This summer
Canadians will roll onto highways in cars and trucks loaded down
with camping gear, canoes, kayaks and other small boats -- eagerly
heading to adventures in the bush.
Jeff Edwards,
my Road Tripping correspondent, cautions vacationers: “Every year I
see boats tied onto roofs in the most ramshackle of fashions -- this
is both unsafe for you and other drivers and presents a risk to your
boat.” After 14 years instructing, guiding and outfitting canoe and
kayak trips, he has some tips. “Many people -- including experienced
paddlers -- don't properly tie down their boats,” he says.
Call it
road-burn or whatever you like, small recreational vessels too often
sustain serious damage not in the water but on asphalt. Here are
some simple rules:
If you don’t
really know what you are doing, admit it and talk to someone who
does. Start with outfitters and outdoor stores like Mountain
Equipment Co-op.
If you have a
factory-issued rack attached to your vehicle, read the owner’s
manual. Many are not designed for the weight and wind-resistance of
a canoe or small boat. Firms like Yakima or Thule have a range of
custom racks, but if money is an issue do not presume that strapping
watercraft onto simple foam blocks will work for long trips at high
speeds.
According to
Edwards, you can’t skimp on the number of ropes or straps. These
keep a boat from moving around, such as sliding forward (in the
event of a severe de-acceleration) or blown backward in a big gust
of wind.
He says,
“Always follow the rule of fours: Two tie downs should go over the
top of your boat -- one each a metre or less on either side of the
midpoint. Two more tie downs should attach the bow and stern of the
boat to the frame or tie hooks under your vehicle. He says the
latter two attachments prevent the boat from twisting or turning
sideways or from becoming airborne.
So what sort of
tie down is best? A stroll through the internet shows there is some
debate about which strap is smartest, but Edwards prefers “Webbing
tie downs with a metal buckle and hooks.”
When it comes
to rope he uses braided nylon, a half-inch in diameter.
“Polypropylene rope -- that cheap yellow rope you see everywhere --
is okay but tends to stretch, doesn’t hold a knot well and is not
very strong.” He says, “Use at least half-inch, and note that old
‘polypro’ ropes rot in the sun and lose much of their strength.”
Lastly he
warns, “Absolutely avoid bungee cords! They are not designed to
secure an object the size and weight of a canoe. If this doesn’t
convince you, a friend of mine lost an eye when one released and
shot across the vehicle.”
When using
ropes instead of straps, Edwards says the three knots to know are
the bowline, for attaching the rope to the boat; the ‘two
half-hitch’ for attaching the rope to racks; and the trucker’s
hitch, for tightening and tying off the boat.” If necessary find a
Scout leader to show you, and for everyone’s sake there had better
be a test after. The consequences of shoddy tying or strapping can
be deadly to those traveling behind a loose canoe.
Says our
correspondent, “Each tie down should be tight -- so tight that when
you flick it, it hums like the strings on a rock star’s bass. After
you’ve tied all four points, check all of them and push on the boat.
The vehicle itself should move with the boat.”
Have tips about
securing watercraft to cars or trailers? Write edrass@nationalpost.com.