Dockside Chat - Kayak help please

I bought two nice fishing kayaks last weekend for me and my son. The question now comes of how to transport them. Below are the two choices but let me start by saying that lifting these over your head at 75lbs each is not a easy task to load them on top of my ford escape. I can do it but certainly isn't a fun task and I can only imagine how fun it would be after a long day on the water. What would you do?

1. For $75.00 I can but (4) used jay mounts for the roof that were pretty nice and do the job.

-or-

2. Buy a used trainer made for two kayaks for $400.00

Big difference in price so suck it up or take the easy way and spend the money?

A young guy like you, I'd get one end up there and push the other end until they were both in the center of the roof.

But then again everything I do is half assed. Better wait for others to reply.

Not as young or thin as I used to be in the picture. At 48, the signs of hurting come a lot faster than they used to.

suck it up youngster...itll be good for you...a reminder you need to work out just a little bit more...

suck it up youngster...itll be good for you...a reminder you need to work out just a little bit more...

Dang! I came here to get away from my wife...:grin:

I'm 49 and I'd be humping it up onto my roof, I'm just stupid sturburn that way.

Just got me to thinking. I have seen a lot of stuff on the side of the highway, but I don't think I have ever seen a canoe or a kayak that had blown off a vehicle.

Thule makes an extension bar so you can pop one end up and then just swing the other end up. I have an old set of Thule and just found some square bar stock that slides inside the tube, after a little grinding.
http://secondwindwatersports.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/load-assister.jpg?w=300&h=225

I want one of these: youtube.com/watch?v=-Ry5nNADRDY . Expensive to import from Australia, but probably pretty easy to fabricate. You may find it easier to use flat roof racks rather than J bars - with the j bars you pretty much have to deadlift the kayaks onto the roof. The flat racks allow you to slide the boat on from the side or rear.

Kayak trailers work well. I have one. They make transport very simple, but they have a few downsides. When I went to register my craigslist trailer find the sales tax, tag fees, and Florida "new wheels on the road" fees were almost as much at the trailer. Many places where I want to launch my kayak do not have enough room to park a trailer. And having a kayak trailer parked behind by regular boat trailer looks a little tacky.

After reading my own post give me a PM in a few weeks - I may have a kayak trailer for sale.

Find a used boat trailer or a jet ski trailer and modify it for the yaks. I'm 45 and I'm with you on making life easier whenever you can. The trailer would be much easier.

Find a used boat trailer or a jet ski trailer and modify it for the yaks. I'm 45 and I'm with you on making life easier whenever you can. The trailer would be much easier.

My hero...

Roof rack. Eliminated: tires, tag, trailer lights, flats, spares, insurance etc.

Roof