Roof rust from wet ski

Hi

I don't store my ski at a club so I need to transport it. How do I stop the top of my car from rusting putting a wet ski on the roof every single day?

I have taken to spraying the ski with fresh water out of a plant sprayer. It takes some of the salt water off the ski and then also dilutes the salt on the actual car. I am not sure if this will help long term though. Anyone else have a similar issue and if so how are you dealing with it?

Thanks

Hi,

When not paddling and finishing at one of the clubs I'm with - I always have a jerrycan in the car to properly rinse down my ski. After rinsing I dry the boat with a towel before I load it on the car.

This supports the lifespan of my ski and my car.

Regards

One of my previous cars rusted out above the windscreen, directly below the v bar because of this. I bought a new car but washing it occasionally would have been cheaper

For now, washing the ski on the roof with fresh water after a paddle will have to do. Cars seem to do okay with fresh water it is the salt that seems to the main culprit of the rust.

In future I hope to make myself some of those pvc stands that I can use to put the ski on, wash and dry (mostly) and then put on the roof. Cars are a lot more expensive than skis so trying to protect my investment.

Now, I try to dry off my ski before putting on roof and then hose down ski and roof at home. That being said, I just spent $2500.00 getting new windshield and rusted/leaking roof repaired. Original estimate was $1350.00 Common problem for waterman with their toys on the roof of their cars.

Dam, could have bought a nice used ski!

I just spent $2500.00 getting new windshield and rusted/leaking roof repaired.

My car is in the body shop right now being treated for the same disease

I also try to rinse and dry the boat before it goes on the car. But regular rinsing of the car itself is key too.

I have some nifty metal stands for the boat to sit on while it's being washed. They fold up and take virtually no space, but being metal they're heavy enough to be stable even when the wind is quite gusty.

I just use a 16 year old car that is pretty much only used for driving to & from the SS launch areas. It is gradually turning into a salt encrusted hunk of rust (but the engine is sound and it runs great!).

Maybe when the body rusts away I will reconstruct it with duct tape.

A bit late to the topic perhaps - but I just joined the forum  

Camping gear is your friend - for initial rinse in the field, I have two of those little fold out camp stools to put the ski on (look for wide ones), and one of the camp showers that you hang in a tree and packs down small - like these:

• www.amazon.com/TAOHUA-GARDEN-Portable-Al...id=1577212175&sr=8-6
• https://www.rei.com/product/152544/seattle-sports-pvc-free-solar-shower 

then give it a good hose down while the skis is still on the roof once I get home.

Dont rinse on the roof you are just flushing sand and salt into the crevices of the car.

Ensure it is dry and sand free before loading ip. Cant drip if dry.

Try not to leave ski on car roof when it rains if possible

Good old thread. I've seen a few local rides that have been eaten up by ski / toy transport. 

Also important: If a ski is going to spend days on days on top of your vehicle, be advised it will dramatically shorten the life of the ski due to heat reflection and UV breaking down the gel coat and weakening the boat.

On a ski that was car-topped for 10 months I've seen soft spot develop, then blisters which result in the ski starting to leak, and finally structural degradation of the ski itself (*so no longer a rough water worthy craft). If you ever buy an old ski and wonder how they fall apart... this is precisely why. 

I don't have time to fuss with a cover everyday, so I vinyl wrap my skis. 

Cryder wrote: I don't have time to fuss with a cover everyday, so I vinyl wrap my skis. 

Oh, is that how you get your designs onto your skis? Sounds pretty difficult to apply!?

Im also curious - do you have it professionally applied? I applied a couple 1' square vinyl reflective stickers to my ski and they were phenomenally difficult to apply without bubbles or wrinkles. If you get it done, about how much does someone charge? The designs possible with the printed patterns are damn cool

Carrying the ski on a trailer would spare your car, but it would have to be a fairly long trailer for most skis. A bonus is that the trailer and load would not present as much of an area to driving-induced headwind, since it would be at least partly in the vehicle’s slipstream.

I don’t know if trailering them is popular. It is not rare for sea kayaks even though rooftopping is more common.