How to Put a Kayak in Garage Storage
Storing a kayak is a task every kayak owner faces. Although kayaks are small and relatively light, they seem to be uniquely challenging to store. The best way to store a kayak is in a protected garage or shop either on an overhead rack or from suspended straps.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 16-foot 2x4s
- Saw
- 3 inch screws
- or
- 2 5/16-inch x 4-inch lag screw eye bolts
- 2 3/8-inch rope ratchet pulleys
- 2 20-foot sections of 3/8-inch nylon rope
- 2 tie down straps
- 2 1-1/4-inch steel rings (optional)
Instructions
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Overhead Wooden Rack
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1
Measure the width of your roof trusses or rafters. Cut four pieces of 2x4 to 1 foot wider than your kayak.
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2
Cut four pieces of 2x4 to 2 feet long. Screw two of the 2-foot pieces to two of the boards from Step 1. You are making a square frame into which you will later slide the kayak.
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3
Nail the top 2x4 of the frame squares you have created to the roof trusses or rafters where you want to store the kayak. The frames should be 6 to 8 feet apart. Place soft foam or cloth on the bottom crosspiece to protect the kayak.
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4
Slide the kayak into the frames. You should have enough extra space to slide in paddles or fishing poles.
Overhead Straps and Pulleys
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5
Run the strapping through the metal rings, one on each strap. Run the wide straps around each end of the kayak and secure with the rings on top.
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6
Measure the distance between the two straps. Secure the pulleys to the ceiling trusses or rafters at roughly the same distance as the ropes are apart. Route lengths of rope up through the pulleys and back down to the ground. Attach one end of the ropes to the loop around the kayak. You can tie the rope using a bowline, or use a hook or carabiner.
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7
Secure the "T" tie down to the wall where you want to tie off the rope. Pull the ropes up until the kayak reaches the ceiling and tie off the rope at the "T" tie down.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The overhead wooden rack allows you to store other things, and is actually a bit quicker and simpler to use; however, it requires being able to lift the kayak over your head to slide it into the rack. If you have a heavier kayak or a grumpy back, this may not be possible. The strap system described is very effective and easy to use. It does require a little more time and effort to get the kayak into and out of the straps.
Make sure you have securely fastened all overhead connections. Dropping a kayak from 7 or 8 feet onto a garage floor may cause serious damage.
