Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Ideas about car top saddles.
By:Timothy - Toronto, Ontario
Date: 7/27/1998, 11:44 am
In Response To: Ideas about car top saddles. (CHad)

I just bought a pair of saddles that you could make yourself. They were just blocks of closed cell foam (the kind that's good for knee and thigh braces). A groove had been cut in the bottom, so they could slip onto standard roof racks. The top had been cut in profile to match the bottom of the kayak. Just slip the foam block on to the racks, tie the kayak down with cam buckle straps, and that's it. A few people have told me these actually work better than any of the more expensive devices. It looked like the groove was cut with repeated passes through a table saw (although a circular saw could be used) and the profile was cut with a jig saw. Fine tuning could be done with a hack saw, grapefruit knife and course sandpaper. (The foam is easier to work than one would think.)

Messages In This Thread

Ideas about car top saddles.
CHad -- 7/14/1998, 3:59 pm
Foam versatile, but saddles safer
Bill Burton -- 7/28/1998, 11:25 am
Re: Ideas about car top saddles.
Timothy - Toronto, Ontario -- 7/27/1998, 11:44 am
Re: Ideas about car top saddles.
Randy Bertrand -- 7/16/1998, 11:35 pm
Re: Ideas about car top saddles.
NPenney -- 7/16/1998, 7:12 am
Ideas about car top saddles.
Mike R -- 7/16/1998, 6:32 pm
Re: Ideas about car top saddles.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/15/1998, 4:14 pm
Re: Ideas about car top saddles.
Mark Bodnar -- 7/15/1998, 10:02 pm
make them yourself
Pete Ford -- 7/14/1998, 4:31 pm
Re: make them yourself
TONY -- 7/15/1998, 1:17 am