The "Joys" of Cartopping

[Mark]

I have been kayak fishing for ten years. For eight of those years, I cartopped my kayaks on Toyota Sienna vans. In 2020 I bought a pickup to transport my kayaks – an expensive but worthwhile “kayak cart”.

In all those years and miles of cartopping, I never had a boat shift on the rack. That includes countless trips across the Bay Bridge, the Route 50 Severn River Bridge, the USNA Bridge, etc. I’ve even cartopped a kayak all the way to the Adirondacks. I know how to cinch down a kayak securely and safely onto a roof rack.

That changed Saturday afternoon. I had given an indoor kayak fly fishing seminar that day in Davidsonville. It was a very good session with 20 plus interested participants and a nice lunch to boot.

I had taken my Ultimate 12 kayak as a prop for the session along with more rods and paraphernalia than I usually take on an outing. So, I packed it all in my van which has more cargo space than my truck. That meant I had to cartop my kayak.

I did not pay attention to wind forecasts for that day since I wasn’t fishing – although I showed seminar participants how to use online resources to do that in preparation for outings. It was breezy when I left to come home with my kayak firmly secured to my van, but I didn’t think the winds were any more than I had experienced on many trips in the past.

My first hint of a problem was before I got to Route 50 East. A tremendous gust of wind hit my van broadside in Davidsonville’s open farm country. I heard the boat shift on the roof and actually saw it move slightly to the right through the sunroof. I pulled over immediately and tightened all the straps and I added two more ropes including a tightened bow line.

So off I go on Route 50 East, at 55 mph in the right lane, which did not ingratiate me to the folks behind me anxious to drive at the posted 65 mph speed limit or more. I merely wanted to make sure my Ultimate 12 made it home. I knew I had one more obstacle to face – the Route 50 Bridge over the Severn.

As I reached the bridge, I saw the white caps covering every square foot of the river for as far as I could see to the north and south. The wind was howling. I had a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel, and I felt the force of the crosswind shaking the van. And then it happened again right as I reached the highest point at the middle of the bridge. The kayak vibrated and shifted once more a good foot to the right. But it stayed on the roof!

Soon I was off the bridge and in Route 2 traffic. I was slowed by numerous traffic lights and protected from crosswinds by heavy commercial development on both sides of the road. I knew there was no danger of the kayak coming loose. I continued the drive home to Pasadena. I was thankful when I pulled into my driveway that my Ultimate 12 was still with me.

Of course, I would not have been kayak fishing in such strong winds so it’s unlikely I have faced crosswind gusts like I did Saturday. I’m just glad I had the first warning of a potential problem when my kayak shifted position in Davidsonville. Had that not happened, I would not have stopped to add extra lines and a worse situation may have occurred as I crossed the Severn.

Most of all, I’m glad I have a pickup truck now and my cartopping days are for the most part, over. However, I'm curious if anyone here has experienced a similar situation, or worse, actually had a kayak come unbuttoned while transporting it?

[ski357]

I was fearing the worst for you as I saw the title and started reading the post. My truck is older and I've considered cartopping, guess I'm going to reconsider. Glad you got home safely.

[bignose]

I cartop my canoes. I always used a front and rear triangulated bridle in addition to the tie downs. I keep this snug, but not rigidly tight, which allows the canoe to move a little, especially at highway speed. I figure that over the years I have over 20,000 miles of cartopping.

I had a 16 foot Old Town canoe on an RX-7 sports car using a clamp on rack that attached to the window edging. The canoe was a foot longer than the car was. I had this shift and the canoe slid off the side of the roof going around a corner at a relatively slow speed, in a residential area. I went to the foam blocks that clamped to the gunnels to solve that issue.

I had a "check your underwear" moment a couple of years later crossing the Bay Bridge with the canoe on the roof of a Subaru Sport (smaller hatchback). I got caught in a crosswind behind a semi truck's turbulence and had the canoe twist on the rack at a 30 degree angle, figure a good 3 feet. The gust started turning the car towards the jersey barrier, and I saw water, briefly thru the front window before I corrected the steering and slowed waaaay down.
Worst part of all was getting across the bridge and realizing that when I finished for the day, I'd have to repeat the bridge crossing. I seriously considered driving all of the way up and around, but figured the Susky Bridge along 95 wasn't going to be much better.

Three summers ago, I was driving to the Snaggedline get together at Sherwood Forest. I got rear ended on Route 29, in Columbia. I had some minor damage to the car's bumper and hatch. The canoe stayed in place, it hardly moved at all. I can imagine what could've happened dropping a canoe on Route 29 during morning rush hour.

[Mark]

Stu,

Scary stories.

I can now sympathize.

I considered taking Rt. 97 to Rt.100 on Saturday to avoid the crosswinds on the Severn River Bridge. That would have added only 5 miles to my trip and I decided to chance the bridge.

[Red_Beard]

Mark, I drove down 81 on Saturday for a fishing trip on the James, and boy was I glad I didn't bring my kayak with me. The winds were insane. I have a rule against cartopping when wind gust might top 20 mph. I feel like my Hullavator holds my kayak pretty securely, but I often wonder if I should be adding some extra straps some days.

[summersoff]

Mark I feel for ya. I hate the bay bridge. I always white knuckle it, kayak or not.
I’ve seen two kayak go pirouetting off a SUV right in front of me on a mountain pass in Northern California. Luckily I was awe by the spectacle that I didn’t even swerve as they went fly off the side of the mountain. Once on the bay bridge, following two guys in car that had an old town canoe rope tied to the roof, just bow, stern and only one on the roof. All was good for a third of the way then it shifted to the passengers side edge, then some more, and then more. By the time we hit the flat part, the canoe was on the side window as the passenger was holding for dear life. Even at 10 mph, it was insane to watch. I followed behind with my hazards on. Honestly I did not know what else to do, for once you commit to the bridge, there ain’t no stopping.
I used to ride my bike across the golden gate almost everyday to get to work, wind blowing you in every direction around the towers, but I’ll take any day over the damn Bay Bridge.

i always over strap the yak when I do the bridge or any distance. Bow, Stern, 2 around, and one through the hull - my roof will come off first.

[Mark]

It's amazing that we don't see/experience more airborne kayaks given the highway speeds we drive, high crosswinds on bridges we encounter and excessive air turbulence from nearby passing trucks and buses.

Extra tie downs indeed are a good idea when conditions and routes call for them.

[J.A. Veil]

I rarely cartop a kayak anymore, but have done it in the past and have helped tie down kayaks on a guide's van racks in Florida many times. Careful tightening, checking, and securing the loose straps ends help in minimizing the risk of accidents.

My Bay Bridge near-disaster story does not involve a kayak. In June 2018, John Rentch and I had fished on the eastern shore from my 16' center console boat and were heading west across the bridge. About one third of the way across I heard a noise and in the side mirror I could see chunks of rubber bouncing on the pavement behind me as my left side trailer tire disintegrated. I moved into the right lane, slowed down to 40 mph, and put on the flashers. We crept across the bridge. As soon as we reached the far side, I pulled off on the shoulder and began removing the ruined tire. I had several of the lug nuts off when the road service truck pulled up and finished changing the tire. I ordered two new tires and rims to return to safe trailering.


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[UnkleRob2020]

Mark, I am glad that you, and your kayak, made it home safely.
John, I am not sure if I have ever seen a tire look that bad and still be on the rim

I bought my Native Falcon 11 in May of last year. I was still using a Swiss Cargo dual kayak carrier on my car at the time. On the way home from Eastern Bay, I heard a gut-wrenching noise from above and I noticed that the Falcon had shifted quite a bit. The nose of the kayak extends quite a bit over the windshield (as well as the hood) of my Chevy Trax. The angle of the Falcon was off by about 30 degrees and I was pretty scared. I was able to turn off the road and tighten everything down. My fishing partner, Arron, followed my closely the whole way home and we drove very, very slowly. I was fearing a repeat of the time I lost a kayak on 495.

My kayaking adventures started about 15 years ago when my close friend and I each bought sit in kayaks. I had a garage to store mine and she didn't, so one December day, I drove over to pick up her kayak and transport it to "safety" in my garage, still using the Swiss Cargo carrier referenced above. It was very cold and there was even freezing rain that day. As I am driving down a nearly deserted 495 at about 7am, I heard a noise from above that sounded like God was raining down hell on me. I could feel the noise and vibrations running through the car, and through me. It felt as if someone had a can opener and they were peeling away the roof of my Jeep Grand Cherokee. The kayak fell off the vehicle, directly behind me, and bounced across 495. Luckily, there were not any other vehciles visible in the rear view mirror on the inner loop of 495 between 193 and 650. Watching the kayak bounce across multiple lanes I couldn't help but imagine the kinds of damage and danger that I could impose on other drivers through my own lack of experience and probably negligence.

When I pulled over, I was grateful nobody was hurt. I looked at the straps and they were both still in the shape of oval. They had frozen around the kayak and still held that shape until they thawed.

Again, thank God that nobody was hurt

[Mark]

Holy cow Rob!

You would have been an infamous YouTube sensation had that happened on 495 in normal hours -- even on a Sunday that route is a mess.

Imagine the pileup that a bouncing Beltway kayak would have created.

You're very fortunate that did not happen.

And the straps frozen in the shape of an oval is a priceless addition to the tale.

[bignose]

Reading Unklerob's report makes me wonder about using front and rear bridles to keep the craft in place.
I've seen several folks just use straps around the midsection of their craft and wondered how they stayed in place....Now I know!

Not just side to side motions but to act as reinforcement to keep the craft from sliding off of the the front or rear of the roof.

Frozen straps!
Who'd a thunk that?

I always wondered what would happen if I had to do a panic stop with the boat on the roof racks. Getting rear ended a couple of years ago with the Old Town on the Outback wagon made me very glad that I always used bridles to prevent that from happening

[nhunter344]

My trailer is basically a glorified roof rack with wheels so Im going to have to rethink not using bridles on my trailer. I always use them when cartopping but havent done so if using a trailer.

[DanMarino]

Wow John, that trailer tire is amazing to look at! I usually use a utility trailer to haul my kayak(s) and a trailer tire blowout like that is my biggest fear.
I will eventually get a cheap pickup truck for hauling my kayaks. I just need my son to buy his own place and move out so I can use his parking spot. haha. The advantages of a pickup truck seem huge to me when it comes to kayak fishing, loading, and parking. The utility trailer has worked great, but parking can become a problem.

Mark, what size bed is on your pickup and how do you secure your kayak in place in the truck bed?

[J.A. Veil]

For those who do use trailers, here are a few tips.

1) Always carry a spare tire (trailer size, not tow vehicle size), lug wrench that fits the trailer lug nuts, and a jack that will lift the trailer.
2) I know of some boaters who carry spare wheel bearings for their heavy trailers. Fortunately I never had to deal with a bad bearing.
3) Check your tire pressure (at least visually) before starting out. When I made long tows with a trailer, I would place my hand on the hubs each time I stopped. If cool or warm -- no problem. If hot, there is likely to be a problem soon.
4) Make sure that the lug nuts are not overly tight, as they would be from using an impact wrench. Unless you carry a portable lug wrench with you, you will need to use a hand wrench to loosen the nuts. Also make sure that the nuts have not rusted in place. It is prudent to check at least at the start of each towing season.

I owned a variety of boat trailers and a utility trailer for years. I am now out of the trailering business, and no longer need to worry about those things.

[Mark]

Tom,

Yes. Parking a trailer can be a problem. That's particularly the case for those of us who use Anne Arundel County's kayak launches. Some sites allow trailers, but most do not.

I have a Toyota Tacoma. The bed is 74 inches. When I lower the tailgate another 21 inches of support is added. That's almost 8 feet of solid base for my kayaks to rest upon. I augment that with a Yakima Longarm bed extender that I insert into a trailer hitch.

https://yakima.com/products/longarm

The truck bed has 4 factory tie downs, one in each corner. Plus, there are 4 more movable tie downs, 2 on each side panel. I use only the two tie downs in the bed closest to the tailgate. I loop a strap through them and tighten it over the hull of the kayak. That strap crosses the boats about mid-hull on my 12-foot Ultimates and 13-foot Revo.

Then I tie another strap under the Longarm that goes around the stern or bow, depending on which end of the kayak I insert into the bed first. That Longarm strap is important because I loop it under the Longarm and very close to the hull. With tension, that strap not only solidifies the kayak securely to the truck bed, it prevents it from slipping backward because it is secured to the hull where it is narrow. In other words, I cannot slide the kayak out of the truck until I remove that strap. The hull will not pass through that small loop.

Those are the only two straps I use and I have had no instances of my kayaks shifting right or left, rising up, or slipping backwards out of the bed. Of course, my boats cannot go forward because before I tie them down, I push them forward in the bed until they touch the front of the bed wall. I place a towel or an old rug over the bow or stern to cushion that connection.

You can see both straps (they're dark blue) in this photo:

Truck4.jpg

I also have a factory-cut rubber mat on the truck bed floor. That mat adds a degree of "tackiness" so that the plastic hulls of my kayaks do not slip around easily on the bed floor.

I feel confident with the security of my kayaks in the truck. Of course, I felt the same way when cartopping until recently. But I do believe that being in a truck bed enclosed on three sides protects my boats from the most severe effects of crosswinds. Those are the winds that pose the most problems for us assuming we're diligent in securing our hulls to our vehicles.

I do appreciate the input of all who have contributed to this thread. It's not a topic to be taken lightly. A 50 to 90-pound 12-foot hunk of plastic hurled through the air at an oncoming vehicle is deadly. None of us want to be responsible for that outcome.

So...one more thing. Regardless of where and how you strap your kayak to your vehicle or trailer, you have to find the fine balance between being too tight and too loose. Too loose can lead to the stories we've read in this thread. But too tight can damage our hulls.

In summer I loosen the straps if I stop somewhere in the sun, say for lunch, with my kayak in my truck. Our plastic hulls expand in heat. If you leave them in the sun on a summer day (without the benefit of cooling air rushing over them while traveling) and tightened securely on a parked vehicle, overly tightened straps may stress your hulls eventually leading to cracks. So, when I stop in summer, I release the tension on the straps. Of course, I need to remember to re-tighten the straps before departing. So far, I have.