: Hey Bill,

: That's not the way I wanted to try out butt blocks, but I'll take
: what I can get *grin*.

: I don't want to talk about the straps, either, but I ought to. The
: ratcheting straps aren't good... they allow way too much force
: to be applied to the frame of the kayak, and overzealous
: tightening can break that keelson or something else just as
: easy. Knowing that, I went really easy on the ratchets. I still
: feel better having replaced them with the clamping straps. If I
: had only known that the NRS straps double back, I would've
: bought longer. All the straps I've ever dealt with have hooks on
: each end, after the free end of the strap is run through the
: clamp. The NRS straps have no hooks... and if I had paid more
: attention to the product images, I might have realized that and
: ordered longer. Ah, well. Lessons learned.

: I'll definitely be putting the cockpit centered on the roof racks
: in the future. I should have realized somebody might have been
: trying to tell me something when the coaming is 30" long,
: and the roof rack bars are 30" apart. Coincidence? Yeah,
: sure. But that coaming sits on two frames, which will take the
: brunt of the load when they're sitting directly above the
: bars... *sigh*. Hindsight is 20/20, ain't it?

LOL on hindsight, most definately :)

Btw, in the past 12 or 14 years I've been car topping these things, no official has ever mentioned the boat(s) hanging out over the back of the car, not once in the literally thousands of miles I've transported these things. If you're concerned you can put a red flag on the stern, but I don't bother.

Bill H.