Never drove with a canoe before

[Spazzums08]

Hey guys, I'm going up on a BWCA trip this year with some friends, and I'm bringing my canoe. I've always used it for lakes around here (Lac Lavon and Alimagnet), and never done anything more than shove it through the back window and tie it down inside my Expedition (I know, not safe, but I was young). So I'm wondering what exactly I'll need to get it up there? A canoe rack, some rope, ratchet straps, what do I need, and how much will it run me? Oh and are there any good sites/videos/books on paddling canoes? I've never really paddled much, always used my Minnkota! If not, could you guys give me the basic run-down and paddling from the front and back? It's a 15 1/2 footer, if that helps with anything. Thanks guys!

[Nymph]

Ratchet straps and foam block kit will run about $35.00. I have used them for years.

[HuskerBen]

Make sure you have ratchet straps. A canoe leaving your car at 55 mph is no fun at all. No one was hurt, the canoe's okay, but the steering wheel still has clear imprints of my fingers...

[Spazzums08]

I bet! How exactly do the straps and foam block kit work? What goes where and such?

[Quetico]

I would go with a Thule or Yakima rack system. They are made for any vehicle. You can get the entire kit that will lock your boat to the roof. Trust me they are worth the money.

I lost a canoe off the top of my Saturn once, doing 75mph in heavy traffic. I saw it launch like a missile at the car behind me and I nearly died. Thankfully the updraft over the car launched the canoe over the car and sent it spiraling into the ditch. Canoe was mine, minor scratches on the roof but I have had issues driving with a canoe on the roof ever since.

[Powerstroke]

I totally agree with nymph. Whether you have a rack or not doesn't really change what you'll need.

Get a canoe carrying kit that has 4 foam blocks, 2 ratchet straps and maybe some rope to tie down the front and rear for safety. Thats around $30. I've used that method on every vehicle I've owned for 15yrs. The ratchet strap really seal the deal.

Paddling in the back can be done a couple different ways. There are different strokes, but most people can get by with doing whatever feels comfortable. With that said, if you use a more efficient stroke it will mean less work throughout the day.

The front paddler is for nothing more than speed and a little help if the back paddler needs some support into the wind or something.

Its important to get the whole blade of the paddle into the water for the best pull in the water. I like to get my paddle vertical and drive your weight over the top of the paddle. Having the proper size paddle is important here.

[Powerstroke]

I've used a the Yakima and Thule racks and I think they work fine, but I don't think they are worth the money they charge for them. Unless your car has a very large hump to the roof that doesn't work well with your canoe, I would just stick with the block kit.

Finding a sweet spot for the pads depends on the length of your boat and the length of your car. You like them as wide as you can but also towards the end of the boat. It provides extra stability. Throw the straps over the top at about 1/3's and tie off the front and rear for safety. The only time I've ever had a boat come off my car is when I didn't tie of the ends.

Check out a site called Red Rock Store. They are an outfitter in Ely. They have lots if slides and info about tieing on your boat as well as paddling and portaging techniques.

[Spazzums08]

Thanks for all the input guys! One thing though, I have an Expedition with a rack on top, not even sure what it's for, just a cargo rack I guess. Two plastic bars running along the sides with two bars (I think) in between them. How would I do that? And I don't even know how/where you would put the ratchets and blocks, so please go into more information there. Where can I buy the kit? I know Gander Mountain in Lakeville doesn't have them.

[Quetico]

Spazzums if you want I teach basic canoeing in my Old Town. I've done BW guiding for years. I'd happily take you out in the spring and show you a few basic strokes. Get your C and J strokes down in a few hours. Drop me a private message and we'll set something up.

For transporting your boat check some place like REI or Midwest Mountaineering for all your transport needs. They have everything you will need to secure your boat for transport and people at both places would probably be willing to help you set it up.

[89Bronco]

I have the Riverside Cartop Carrier for my canoe and it works perfectly! It's a set of 4 foam blocks and all the straps you need in a black, mesh bag. The only thing that I do differently is I use a heavier-duty ratchet strap for across the canoe instead of what they have. But, with the kit, the front tie-downs and the back tie-downs are a piece of cake. I can get my canoe on my Dakota in 2-3 minutes. 60 seconds or less in a downpouring thunderstorm! No more tying, no more knots, no more hoping that the ropes are going to hold. I used to haul around a long Old Town on an '82 Reliant K-Car back in the day and we just tied it down with ropes. Had the foam blocks, but didn't know about the straps yet. What the ???? were we thinking.

I know Scheel's and Gander have them in season. Otherwise, look them up on the web and maybe you can find another dealer.

[Moose]

Spazz,

I took my canoe all over the state last summer on a mini van with a rack like yours. I took 2 of those noodle floats the kids use and sliced it open and fit one on each side of the canoe on the rails. Then I set the canoe on the roof and got it balanced and fit nicely making sure the floats were resting on the cross bars. I then used 4 rachet straps 2 in front and 2 in back pulling away from each other and attached them underneath to a convinent hole in the frame. I found you need to put the rachet part closest to the frame so they didn't flop in the wind. Once I racheted it down I took the extra strapping and folded it up nicely and duct taped it to the strap leaving enough extra to realese and reattach the straps without cutting off the tape. You may have to do some test runs to make sure the straps are tight enough. otherwise they vibrate in the wind @70mph.

[Nymph]

To keep the straps from vibrating at 70 mph. put a couple twists in the straps on both sides.

[analyzer]

I had a chevy blazer with a luggage rack. I bought a couple of 2 x 4's, put some clamps on the underside to bolt them to the luggage rack, and put a couple "eye-bolts" through the 2 x 4's for ratchet straps, and was good to go. There are many ways to strap a canoe to the roof. Usually some sort of strapping on each end of the canoe attached to the frame of the truck, and one over the middle of the canoe strapped to the wheel wells or similar will suffice.

I too had canoe's go flying when I was with my dad, about 3 miles from the end of the gunflint trail. He used to have the back half of a chevy pickup with a storage box in it for a trailer. Then he bolted racks to the top of the box for the canoes. Well, back then the gunflint trail was rather rough, and all the bouncing eventually snapped one corner of the aluminum canoe racks. That got one canoe up in the air, and as soon as it caught some extra air at 60 mph, it was all over. Both canoes went flying. I didn't see it, but the reaction on my dads face will be permanently pressed on my brain... one of those mouth open, omg moments. I turned to watch the canoes flipping down the road into the ditch. Thank god no one was behind us. Several inches of duct tape later, and we were good to go.

NEVER leave home without duct tape. It fixes tents, canoes, fishing rods, tackle boxes, owies, shoes, shorts, you name it.

[caseynewberg]

remember never ever put the metal part of a ratchet strap against your canoe whether its aluminum or frickin steel... and especially not if its kevlar or the roylex (plasticy type) I have straps all over I use them for everything my dogs are tied to a strap we use them to pull our gear across the lake, strap down my deer this year... this is the kind I use it keeps the metal off of whatever you happen to be carrying.

[shizzy]

I use the foam blocks and ratchet straps as well. I use ropes on the front and back though. do a search for the "truckers knot" learn it and use it. I like the redundancy of straps and ropes. make me feel safer for some reason. I love the truckers knot for its eas of tying and adjustability. once you have tied it a few times it only takes seconds to do.

[Fullmoon]

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Good thread guys, thanks!