what is a good canoe rack? i have a mid sized car, a oldsmobile cutlass, can this carry a 17’ canoe? thanks for any info!
Check the Thule and Yakima sites
for what they offer to fit your Cutlass. I’m a Yakima man, but recent reports suggest Thule may deserve first consideration.
car is big enough
I’ve carried 17-foot canoes on smaller vehicles than yours, so you should be fine. Ditto on what g2d said about the racks - the products from those two companies fit a pretty broad range of vehicles, so the odds are they will have something that will work.
I use Thule with Thule gunwale brackets
on my 1997 Bonneville and it works great. On the longer boats, I also use bow and stern tied downs. I have about 36" between the two load bars - I wish they were farther apart.
Yakima racks work great on my 2000
camry. I carry a canoe and kayak.
Local bike shop
Drive to your local bike shop; have them fit Thule or Yakima, whichever system they specialize in, towers and bars. get a gunwale bracket kit. All will be well.
Point of info Charlie:
if you go to Yakimas site and look at the paddling stuff, the Gunwale brackets cost about a third more than if you go to their general construction site, and buy what they now call “Load stops”.
the “Load stops” are what they used to sell as gunwale brackets. they are a bit taller, and I like them even better than their newer “gunwale brackets”
cheers,
jackL
Interesting, I like the newer ones
better. The rubber is softer and does not leave as many marks on my wood rails, and the shorter height makes sliding a solo boat easier, as well as not interfering with the hull of highly tumblehomed boat. Yes, I can use the higher ones turned toward the inside, but then it becomes trickier to align thwarts, seats, etc. However, I managed to use the old style for years and got by okay. I still use them to haul ladders.
sheesh
Jeez, Charlie, you make things so simple it makes my heard hurt. Owwwww! LOL
Deermaster,
If money is a consideration, check out the yakima and thule websites, then watch the classifieds, craigslist, and ebay for the parts you need.
I’ve stuck a 17’8" canoe and various smaller boats on much smaller cars using foam blocks and ropes. Paddled many decades using this system. It works well, but will leave a few scratches on the roof.
Any good outfitter can show you the knots you need.
Keep paddlin’
T