: 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

Hmm! something to keep in mind! I use webbing straps (I've got some of those handy NRS straps with the sewn in cam buckle.) My three rules for loading/travel:

1. *I* tie down my boats on the rack. If I have a friend who is helping, I check that the tie-down is right. That way, if anything were to happen, it would be MY responsibility, and not my friend's.... and it prevents any "oops, I thought *you* tied it down" syndrome.

2. At every stop (gas, food, whatever) I walk around the vehicle & check the straps -- making sure they're snug-but-not-too-tight, and a quick check for excessive fraying, especially on the bow line. I carry at least one extra strap in the vehicle at all times (I had a bow strap break last summer in the middle-of-nowhere, Montana. I was driving in a severe crosswind, and it "sawed" itself in two against the front bumper of my pickup.)

3. I always tie the bow LAST.. It is a visual reminder that the boat is tied to the rack.... and is a signal to me that the boat IS tied to the rack. While driving, any motion on the boat will show up on the bow strap... which is noticable. On my pickup (Ford Ranger with topper), I don't need to use stern straps (the cross bars are set far enough apart that the boats don't sway at all)-- the bow strap is the insurance strap... on the car (4 door Saab 9000), I need both bow & stern straps because the bars are set closer together.)

My other tip -- is that when I am carrying something on the roof rack that is too tall to fit in my garage, I take the garage door opener off the visor and stash it in the glove compartment when I load the item .... this keeps me from forgetting all about it when I come back home and hitting the opener button and driving in and CRUNCH!

Julie Kanarr