upside down or down side up

Russ, when using a SOT on standard roof racks always carry them deck side down with the hull in the air. This will prevent deforming the hull. To illustrate this, I am around 4 minutes walk from the water. One day last summer when my cart was broken I threw Katana on the roof of the car and took her down to the beach. On my return trip I slid her on hull first but didn't flip her onto her deck as I only lightly tied her down and figured she was only going to be on there for a few minutes.

As soon as I got home the phone rang. I went to answer it and then got sidetracked. I went out a couple of hours later and the hull had two huge indentations in it where it was draped across the racks. Remembering what I had once read on US forum how if the plastic gets hot enough the hull goes back to its moulded shape, I left her lying on her deck in the sun with all of the hatches closed and luckily she went back to the way she came out of the mould. I know never carry her hull down on standard racks.

Catch ya Scott

yep, definitely hull down if you are transporting on normal racks. reasons.

1. more secure to have flat sides of yak sitting on flat cross bars rather than a 'u' shaped hull sitting on a flat surface.

2. prevents 'oilcanning' as scott has descibed, where hull warms up in the sun and starts to warp or distort.

3. lowers wind resisitance at high speed. having the hull pointing forward and down allows wind to flow over nose and top (underside) of yak pushing the yak down onto the roofracks. Having it the other way would increase 'lift' under the hull and at high enough speed would put some serious stress on the racks and straps. Worst case scenario - yak lifts off roofracks at high speed :shock:

4. saves the need to buy expensive and unneccesary kayak holders (however fibreglass racing skis and seakayaks should be transported in these as you cannot use as much strap tightening as with poly hulls).

russ, out of interest how do you secure the beanbag to your racks?

:shock: sh*t Scott lucky mate

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA :lol: :lol: :lol:

DaveyG ya killin me man

Da beanbag goes in da boot

Da Caymans got da boot

And ??????????? will sit nicely on da roof

fishing Russ