: The system I used involved tying loops of 1" tubular webbing to go
: around the kayak, attaching them to a pulley system (similar to Kent's
: setup). I left the loops loose and just slipped them over the end(s) of
: the kayak. This let me rotate the kayak onto it's side (which is the way I
: stored it). My system used 3/8" diameter rope to make it easier to
: grab/pull.

: For safety, I used an eyebolt in the wall, a steel ring, and a hook. I ran
: the rope through a pulley at the top of the wall, then down through the
: eyebolt and then attached an approx. 2" in diameter steel ring on the
: end. Place the eyebolt so that if you dropped the kayak, the ring stops it
: 6" or so from the cement floor. The hook was attached near the base
: board and was used to hold the kayak up next to the ceiling (no knot tying
: or cleat problems).

: The system worked great, I eventually added a handle to the ring to make it
: easier for my former wife to haul it up and down. I just used a piece of
: wood for the handle, when I build another one I'll use a stirrup-like
: handle so I can use my foot to hook / unhook it. I had a rubber mat on the
: floor that I put the kayak on, then slipped the webbing loops over it one
: end at a time. This made it easy for one person to load and unload it.

: Hope this helps,

: Peter

To make it easier for the rest of my family to get the boats up and down, I picked up a couple of boat trailer hand winches at a industrial truck-load sale type of thing. They ran about $11 dollars each.I connected the cable and hook to the rings that I spliced into the ropes holding the boat cradles. Easy up- easy down.

Mike