Loading & Transport

Loading & Transporting your Canoeaterials

A common subject on the forum is about how to transport a canoe. Here we have a couiple of posts to help you with this. The first on loading and the other to extend your roof rack.

Big Al's Loading Aid

Here is my method for loading the boat onto the car. Where I live is quite windy so I developed this to make sure that I didn't drop the boat on the car when loading it by my self.

Its just two lengths of 2x2" wood about 7ft long and attached to the roofrack with straps (old bike toeclip straps).

You will have to work out how to attach it to your type of roofrack.

Set the canoe onto its edge and lay it against the bars.

Reach under and lift the lower gunnel.

Slide the canoe up the bars onto the roof.

*Beware*
When the upper gunnel reaches the top of the bar, lift the lower gunnel up level before pushing it across the car. If you don't, the thwart will bash against the roof of the car and scrape the paintwork.

Its even easier taking it off as gravity is on your side!!

The Loading bars fit inside the car when I'm on the water.

Hope this has been of some help.
Alan.

To construct the SM-MCC-CTR-001 (Smith Model Multiple Canoe Carrying Car Top Rack #001)
You will need;
o A sheet of plywood
o A circular saw or table saw
o Wrenches or a socket set
o 4 U bolts or car muffler clamps (I used 2 inch)
o 6 eye bolts
o 20 large washers to fit the above hardware

To start;
· measure the distance between your cars roof rack bars (say about 2 feet)
· Take some ½ inch or ¾ plywood and rip it with a circular or table saw so it is about 4 or 5 inches wider than the distance between your rack bars on the outside edges. A couple inches on the front and back of the bars will be needed to bolt to later.
· Cut your plywood to the width of your two canoes plus about 6 inches. This is usually about 6 foot 6 inches. You will want an inch or so between them and a couple inches on the outside edges to install eye bolts to tie to.
· With your plywood now cut to shape, find the center and draw a line across dividing it into two halves roughly 2 feet by 3 feet. On this line measure in a couple of inches on both sides and mark a drill hole for your eye bolts. Be sure that your drill holes are both towards center enough that your eye bolts will miss the roof racks bars. If in doubt put the plywood on your car top to check things out before drilling.

· Measure in from both outside edges now a few inches and draw lines to find the drill holes for your outer eye bolts. The side eye bolts should be in from the side, front and back a few inches for extra strength when you tie to them.
· Install all six eye bolts with large washers top and bottom. My eye bolts are rated for 80lbs. You may use a hacksaw, metal saw or grinder to shorten the excess length of the eyebolts if you wish. Be sure they are very tight though.
· Place the plywood on the roof rack and center it left and right, front and back. Measure in a few inches from the tips of your roof rack bars and mark the drill holes for the U bolts, this can be done by pencil or by pressing the U bolt into the soft plywood to make an imprint then penciling over the mark. When all 4 are marked take the plywood down measure everything again and straighten things up and drill your holes slightly larger than the diameter of the U bolt.

· Now place the plywood back on the car top, center it and install the U bolts as tight as you can with the last of the washers on top and you are done

A few notes:
o You could use two more U bolts in the center if you wanted to, it is a bit overkill but it makes the contraption a bit quieter.
o I used thinner plywood on mine because it was free so to compensate for the reduced strength I doubled the thickness on the edges.
o If you remove your roof rack for yearly maintenance like I do you will have to put it back exactly in the same place for the double carrier to fit back on again.
o This drives like a dream with two canoes on top slightly pointed in at the front but is very strange to drive with on windy days with no canoes on top. It is best to remove it after every trip as it goes on and off in minutes once you get used to it.
o You will never get into a car the same way ever again after using this. The first time you smash your head or scrape yourself on the bottom of an eye bolt you will forever look like you are getting into a helicopter.
o Finally with the bolts sticking up on the top you have to be careful not to scratch your gunwales with them. You could cover U bolts sticking up with something though but on the 001 and 002 models I haven’t done this yet.

Please, please remember that it is not simply a question of the overhang at the front, rear or sides.

What would worry me most is the size of the load being carried on some quite small vehicles. Add to this the effect of wind, particularly a side wind on a canoe (or two canoes) on the roof of a small car and you go beyond the simple regulation dealing with overhangs.

The text of my original post in the other thread is.....

"There is no legislation which deals specifically with roof racks.

There are various bits of legislation which deal with the safety/security of loads, the use of the vehicle in a manner which may cause danger, maximum vehicle lengths and widths and overhanging loads.

They legislation is set out below. My interpretation is that a load projecting a few inches will not in itself fall foul of the regulations.

Putting an excessive load on the roof rack may cause problems due to weight, size or poor security. The problem would be if it was insecure or in some way adversly affected the performance / ssafety / handling of the vehicle so as to cause danger. Clearly if a load projected to the extent that it caused a danger then it would be an offence.

So whilst I can carry two canadians and two kayaks on the roof of my 110, doing the same on a Ford Ka would clearly be illegal because the nature of the load would render the vehicle unsafe and the overhangs would also be too great.

I have simplified the below text in some places in order to make it more easy to understand, so it is not a complete quote fromm the legislation.

Regulation 100 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 provides for the maintenance and use of vehicles so that no danger is caused.

100(1) A motor vehicle, every trailer drawn thereby and all parts and accessories of such vehicle and trailer shall at all times be in such condition is caused or is likely to be caused to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer or on a road.

The number of passengers carried by such vehicle or trailer, and the manner in which any passengers are carried in or on such vehicle or trailer, shall at all times be so that no danger is caused or is likely to be caused to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer or on a road.

The weight distribution, packing and adjustment of the load of such vehicle or trailer shall at all times be such, that no danger is caused to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer or on a road.

100(2) The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other than its own weight, and be in such a position, that neither danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling or being blown from the vehicle or by reason of any other movement of the load or any part thereof in relation to the vehicle.

100(3) No motor vehicle or trailer shall be used for any purpose for which it is so unsuitable as to cause or be likely to cause danger (see note below) or nuisance to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer or on a road.

Section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 creates an additional offence of using a motor vehicle in a dangerous condition.

A person is guilty of an offence if he uses, or causes or permits another to use, a motor vehicle or trailer on a road when:
(a) the condition of the motor vehicle or trailer, or of its accessories or equipment, or
(b) the purpose for which it is used, or
(c) the number of passengers carried by it, or the manner in which they are carried, or
(d) the weight, position or distribution of its load, or the manner in which it is secured,
is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person.

In relation to loads much confusion is caused by there being separate offences. The difference is that section 40A requires the weight, position, distribution, or manner of carriage of the load to be such that no danger to a person is involved. Regulation 100(2) (insecure loads) requires that it be secured and in such a position that neither danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused.

Regulation 11 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 refers to the permitted overhang on certain classes of vehicles

Heavy motor car and motor car - the maximum overhang is 60 percent of the distance between the transverse plane which passes through the centre or centres of the foremost wheel or wheels and the transverse plane which passes through the foremost point from which the overhang is to be measured.

Regulation 8 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 creates the maximum permitted overall width of vehicles.

A motor vehicle - maximum width 2.55 metres.

A trailer drawn by a motor vehicle having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500 kg - maximum width 2.55 metres.

Regulations 100(2) and 100(3) and Section 40A overide the overhang legislation, this means that even if your canoe does not overhang at all it could still be illegal.

If you put a canoe or canoes on the roof of your vehilce and strap them on corectly, how does it look?

If you stand back and think, "*******"! then it probably is not safe or legal. If on the other hand you think "That's ok", then it probably is.

Remember there is more at stake than damage to your canoe.

After all we are all sensible people - aren't we?

Hope this helps,

The Viking