For all the boats i've had so far i've made racks that store them upside down. I've had no trouble this way, but i've recently moved into a smaller storage area and have been thinking of ways to get more boats in less space, and the recent thread for a 6 kayak storage rack linked below was worth looking at. My question is that most of the time i see kayaks stored on their side they are glass or carbon/kevlar, etc. You don't see many poly boats on their sides. Does anyone store/ has stored theirs on its side? And has it caused any deformation? I'm afraid that if i keep it on its side if it does deform any it will be sideways, which would effect tracking alot more than if it was stored upside dowm. Any input would be appreciated.
storing on side I’ve got a P&H Capella RM (plastic) and they recommend storing on the side as the preferred method. It’s best to position the racks so they are close to the bulkheads.
side storage OK We have two poly rec boats and have been storing them on their sides all winter (inside) for five years. No problems.
In summer I store them on end leaning against a wall in a shaded nook of my house (to save space and protect from UV). Again no problems.
I looked around on the web for poly boat storage suggestions and both of these methods seemed safe.
The only deformation problems have occurred on long hot drives when I’ve stupidly overtightened roof rack straps. This causes a temporary inward bulge in the hull.
I’ve stored poly boats on their sides for many years. As a general rule, whatever the storage position, look first for visible distortion (though a little may be of no consequence) and look second for distorting forces you can eliminate. The latter point means don’t let others pile things onto or against your poly boat when you’re not looking.