2nd vote for hood loops
They work great. Forget trying to pad your strap or rope & get it off hood completely
Straps: for people who can’t tie knots
– Last Updated: May-17-09 4:58 PM EST –
You could learn to tie knots, and then use rope. Straps are hard, rough, and abrasive. There are plenty of choices of rope which are not. I've been using rope for my bow tie-downs on the same vehicle since 1995 (though I will admit that this was not my only boat-hauling vehicle prior to 1998), and there still aren't any marks on the hood. Use a fairly soft rope and don't ever lay it in the dirt, and your troubles will be over.
Have To Disagree Eric
– Last Updated: May-17-09 6:19 PM EST –
I beg to differ that rope is better than straps. I admit I'm not the best at knots, but I've had less slippage with straps than knots; I would think because there is more surface area contacting the boat. Maybe it's just me, but I'll keep my straps, thank you. WW
I agree
a good comparison is straps are to rope like a calculator is to a slide rule.
Cheers,
JackL
I don’t think we are talking about …
– Last Updated: May-17-09 7:11 PM EST –
... the same thing here.
The OP asked about abrasion of the hood of his car from the bow tie-downs. For bow lines going from the tip of the boat, down over the hood, to some attachment point, the amount of "grip" that the material has would not be an issue since these tie-downs do not come in contact with the hull. All you need here is something that provides tension, and the right kind of rope won't scuff the paint on your car.
Regarding the other tie-downs, where "friction" might be an issue, you can use a trucker's hitch to make a rope so tight that it damages the hull, just as you can do with certain kinds of straps, however, relying on "friction" means that you are not making efficient use of your tie-down. For some folks it's the "easy" way, but in no way does that mean there are not "better" ways. When it comes to stopping side-to-side motion of the boat, rather than relying on extremely tight tie-downs, I use additional tie-downs which do nothing but prevent side-to-side motion. One loop keeps the boat from moving left, and the other loop keeps it from moving right (this goes along with the old adage, "you can't push anything with a rope", because one step away from trying to push with a rope is trying to prevent motion that is at a right-angle to the tension in the rope or strap - it just works poorly relative to the amount of tension you must apply. It's best to align the tension with the motion you are resisting, because then you can get good results without extreme tension). Gunwale blocks do the same thing.
Straps are to a calculator as ropes …
– Last Updated: May-17-09 7:06 PM EST –
are to a slide rule ONLY if you don't know how to use a sliderule. Orienting your tie-downs the proper way (along with the use of proper connections (knots)) will outperform any method that simply relies on outright clamping power, and it will do so WITHOUT subjecting your boat to forces any greater than the forces that try to make it shift position in the rack (wind, momentum when hitting the brakes, etc.). It's really not a big deal, both methods work, but one method works much more efficiently than the other (requiring MUCH less tension to get the job done). However, the more-efficient method requires that you actually understand what you are doing (which is a REALLY good reason for using the calculator-sliderule comparison).
By the way - I don't know how to use a slide rule. If I were one year older, I would have been forced to learn, but calculators came along in the nick of time.
go with the hood loops and add the
rear loops that close in the back hatch. No more crawling on the ground. We use ropes that are cut to the right length for each canoe and a quick truckers hitch to each loop makes the job quick and secure.
suggestion…
try those wool slip-on seat belt shoulder strap pads and install them on your lines to mimimize the damage and keep the pads washed of dirt. almost anything rubbing against a painted surface will eventually damage the surface. biggest prob is the road grit getting in between the lashing and the paint and acting like a rough rubbing compound against the paint.
I’ve used the loops for years and see
no paint damage but they aren’t dirty either.
I like rope.
– Last Updated: May-18-09 9:37 AM EST –
Quicker, cheaper, bomb-proof. With hood loops, no nasty metal hardware to deal with. You only have to know three knots (that you really ought to know anyway) and, once you've tied them a couple hundred times, you get pretty good at it! Buy polyester line from a chandlery. Stay away from nylon and hardware-store variety stuff. Rinse and dry regularly.
Vinyl Tubing
I use vinyl tubing which is available at most hardware stores and in various diameters. Just bought a few yards of tubing and then cut pieces of the proper length.
Did not see the simplest suggestion …
Since the OP obviously has an attachment point they like to use and have been using for a long time, why make them rethink their system if it already works well? Of course there may be benefit in doing just that but if not, why not just apply some clear 3M film (removable) to the area on the hood/trunk where the tie-downs touch? That would work for many years and can be removed later with barely a mark left on the car … No tools or drilling required -
1 Like
3M clear chip-guard material
I had a couple small pieces around and put them on the end of the hood of my husband’s Tahoe. We normally trailer the sea kayaks, but occasionally we need to rooftop instead, and I knew that the painter line would probably damage paint on the long drive to Alaska.
The clear pieces did their job well and are still on there, 3 years later, on a vehicle that is parked outdoors all the time.
If you have a truck, you could also install a front-end protector (bug guard).
I have adopted a different approach, because I worried about hood and paint damage. I also didn’t want to undo the fender bolt, that appears too short to accommodate the strap on my CX-5. With the hood open I passed a strap between the two latches and cinched it tight across the front of the wipers. This allows a tie down to be attached with a trucker’s hitch and a bowline knot to the bow. The stern and the bow lines pull inwards, so the canoe isn’t going to move forward or back under the roof rack tie downs It is secure, and doesn’t obstruct the driver’s view ahead. If you want you could put a loop in the strap on either side and tie between the two loops if you have a long enough strap (mine isn’t) and have side to side stability. Remember a flag on the stern to stop yourself from walking into the overhang! I have had many forehead goose eggs over the years
11 year old zombie thread!
Car paint protective film at those points, from any auto parts place, or get fancier and buy the plastic edge protection strips for your car.
Or use rope instead. Softer than straps. Used it for many years and I have never seen any evidence of it impacting the paint.
Resurrection of ancient threads seems to be much more common lately.
Oopsie
Many people here sleeve the lines that come with tie-downs with soft latex surgical tubing. Much softer than vinyl. Soft rubber pipe insulation, not the foam type, should work well if you can find it small enough. Refrigeration supply stores might carry it.
Nothing wrong with an ancient thread if people have a new question.
1 Like
I don’t know how they find them but I applaud their looking rather than just asking the same question again and again!