How to Car-Top a Canoe

You don't want to lose your canoe off the roof of your car when driving to the river. Here's how to tie it down so it stays secure.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Canoe Gear Bags
• Canoe Kneeling Pads
• Canoe Paddles
• Canoe Racks
• Canoe Yokes
• Canoes
• Life Vests

1. Get canoe racks that attach firmly to the roof of your car. There are many brands, and the best choice for you depends on the type of car you have.
2. Make sure your racks have foam or carpet padding to keep them from scuffing your canoe. If they don't, you can easily attach some old carpet or use split rubber hose to sheath it.
3. Lay the canoe upside-down on the racks, parallel to the car.
4. Tie each side of the canoe separately to the rack. If you have more than one canoe, lay the canoes side-by-side and tie each of those separately, too.
5. Tie a line from each end of each canoe to its respective bumper.
6. Use S-hooks to attach the ropes to the bumpers.
7. Tie good knots. Before you start driving, test the stability of the whole rig by pushing and pulling at several places.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are carrying two canoes, wedge an old piece of carpet or foam padding between them to prevent them from banging in the wind.
• If you are carrying three canoes on one car, lay two 2-by-4's across the bellies of the first two canoes and tie the boards to the roof racks. Then lay the third canoe on the 2-by-4's and secure it to both the boards and the racks.
• Extra padding never hurts.
• Be careful not to overload a small car.
• Drive cautiously when carrying a heavy or unstable load on your roof.