This weekend I’m taking a safety class and I’m bringing my kayak for it. The trip to the class is about 2 hours one way and all highway. I’m taking my boat on the top of my car with the straps and the foam pads. The cheap “rack”. Anyway I was just wondering if there were any special tricks for making sure my boat is secure and safe. Where I live there are lakes to paddle at everywhere so my longest trip with it has only been maybe 20 minutes.
Thank you 
Bow and stern lines
If all you have is the foam blocks.
Amen to that
A lengthy thread along these lines is recently on the site.
Here are some comments from my personal perspective.
A boat flying off a vehicle roof is a hazard to those behind you, and a lawsuit coming your way.
Ensure your boat is securely attached to the vehicle - not just the rack. That ensures your boat won’t be an flying projectile at speed if your rack connection fails.
A tight bow line is visible from your drivers seat. If it becomes loose and flapping about, something is going on on the roof you need to address immediately. The bow line is both extra lashing as well as an early warning system.
Learn how to tie a truckers hitch., you don’t need to know many knots but if you car top boats this is one to have in your quiver.
Tip Regarding Belly Line
I used to do my belly line in a figure 8 so the line goes over the cockpit then goes under the hull and into the passenger compartment on the oposite side of the car. Do this on both sides. Of course, the belly line is secured inside of the passenger compartment of the car. This limits side to side movement.
Regarding loading the boat, one trick you could try is pre-fastening the blocks to the boat, carrying the boat on your should 90 degrees into the side of the car, lifting placing the front block on the roof, then swinging the boat into position.
If loading from the back, I found a roller loader to help, but you need a towel or somthing to protect your roof, as the hull tends to scrape the rear edge by the back windshield.
The system works though,
Good luck,
Lou