Re: roof racks

I actually have a kayakpro rack, subject of this post. Yes, it isn't cheep but it is a top quality product, haven't for a moment regretted buying it. You just place your fragile ski on and lightly loop a tie over the posts on the V. It holds the ski very securely without the pressure required to tie down onto saddles etc. Advantages include the lack of pressure for tie down, speed of loading and unloading since you don't have to worry if you tied your boat enough or too much, and the way it provides a good spread between the front and back supports even on small/short cars. It's really nice to be able to load you boat in 2 minuets max, hit the freeway for a 700 mile trip, drive 85 mph, and not have to worry at all about if you secured you boat properly. While I have used other saddles and racks in the past would now never get anything else. Sort of how us non-racers debate about if a carbon wing paddle is really worth it, after you are use to it no going back.

I'm using Yakima bars and J-racks.
viz: tinyurl.com/5ahcaz

Load/unload times are quite short bco the two trigger snaps I use to secure the hull in the J-racks.

The red line is to keep it from creeping aft.

Four pluses that I perceive:

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1) The Yakima system uses round bars, so whatever attachements are on
them can be folded flat when not in use.

2) The J-racks constrain the boat laterally so it cannot slide into a
position where it's pointing in some other direction that straight forward.

I've read reports that once a hull gets pointed away from
straight forward, bad things happen as the wind load on the hull spikes
and tries to point it even more away fromt the vehicle's direction.

3) Whatever compressive force is applied by snugging down the load straps
is applied at the gunwales - which I think (hope...?) are among the
strongest parts of the hull.

4) J-racks are not specific to a surf ski hull: they can hold loads of
different sizes/shapes/widths.

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My chief concern is that I've never carried anything this long in J-racks - where it seems tb outside of the vehicle's slip stream. Asked a few who should know,
and they all said "No problem".... but it's still not intuitive to me.

Anybody care to comment on that concern?

John, I have the Kayakpro system on one of my cars(element). I have continued to use the straps that I shorten vice the cords. I did not trust the bungie cords but I take it you feel strongly the cords are secure enough? The cords would save me a few extra minutes vice the straps. Thanks Wesley

Some, [many] years ago I decided I needed a secure way to transport kayaks and decided on a cradle system. The start was 10? of 1 3/4? square aluminum tube cut in half and some glass matt cut in 2 ?? strips- the length about ? boat circumference.
I won?t go into a step by step ?how to?. The front cradle is placed just forward of cockpit rim, the back cradle 5? aft of that. The aluminum tube is blocked out an inch or so before being glassed to the cradles. After curing, the cradles are removed from boat and tube, the edges cleaned up, and they are assembled on the tube using self tapping screws. Now line the cradles with closed cell foam that you have cut from somebody else?s camping pad. Leave an over lap. Regular grade contact cement is fine.
Next, using the tube as a form, make a pair of U shaped glass brackets the same width as the
car top racks. These are screwed to the tubing and mounted on car racks with stainless hose [gear] clamps.
The best tie down system is the simplest and fastest- a piece of rope, a round turn, and two half hitches. For a better knot see your consulting sailor. If bungee cords are used you are asking for trouble and will probably get it.
For high speed driving at least the front of the boat should be snubbed down to TWO points at front of the car. None of the ropes or straps should be too tight. You only want to secure the boat and not bend or flatten it.
None of this is as much work as it sounds and is easy, it doesn?t cost much and it is very secure and fast to use.
Now to get a surf ski and make another one!

Wesley, I do not use the bungees either but mostly because the ones supplied are sized for a K1 and I think too short for a ski. Admittedly the idea of securing with a bungee makes me nervous but I think thats why four are provided, use two on each V for redundancy. Since I'm lazy didn't look for longer bungees I just cut an old pair of straps very short, just long enough to keep in a loop and drop over the posts on the V and secure the tails with two half hitches. Takes maybe 30 sec on each end. How do you like your rack?

Pete, I agree that the J racks are pretty nice and have the advantage of folding down. The kayakpro V doesn't fold or remove easily. However as you mention the J rack requires some compressive pressure to secure the boat and a line to prevent fore aft movement. Both are non-issues with the V rack plus I like the way the V racks increase fore aft spread. Also bow line seems to me unnecessary, I've gone on four 1500 mile trips at high speeds without. I do double the ties for redundancy. Yes the racks are expensive but considering we are talking about transporting $3000 boats to me well worth it. To each his own, no best solution.

Thulle kayak racks are nice for a surfski lixe a XT but they are too wide for a Millenium or a Mako6, for those narrow skis, Rhino kayak racks have a better fit.

Thulle racks on the left with a blue XT,
Rhino racks on the right with a red M6.

John, thanks for getting back to me. I had no choice for the honda elemet with the distance between the bars really short so using thule or yakima did not work out. I am enjoying mine. Like you, I cut 2 straps that fit perfectly for the skis. I was just curious about the bungies. Wesley