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Guest
Guest
I have long recognized that I do not want anyone helping me when tying canoes to the roof racks, especially when it involves multiple boats and lines going through specific crossbar eyebolts in a specific order. Even with folks whose rope skills and familiarity with my rack systems I trust (my family and one or two paddling partners) I still surreptitiously check their work.
I learned a lesson about extending that custom to untying boats. I had a non-paddling friend helping set a shuttle and when I took the boats off he “helped” by wrapping up the belly lines on one side of the van crossbars.
His rope wrappage was on the far side of the van, the side I couldn’t see. It was hot, there was no shade at the put in and we were a couple of hours late getting started. I was hurrying and didn’t check his work.
He had loosely wrapped the belly lines and left them dangling off the end of the crossbar. With predictable results; when he took the van to set the downstream shuttle one belly line fell loose and he ran over it with a rear tire.
Fortunately it didn’t damage the rain gutter and I carry spare Quick & Easy towers and parts. A little touch up paint on the 3 foot gouge on the roof and I’ll call it cheap lessons learned:
*Spare rack parts are worth carrying.
*Check all of the ropes when tying or untying, especially if you have “help”.
*Don’t rush at the put in or take out, even if the river is cool and shady and you are hot and sweaty.
I learned a lesson about extending that custom to untying boats. I had a non-paddling friend helping set a shuttle and when I took the boats off he “helped” by wrapping up the belly lines on one side of the van crossbars.
His rope wrappage was on the far side of the van, the side I couldn’t see. It was hot, there was no shade at the put in and we were a couple of hours late getting started. I was hurrying and didn’t check his work.
He had loosely wrapped the belly lines and left them dangling off the end of the crossbar. With predictable results; when he took the van to set the downstream shuttle one belly line fell loose and he ran over it with a rear tire.
Fortunately it didn’t damage the rain gutter and I carry spare Quick & Easy towers and parts. A little touch up paint on the 3 foot gouge on the roof and I’ll call it cheap lessons learned:
*Spare rack parts are worth carrying.
*Check all of the ropes when tying or untying, especially if you have “help”.
*Don’t rush at the put in or take out, even if the river is cool and shady and you are hot and sweaty.