What's your kayak set up?

I have a Hobie PA 12'

 

Safety lines? Regardless of the type of straps you use do you guys runs safety lines? I run bow lines and stern lines over long distances. I use ratcheting Thule quick draw lines that came with my racks that I put a proper biner on. Before that though I just used rope. Tie a bowline on to the front of your boat or deck rigging down to your tie off point. I use a Sherpak quick loop I close in my hood. https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5022-901/Quick-Loop-Tie-Downs I then use a truckers hitch (except I use the Alpine butterfly to make the loop) to put only a little tension on the line and then use a taut line to care of the excess rope. See these knots here:
Bowline
http://www.animatedknots.com/bowline/index.php?Categ=scouting&#ScrollPoint

Taut Line
http://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans/#ScrollPoint

Trucker's hitch
http://www.animatedknots.com/truckers/#ScrollPoint

Alpine Butterfly
http://www.animatedknots.com/alpinebutterfly/

Go really light on the tension for the same reason I wouldn't use a ratchet strap around the hull. I have a nice kevlar boat with cracks in the gelcoat from when someone transported it for me. They reefed it down to "keep it safe".

Hopefully those knots help somebody out.

 

I consider the bow safety lines courtesy for the vehicles behind me. They are there for the total roof rack failure which is a possibility on some vehicles. The size of the kayak, mount point and speed will determine how much force is generated. That being said even when I run them on my flat deck trailer out of the wind I still run a safety line across the front through all the boats deck rigging.

My point regarding ratcheting straps was echo the potential dangers to newbies with the force they can create. Hot weather and over-tightening with normal snug straps can "roof rack" a hull just as easily on a plastic boat as. I've seen plenty of deformed hulls from over tightening, might have even done some damage myself... Your boat is pretty high quality and due to its shape would be pretty hard to deform. Nothing wrong with a ratchet strap in the right hands but for all the guys learning from this thread its easier to learn from others mistakes. Most of the damage I've seen is with slender hulls being over tightened into cradles in the heat. The damage done to mine was done with the safety line. The boat was strapped immobile into the cradles then reefed down on the front end safety line. They don't need to be tight and need to allow for some bounce. Thats why I prefer carabiners over hooks or knots over hooks.

Edit, I added the pic to show how the angle of the safety lines on the ones on the roof. You can also see the red rope laced through the deck rigging on the trailer boats.

 

I probably should use safety line but I just strap down and go. I use quick fist for my paddle and to use a piece of parecord for safety line because I don’t 100 percent trust them.

 

When the ice thaws?! Thats no fun, go now the ice adds a degree of difficulty

We used to have 2x4s as our rack, they usually were tied on with the boat and tire through the doors w/ now and stern lines. Good times:/

And new paddle is almost ready changed the tip from a laminate to dynel. Super strong very light.

 

Those paddles are awesome! Did you build those? Wood definitely has a better feel than carbon or fiberglass, I use a Werner but I love the look of the wood paddles.
I should have added that it looks like you take winter paddling seriously!

 

My brother is doing this batch. I haven't made them since I moved and had to downsize my shop. I'm slowly retooling to start again though. I use Werner as well, but wood was my primary paddle until 3 years ago. So I have 23 years with wood paddles and then 3 glass, now back to wood. It makes a big difference in colder weather, the wood actually warms up, glass just cold the whole day.

 

Everything from tie down to carry has been covered. So I just want to add a couple pics of my little buddy since my boys want to chase girls instead of rapids with the old man. I know they will come back around, until then, my co-pilot has my heart. My time. Single life is 10/10

 

Tried to find a spot that wasn't iced over to drop in with no luck. Took some pictures instead.

 

Here is my setup for my 21 ft surfski, got the bed clamps at a camper shell place.

 

Try again with photos

 

Here is my set-up.
https://imgur.com/a/9KYydrl

 

That's a sweet setup for your 'yak. I have something similar for when I take my Outback out also but converted an old 12' john boat trailer for my 14' Pro Angler. Got it cheap on Craigslist and it took me a day or two to complete. Now I can just back down boat ramps to load and unload this beast.







And I changed the spare tire out to match the others.

 

I custom built these boats and then decided a custom rack was appropriate too. Works great. I did this with my gen 2 and figured I needed a new one for the new truck.

 

I'll play this game.



I use to have a Hobie PA 14, but I recently downsized to the new Hobie Compass...Love it!

 

Only reason I got a Tacoma is to kayak fish! Otherwise I would have a sports car or muscle car

 

Harbor Freight bed extender with the Live Watersports L2Fish 12'6" paddle board! Best paddle board on the market by far

 

Sold my Corvette and bought a Tacoma because I wanted to be able to haul my paddle boards for fishing lol