Storage rack question

Advice
#1

I have two fiberglass touring type kayaks that sit on a trailer, inside. Easy. :wink:



Now, I also have two shorter “fun” boats for spending an afternoon on the river (easy water, no whitewater stuff) with my wife.



They are about 10 1/2 feet long, and I have a perfect spot in one of my shops to store them on a wall.



My question is… for “plastic” boats of that size, is there any good reason to get more elaborate than a set of big J hooks from Home Depot (maybe padded with pipe insulation) to hang each boat on it’s side?



Never having smaller kayaks before, I’ve never had to deal with this…



Thanks!

#2

Nope.
I’ve had plastic boats (12’ & 13.5’ tandem) hanging on their sides on J-hooks from HD, with pipe insulation or large pool noodle foam for a good 7 years. No dents, bends, or anything to let anyone know how I store them. And that tandem is like 75 lbs.

#3

How about slings?
Any thoughts on metal hooks versus fabric slings?



Space isn’t a big concern, just thinking that slings may distribute the weight better around the entire bottom (side) of the hull rather than setting on a single point, a la metal brackets.



One example…



http://www.sealsskirts.com/prod_detect.php?i=71

#4

or hang 'em veritcally
if you have the clearance.

#5

Maybe
A sling may be marginally better at distributing weight, but foam on a J-hook will take care of it too.



The real problem with slings is holding the boat in the right position at the same time you are trying to snap together little buckles with noodle arms after a day of paddling - dropping the boat on the floor (or your foot) would/does suck. Hooks are much easier to load a boat on and off reliably.

#6

Also…
with $30 in lumber and $20 in casters, you can build your own portable storage rack with said padded j-cradles mounted to the frame and hold 4 boats easy without giving Suspenz $600 of your hard earned dough.



Sorry for the long sentence :slight_smile:

#7

Brackets, foam, eye bolts, and straps
For our small plastic fun boats, we use ladder brackets padded with foam. To secure the kayaks, we thread cheapo straps through eye bolts (which are installed above the brackets) and around the boats. Piece of cake.