: I hope to begin building a CLC Artic Hawk in May. Once I get it built I want
: to get it to the water!!!!! I live about an hour from Ventura, CA the
: closest harbor.
: I have a 1990 Olds and a Saturn Relay.
: I am looking for low cost options for roof racks--The cross bars for the
: Saturn don't look that great considering the cost and the Olds is a drive
: it till it dies beater.

Get a 4-foot-long section of carpet "runner" from one of the "big box" home and hardware stores. You'll want something about 3 feet wide. Look for the stuff they sell for covering stairs. You want something with a foamrubber back, and a short pile. A cheap indoor/outdoor carpet would be fine. A large remant, or a cheap throw rug will also do. Cut this into two pieces about 4 feet long and about one to 2 feet wide.

Place the pieces so the pile is together, and the foam backing is on the top of the top piece, and the bottom of the bottom piece. Separate the pieces long enough to apply a good glue to the center line of the bottom piece. Run the glue lengthwise. Dont make the glue line solid. Leave 3 gaps in it, each 2" wide. ONe gap goes in the middle, and the other gaps are a few inches in form each end. Once the glue dries you can pull 1 or 2 pieces of rope or nylon web strap through each of these gaps.

Use some of these pieces of rope or webbing to tie the bottom layer of the rug stack to the roof of the car. The other pieces tie the top piece of carpet to the hull of the boat.

The foam backing of thbottom piece of carpet has enough "tack" to keep it from sliding around on the roof of the car, so you won't get scratching from any existing dirt. The Upper piece of carpet cradles the boat, and keeps it from slipping arond, as well. If you overlap the rope or webbing where the pieces go through those gaps in the glue line, even if the glue should break free (unlikely) the boat is still held on by the ropes.

Your bow and stern lines, holding the boat to the bumpers on the car do most of the work. This carpet serves as a pad with some adhesion keeping the thing from sliding around.

If you want a bit better bracing you can make 2 brackets to fit between the pieces of carpet. make them "v shaped, and set them on their sides like this
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