: I regularly carry up to six whitewater boats on the roof (that's
: about 130 kg,
: maybe 290 pounds), and I'm talking about journeys of up to 1000
: miles on
: English and French motorways as well as local trips. I've carried
: six boats
: including a seventeen foot open boat, a double sea kayak, a single
: sea kayak
: and three plastic boats (one of them inside the open boat), which I
: guess is
: more like 170 kg. And in a cross wind. At 90 ... My roof rack says
: "max 75kg"
: on each support, so I've always assumed that was the load per
: corner, but I
: suppose it might be per bar. Mostly nowadays I use home-built bars
: which are
: as wide as I can legally make them and a lot stronger than the
: manufacturer's
: bars.

: I've sat on the edge of the sun roof of a three-week old car and
: cracked it whilst
: tying boats on. I often rest grit-covered boats on the side of the
: car on the way
: up to the roof rack leaving scratches. Boats and kids leave dents
: in every panel.
: Drop a boat off the roof carelessly (actually, our double blew off
: the trailer just
: after untying it) and it will take your mirror off. But it goes
: back with West system
: epoxy - boat builders have the stuff to fix minor errors.

: Any car becomes an old car soon enough - we want to get out
: paddling, not spend
: the weekend waxing and polishing. The car is for getting places,
: with gear. Tie it
: down well - it must be safe - but otherwise you can't have any fun
: if you worry
: about the car. Abuse it - that's what it's for ! I keep my cars
: from new until the
: book value is a tiny fraction of the cost new, so all the dents and
: scratches have
: very little financial impact. Cars aren't warranted to cope with
: paddlesport anyway -
: I've never found one that had been designed by anyone with any
: understanding
: of what would help a lone paddler get a 6m double sea kayak on the
: roof on his
: own in rain and a force eight... Where do you stand that isn't
: gleaming, polished
: and ridiculously slick ? If I had crampons I'd kick steps in the
: doors...

: Andy

Up to you obviously, I tend to treat the care with more respect. A well maintained piece of equipment serves one better than one that's ill treated.

Bill H.