View topic - Tying a canoe

Hello,

Just got a new Honda civic and I'm having trouble tying my canoe on top of the car. I'm used to having my canoe sit on foam blocks. When I try this in the civic, the roof of the car which is very soft will start caving in very fast. The canoe is too narrow so it doesn't sit on the structural beams. I'm extremely paranoid the roof will cave in and not return to it's normal shape once i've fully tightened the canoe.

Any body had this problem before? any ideas on what could be done? I don't want to purchase a roof rack, I don't really like the way they look on the car.

Any help is appreciated!!

Try pool noodles to spread the load a bit.

_________________

Old canoeists never die---they just smell that way.

The roofs of many new vehicles are thin aluminum now. I too would be concerned about permanently denting your roof.

I do not see any reasonable alternative to buying a roof rack. Thule or Yakima racks are not that hard to put on and take off if you object to the appearance.

Ditto. I care WAY more about my boat and my car than I do about how a rack looks. Seriously.

_________________
In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.
Mark Twain

Maybe consider buying a small canoe trailer instead.
I see lots of used ones on Kijiji for well under $800.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Malone-H ... -Roof-Rack

if the link does not work, just google for inflatable roof racks - from the looks of this one, it would probably spread out the load better than foam blocks

I have seen some other versions


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnRJLbfMiE4

To each his own, but to me a trailer is a big PITA---e.g. lights are 'intermittent'.

I'd rather put a dent in my roof.

_________________

Old canoeists never die---they just smell that way.

Roof racks are removable. And with a canoe on your car does appearance matter? Seriously. Unless you travel outside of your car all onlookers are strangers.

Thank you for all the suggestions. Very helpful. I didn't realize a roof rack is removable. I feel stupid now.

Some questions:
How long does it take to put on the roof rack / take it off?
Are they standard for all cars ?
I saw some brands recommended here : Thule, Yakima. Any specific models ? I did a quick search, and it looks like I should expect to spend $300-500. Is this right? Any cheaper options?
I'm guessing I should visit some camping/ outdoor stores to get these. Basspro cabelas sail?

You can order on line.
We never intended to make you feel stupid . You have to start somewhere.

Yakima and Thule are the major manufacturers. Once you commit to a brand you ( or at least I did) stayed with that brand as the racks are composed of components. Bars, towers and feet/door clips. Once you get a bar you can use that forever( I have some from thirty years ago) Towers sometime change depending on your circumstances and so do feet. But once you get over the pain of that first drop of money, rest assured you will not have do do THAT again in that amount.

If you keep cars like I do , replacement of feet and towers is very infrequent. About every ten years.

Rack Attack is an online company that sells both Thule and Yakima and not only online but has brick and mortar stores in the Toronto area.

http://www.rackattack.com/?gclid=CMqG5b ... hgodUSULKw for fit guide

http://www.rackattack.com/info/store-locations.aspx

store locations.

Removal time about a minute for each bar. I did less once when I forgot the racks were there and pulled into a low garage. I don't recommend that method of removal but the racks were fine in the end.

Some cars are trickier to get racks for. The Chev Sonic can only be fitted with racks from Rhino or GM. Neither Thule or Yakima had racks when I was shopping. Also, my wife's Sienna Minivan doesn't appear on any lit from the rack manufacturers.

If you can't find a rack online in the fitment guides, give the dealer a call. If still nothing, you are back at square 1.

Seriously though, this is almost the only complaint I have with my wife's van - but its a biggie.

Went to rack attack as suggested here. They recommended a Thule 460 podium for $560 which was a bit steep for me considering i'm just starting out -- my canoe is a used evergreen that I got for 300 last year.

Made a trip to Canadian tire after and found a sportrack 1002 for $230. I'm thinking this is a good start for me -- I'll probably go back and make the purchase next weekend.

Thank you all for the help, truly appreciate it. Any additional suggestions are welcome!

read reviews of your choice carefully. If it does not work or flies off you may well spend more money than you intended to.

http://www.amazon.com/SportRack-SR1002- ... geNumber=1

I always take one star reviews with a grain of salt but when nearly a quarter of purchasers have accidents or difficulties., something is wrong.

The Rack Attack solution sounds right. You'd be getting a quality system that will last many years. I bought my Yakima rack from them 15 years ago and its still in great shape. They did the fitting to the car - something I highly recommend. Over the long haul, the higher priced rack would be worth it IMO. I think of it more like spending money on the car, not the canoe.

Hello __ra__, I've used Can Tire Sportrack racks for around 6 years. They're on my car most of the year. I've made 100's of short and long trips with an assortment of boats and cargo boxes. They've served me well, and I believe they've got many years left in them. CanTire often puts those racks on sale at 25% off, especially near the end of season (which in canoe merchandise is soon!). I believe Thule bought Sportrack 6 or 7 years ago. It's the "low-end" rack, but I'd buy them again. Something's wrong with buying a $600 rack to carry (and probably only occasionally, at that, a canoe that only cost half that amount. Like the tail waggin' the dog...