[Guest]

When travelling with the yak on the roof rak and your yak has screw in or bayonet fitted hatches is it safe to leave them on?

I'm new to this game so I want to make sure?

Cheers

 

[PeterJ]

I do, never had a worry as long as they are on properly.

Remember the only stupid question is the one you don't ask 8)

 

[andybear]

Agreed! I have always left mine on.

Cheers Andybear :lol:

 

[hairymick]

Me Too

 

[troppo]

All my hatches came with tether lines. Just a bit of cord on the inside so you can't see it when the hatch is on. If the hatch came off, then it wouldn't go far.

However, I have never had a hatch come off. I did a trip of several thousand kms including rough off road, and hatches didn't pop off or anything. I was a bit disappointed about that. My mates very smelly fishing shoes had been relegated to being in my yak when we travelled as too noxious to have inside the vehicle. Those shoes never fell out no matter how fast I went or how many bumps I hit.

One approach is like flying a plane and doing the pre-flight ritual/checks. You have a set ritual of how you do your yak for travelling. Concentrate on going through it exactly and do the same everytime. As part of the set of activities, do a final check - all ropes tied off/all straps tensioned properly, all hatches tight, etc. Useful to have the ritual as it is easy sometimes to be distracted and forget to do something properly. But having a ritual makes it simple to get back to the essentials.

 

[YakAtak]

Ask Dallas :shock:

 

[Guest]

Hehe......I reckon you should be right with screw in type hatches

Any hatch which doesnt have something which screws, tightens or otherwise secures the hatch in place (Refer: Wilderness Systems Kayaks) might wanna think twice!

Losing the front hatch cover on one of my Tarpons turned out to be an expensive exercise, quote from the Aus distributor was ridiculous, ended up getting one flown over from the US, but still cost me $80 to replace.

It was tethered with a nylon rope, but the plastic must have torn off on the hatch as the cord was still attached to the kayak, and the knot still intact, it snapped off.

 

[Milt]

Bugger Dallas!!!

One mine went flying when i picked up my yaks off a guy I bought them from. My stupidity not making sure i put it on properly and my eagerness to gets my newly found babies home was to blame.

Lucky for me it only cost about $20 from a viking distributor here in melb.

Milt,

 

[Dodge]

One approach is like flying a plane and doing the pre-flight ritual/checks. You have a set ritual of how you do your yak for travelling. Concentrate on going through it exactly and do the same everytime. As part of the set of activities, do a final check -

I travel with hatches fitted as on the water.

And totally agree with the points made by troppo, I enjoy help with a lift to the van roof, but after that its all my system to hopefully avoid stuff ups, and as I'm about to leave a walk around as a final check