Great to be here!

[WhiteRice]

Sorry this may be a bit lengthy but wanted to introduce myself to the boards and hopefully get some good insight to a small dilemma.

Been trolling for a while a decided to join once I purchased kayaks fro my wife and myself. We have been fishing from jettys and the beach for some time but wanted to add another method to our hobby. We were able to land some pretty good deals on some kayaks from Dicks over the weekend and loaded up on all our necessary gear (paddles, vests, better seats, etc.). We are planning on taking our kayaks somewhere so we can get a better feel for them before we start to rig them up for some serious fishing. We are familiar with kayaks (running baits, punching through surf, paddling, angles, etc.) but we have always used someone's that was already there or rented one.

With that said, I am running into a bit of a dilemma. We purchased a Emotion Stealth 11' (59lbs) and a Future 144 Beach 12' (66lbs). We purchased them one day apart so I just purchased the Malone foam block system to get them home. We will be travelling about an hour+ each way where we will be normally go and the foam block tie downs just make me a little uncomfortable at highway speeds. I have searched some threads, looked for pics on Google and have read through numerous reviews of Malone, Yakima and Thule systems. I will be transporting these on a 2016 4Runner and would like some insight from those that travel with two. I have looked into the "J Cradles" and like the design and ease of loading but crosswinds worry me as most of the travel with be North and South and these are rather wide kayaks (both are right at 30"). The Saddle type are nice but I don't think I can get the mounts wide enough to fit the kayaks side by side. The other options I have looked into are a 60" or 66" Thule bar and just mount them upside down and secure them with the foam blocks and straps. Or as my last option, use a 60" Thule bar and one kayak upside down and the other in a J Cradle.

I am probably overthinking this but I really don't want to put my safety or other drivers at risk considering I am new to the sport. Sorry for the bulky post but this looks like the place to get the knowledge to make us successful. Thanks!

[texnomad]

No apology needed. You have come to the right place for good accurate information. The real knowledgeable folks will be chiming in soon I am sure. Welcome to the addiction and the site.

[WhiteRice]

Thanks Texnomad. Looking forward to it

[Tombo]

Is a trailer an option? There are many threads on TKF with your same questions. Use the Search function on the above toolbar for more help.
Personally, I find it a pain to mount any kayak on top of my vehicle. I don't like saltwater dripping on to the roof, and the older I get, the less hassle I want.
Let us know if a trailer will work for you. Some can't due to space limits.

[Tallgrass07]

You have a number of trailer options, from a cheap Harbor Freight trailer to pricey Yakima trailers. That would save you a lot of hassle. If storage is an issue, Malone has a trailer with a retractable tongue, and the Yakima Rack and Roll trailer folds up to a very compact size. I'm pretty happy with my Malone trailer, with the tongue retracted and stored upright I can still get my truck in the garage. I've ditched the foam blocks on the trailer crossbars and use pool noodles, the kayaks ride lower and better.

[Crusader]

trailer or truck. Truck is better

[WhiteRice]

Thanks for the replys and suggestions so far. I did do a basic search for my question(s) but it was yielding a few more options with trailers for carrying two.

The trailer option would be great especially since we are planning to haul our kayaks to our vacation condo in FL once a year (800 miles one way). Space and storage is a concern so the Malone rack looks pretty good (since the Rack N Roll is so pricey).

[Tallgrass07]

What I liked about the Malone MicroSport trailer was the 12" wheels, sealed wheel bearings, and it is galvanized. I did pay extra for the retractable tongue, 78" crossbars, and the kickstand w/wheel.

[TexasJim]

WhiteRice: When I carry my yak rooftop, on foam blocks or pool noodles, I use the following strapping techique to ensure the yak doesn't come off the roof, even if the foam block comes out: Start with a strap attached to the right side of your vehicle. Run the strap over the yak, and into the far side scupper hole. Then run the strap under the center of the yak, and up into the right scupper hole. Then, run the strap over to the left side of the vehicle, and cinch it down. You have "captured" the yak in your strap, and it can't get loose, barring a broken strap. If you don't have scupper holes, look for something else to strap around. If you strap is long enough, you can go all the way around the hull.
I carry my yak upside down, but the strapping technique will work with the yak right-side up also.

A trailer is a pain and a plus at the same time. I'm currently building a small trailer for my 12 foot skiff.

Good luck, TexasJim

[WhiteRice]

WhiteRice: When I carry my yak rooftop, on foam blocks or pool noodles, I use the following strapping techique to ensure the yak doesn't come off the roof, even if the foam block comes out: Start with a strap attached to the right side of your vehicle. Run the strap over the yak, and into the far side scupper hole. Then run the strap under the center of the yak, and up into the right scupper hole. Then, run the strap over to the left side of the vehicle, and cinch it down. You have "captured" the yak in your strap, and it can't get loose, barring a broken strap. If you don't have scupper holes, look for something else to strap around. If you strap is long enough, you can go all the way around the hull.
I carry my yak upside down, but the strapping technique will work with the yak right-side up also.

A trailer is a pain and a plus at the same time. I'm currently building a small trailer for my 12 foot skiff.

Good luck, TexasJim

Thanks TexasJim... I just made a run to Surfside/Freeport this morning (the wind was a bear!) and tried something similar to what you recommended. I would love to go through the scupper holes but they are a little smaller than most and are just cut through the plastic at the base of the cup rather than molded in like I have seen in others (including my wife's). What I did do though was place pipe insulating "noodles" across my cross bars and side rails. I then place the yak upside down and ran a ratchet strap 360 degrees around the hull to the same side rail. I purposely got some very long straps and then ran the excess over the hull to the opposite side rail and ran the strap through another ratchet. Did that x2 along with my front and rear lines. Seemed to work fine for the hour + trip down there and back. Only thing I am going to run into is trying to get both yaks on that way. I think even if I get a 66" Yakima cross bar set it will still be a very tight fit. I agree with the trailer issue but I keep leaning that way and just may have to loose the fight at trying to keep the garage somewhat workable. If I have a corner lot it wouldn't be an issue as I would just make a gate in the fence but I am "land-locked" by neighbors. Oh well...

[volintexas]

WhiteRice: When I carry my yak rooftop, on foam blocks or pool noodles, I use the following strapping techique to ensure the yak doesn't come off the roof, even if the foam block comes out: Start with a strap attached to the right side of your vehicle. Run the strap over the yak, and into the far side scupper hole. Then run the strap under the center of the yak, and up into the right scupper hole. Then, run the strap over to the left side of the vehicle, and cinch it down. You have "captured" the yak in your strap, and it can't get loose, barring a broken strap. If you don't have scupper holes, look for something else to strap around. If you strap is long enough, you can go all the way around the hull.
I carry my yak upside down, but the strapping technique will work with the yak right-side up also.

A trailer is a pain and a plus at the same time. I'm currently building a small trailer for my 12 foot skiff.

Good luck, TexasJim

Thanks TexasJim... I just made a run to Surfside/Freeport this morning (the wind was a bear!) and tried something similar to what you recommended. I would love to go through the scupper holes but they are a little smaller than most and are just cut through the plastic at the base of the cup rather than molded in like I have seen in others (including my wife's). What I did do though was place pipe insulating "noodles" across my cross bars and side rails. I then place the yak upside down and ran a ratchet strap 360 degrees around the hull to the same side rail. I purposely got some very long straps and then ran the excess over the hull to the opposite side rail and ran the strap through another ratchet. Did that x2 along with my front and rear lines. Seemed to work fine for the hour + trip down there and back. Only thing I am going to run into is trying to get both yaks on that way. I think even if I get a 66" Yakima cross bar set it will still be a very tight fit. I agree with the trailer issue but I keep leaning that way and just may have to loose the fight at trying to keep the garage somewhat workable. If I have a corner lot it wouldn't be an issue as I would just make a gate in the fence but I am "land-locked" by neighbors. Oh well...

I ended up getting the 78" Yakima crossbars. I use the foam pads from ACK (pipe insulation would be much cheaper) and strap both kayaks upside down on the crossbars.

I have two sets of cradles that I used once, but they made me so nervous that I have not used them since. Mounting the boats upside down on the wider crossbars is the most secure roof option that I have found.


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[WhiteRice]

What kind of vehicle do you have that you put 78" bats on? That would seem REALLY wide for a 4Runner I think

[volintexas]

What kind of vehicle do you have that you put 78" bats on? That would seem REALLY wide for a 4Runner I think

I actually put them on a small Mazda hatchback, but I only put the longer bars on when I need to carry both kayaks. You definitely have to be careful when getting out of the vehicle so you don't bash your head on the bar when standing up.

If you don't think the 66" bars are wide enough, you could always get the 78" bars and cut off the length that you don't need.