Boat tote

['tiredTeacher]

I do a bit of canoeing and fishing. I have a rack on my truck to haul the boats. I've seen racks for the pop up top and have always wondered how folks with these set shuttle. Don't those racks limit you to paddle where you camp? Don't you have to camp fairly close to the launch site? How do folks who camp on moving water handle that situation? Am I missing something obvious, or do all you folks with racks on pups just camp at lakes?

Inquiring minds want to know,
Teach

[flyfisherman]

Have two different canoes I tote along, one real nice 16' wood/canvas (my pride and joy) and this one is used in only select places I might travel to. The other is a "canoe/boat", the front is a canoe and the rear has a transom like a boat (not to be confused with a square stern canoe). This is a 12' Radisson (aluminum) "transom" canoe and is usually the main stay. If I get another dent in the thing, no big deal because it's full of dents and scapes now!

http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/transom_canoes.htm

I carry the canoe on the roof of the PU by means of those foam carrying blocks. When I get to where-ever I'm going (and usually the water I'm going to fish is right there), however, have the option of mounting the canoe(s), using the same carrying foam blocks, on the roof of just about any vehicle. Also, the Radisson will slide into the bed of my Pick'em-up if I'm just heading down the road a short distance after camp is set-up.

Securing the canoe to the PU roof is really quite simular to mounting on the TV roof: lashed down, fore and aft, i.e., tied off from the bow to the trailer tongue and then tying off the stern to the rear bumper. Then I use a combination of parachute cord and web strapping to go over the canoe close to mid-ship and all te way under the PU. If a big gust of wind is going to pick-up the canoe as I'm tooling down the road, it's going to take the PU with it!

What I especially like about the Radisson canoe/boat is it's light weight. I can handle the thing by myself. Plus two "compatible" fisherman can fish out of the thing. Remember, I do flyfishing so there are hooks wizzing through the air constantly and so who I take with me is VERY important! :eyecrazy:
Quite often though, I'm fishing in the little canoe/boat alone.



Fly

[wernstriumph]

I also use the foam blocks ontop of the PUP. I have a 17' Old Town that fits perfectly over the air conditioner unit. Most of the places we launch from have a shuttle service as they rent canoes also. It's usually $20 and they say,"meet us at such and such a spot in four hours or so." But in places with no shuttle I carry a couple of 2x4's to lash to the roofrack of the minivan (the canoe is 2" wider than the roofrack). The reason I put the canoe on the PUP is because I can't open the rear hatch all the way when the canoe is on the minivan.

[sandykayak]

I had two sets of ProRAc kayak cradles installed when I bought the wee Jayco.

Probably not worth the money because, as you say, I only use them when I'm going to be camping right next to water or ramp, which (unfortunately) is not enough.

That said, it's so nice to load a boat at eye level.  Hadn't thought of using the foam blocks.