with someone else. I think some sort of free-standing system would be best. Wondering how other people have tackled this problem. There is a ~1.25 foot lip of concrete where the porch wall wraps around. Technically I could strap her down there long ways but as hurricane season approaches I worry about the “big wind” since there’d be a couple of feet hanging out from each side. If you have suggestions I’d love to hear them. (Please don’t laugh. I know I should have had the room before the kayak, but, ahh, I so enjoy paddling.)
Storage Unit?
What about renting a storage unit near your apartment? You could then keep it locked up tight and out of sight, visit whenever you wanted, and not have to do gymnastics getting the boats home after a long day of paddling.
Or check with any of your friends that have garages and see if they can spare some space.
Hope that’s helpful.
Rob
freestanding rack
Talic makes a freestanding rack that I use. www.talic.com. If you are handy, you can make one yourself. Some have made racks out of pvc pipe and have posted pictures of their handywork.
You can probably search the archives for this.
Talic Kayak Condo
Paddling perks members get 15% off, and I bought 2 of the three level kayak "condos"... see pnet advert section. So, I can store six kayaks. Price is about $33/kayak using this method, requires only a couple of screws (provided) into your wall, or porch, to support the two uprights that you see in the picture. It seems to work well, and was happily well machined so that the predrilled holes and provided screws and all make it pretty easy to put up with only a drill and a screw driver. You have to hit the stud in the wall and may need a stud finder too. I plan to write a pnet review at some point soon for these. The neat thing is that the straps that hold the kayak are wide.../ about 2 inches.. to limit oilcanning, plus you can place the kayak on the rack at different positions to prevent the pressure from being on the same point on the hull all the time. I think they are economincal and neat.
http://www.talic.com/
Here's the link... I bought two of these in the picture. If not a Paddling Perks member yet and you plan to buy these, good time to sign up for PPerks as the savings is great (offsets the shipping).
Of course, another free option would be to sleep in your kayaks. Just be sure to prop it against a wall so that a midnight "roll" doesn't throw you down the stairs. :)
Kayak Storage
Try, Martin Creek Kayak Storage Soltuions, they make a couple of different storage options that uses side storage that dose not damage your hull like other flat storage racks.
www.martincreek.com
Kayak storage
If you can store her on the concrete wall, and out of the sun, do so.
When a hurricane is likely to head your way, put it on the ground and fill part way with water.
It won’t blow away, and if a serious tree limb is coming, a roof overhead may not help much anyway. Or haul it back inside.
S’what I’d do, anyway…
T