that was my question when i first saw the looksha post a few days ago. After picking up my two necky manitous today i now have a better idea. Luckily the dents in the hull popped out with a little push(probably wouldn’t be as lucky with a more V shaped hull), but I still didn’t like squishing them down on the rack like that.
Will saddles prevent oil canning, which kind? I’m thinking about that kayak stacker since I don’t have much room anyway, but will they just dent in on the sides then or both sides and bottom? the prices for saddles for one boat seems insane, $80 for the cheapest ones. I have a thule rack.
sounds like you already know…
Yes, the saddles will help.
Yes, they are fairly expensive.
I think the best tip is to not leave them strapped down any longer than you have to, especially in the sun.
foam blocks
why not use the foam blocks that are much cheaper. Most of the blocks have channels to sit on your rack. If need be, use a knife and make the “V” deeper. Of cource you can still oil can with the real thing. Something else you can try it to use two more straps. Wrap a strap around the kayak and the one of the side ends of the bars. Do the same on the opposite side. Two straps for the front, two straps for the back. That way you are not squeezing the boat down onto the rack but simply very centered.
Scott
Carry your Manitou’s
deck side down on padded bars and don’t over-tighten straps. You’ll be fine, and you do not need expensive cradles.
Yakima LandSharks
On the recommendation of a fellow Necky owner here on P.net, I purchased the Yakima LandSharks to haul my Looksha, and I couldn’t be happier. Unlike most other cradles, which are rigid and shaped to accommodate the typical rounded hull, the LandSharks are only semi-rigid, so conform nicely to the multi-chined Necky hulls without placing undue strain or pressure points on the plastic hull.
The only caveat I would mention is that, because the LandSharks tend to have a good bit of inherent ‘spring’, you may want to tighten your tiedown straps a bit more than usual, and check them periodically during the course of a hauling trip.
Good Luck!
No matter what the boat
Transporting it hull down without cradles (or the equivalent) will risk oil canning. If you must transport the boat hull down then be sure to spread the force out over a wide area. Cradles can do this. Foam supports can do this. Alternatively you can transport the boat on its side. Or, if you have no choice, on the bars deck down. In any event, you do not need to tighten the staps/ropes super tight. A sure way to create oil canning is to overtighten the ropes/straps in hot weather with the hull directly on the the cross bars. After a while, maybe after only one trip, the oil canning will not pop out.
2x4 roof racks
I transport my WS Tsunami 140s on a pair of basic roof racks made of 2x4s. I’ve got carpeting tacked to the top and transport them deck down. I’ve got them positioned so that the back roof rack is directly under the bulkhead wall, so there should be no problem with oilcanning there. I haven’t seen any problems so far on the front.
With few exceptions, I don’t leave the boats on the racks for more than an hour at a time.
Is this about as good as any method? I know that there are some very sophisticated setups available, but I’ve got a lot of other toys on my list, and if hundreds of dollars for a new rack system isn’t really necessary…
Putting Pipe Foam Insulation
– Last Updated: Aug-30-05 7:35 AM EST –
on the racks also helps. My S&G and SOF have flat decks but the deck side down also works with my other boats, as long as I pushed them against the stackers before tightening. I have a couple of sets of saddles sitting in the basement that I haven't used in several years. Just racks and stackers handle all my boats pretty well. Last week I had four long boats on -- plastic, glass, S&G and SOF -- none fare any worse than the other. Saddles just make it harder to load all the kayaks on.
I think the saddles are for folks to broadcast that they are KAYAKERS more than anything else! ;)
sing