Driving with your canoe on the car all summer long

[stripperguy]

My latest canoe carrying vehicle is a 2025 CRV hybrid. With mixed driving i consistently get 45 mpg, mostly highway at 73 mph drops me to 37 mpg. Gonna have MDB’s and my canoe on top this weekend, I’ll check mileage and report back.
As far as storing a canoe for a summer on the roof top? Well, I have ample storage but even if I didn’t, I think I would find somewhere to keep it stashed away from the weather.

 

[lowangle al]

I used to get the best mileage with my 2002 Ford Ranger with a boat on the roof. Then again the only all highway driving I did with that vehicle was with a boat on the roof.

I'd say that if it gets you on the water more it's worth the downsides of it.

 

[Marten]

As a former aerodynamic loads engineer, one canoe on a roof can be quite aerodynamic (it does depend on the shape of the vehicle), but 2 canoes on a roof is as aerodynamically clean as having a refrigerator with the door flapping in the wind up there, no matter what you are driving.

Thanks for the explanation. Brought to mind a trip I made to Canada from IL with a boxy 1966 Dodge with one Grumman canoe on top. As I remember it the mileage was better and car only had the slant six in it.

 

[stripperguy]

I’m not as versed in aerodynamics as some of the others here but I do know the aero losses increase dramatically (to the sq?) with increases in length wrt to flow.
Witness every airplane wing profile, much wider than long wrt flow.
It stands to reason then, that the most aero efficient way to cartop a canoe would be to minimize the length wrt flow path by mounting your canoe with the keel vertical and facing forward.
While this may cause minor problems at the first underpass, you could relax knowing that you’re as efficient as possible.
Disclaimer: you may have some difficulty with buoyancy after that first underpass!