: For long trips like yours, I do use bow and stern lines. However, they have
: very little tension on them; they are there for two other reasons. First,
: when I start my trip, I'll look at the lines to see where they are located
: relative to the truck. That way, if they move to the side, I know that the
: boat has shifted on the racks and needs to be checked. Second, if I do
: have an unlikely double failure with my straps, the lines will at least
: keep the boat with the truck rather than go off into another car or
: whatever.

I'd completely agree here and just add that you should be careful of the type of line you use. On my last trip I had 1/4" nylon line. I tied it up in the morning, drove all day, let it sit over night, and the next morning found that the the lines were completely slack. I could have easily slipped them off the car. The nylon is very sensitive to environmental changes. If you tie the lines tight in the cool damp morning they will be really tight (possibly too tight) in the heat of the afternoon when the nylon shrinks. I knew the line could expand and contract, but was really surprised at how much it actually did!

Bill