One person, bad shoulder, trying to load a 17' canoe

[Raynard]

Here's a question for the engineers and/or old timers - although anyone with a good idea will be appreciated.

Assuming foam blocks rather than a Thule hulevator system, are there any tips/tricks that one person with a bad shoulder can use to load a 17' canoe on top of a car?

Raynard (Mike Tharp)

[okieboater]

For what it is worth and from your post looks like you don't have a roof top carry system, here is what works for me. Difference is I have a Yakima carry system.
Yakima has an add on bar that slides into a round Yakima cross bar.

To load I pull out the helper bar. Rest one end of the canoe on he helper bar. Then lift the other end of the canoe onto the cross bar. Lift the end off the helper bar onto the the other cross bar.

To take the canoe off, reverse the steps.

What this does is reduce the lift weight and the awkward moves required to lift the canoe up / down.

Sounds complicated, but pretty easy after you do it one time.

You have to have a Yakima roof rack to do this, and they are not cheap. I also see in my piragis.com catalog a set of wheels that is supposed to let you slide the canoe up on top. Never seen this one in action, don't know exactly how it works.

[Jim Krueger]

Mike,

Even for one person 'without bad shoulder', handling a 17' footer can be like 'trying to hold yourself out at arm's length by the seat of the pants' Especially with a heavier boat like my Bluehole.
I learned a long time ago that it's much easier to handle a long piece of steel or lumber on itself than to pick it directly, the same goes for long boats. Short of having a garage ceiling joist, or handy tree and cable lift system, I can only recommend getting yourself a set of racks with bars on them. With my own boat, I routinely position it near the truck then lift one end up on the rack, then slide it all foward. You could do the same thing with the foam blocks except they have a habit of not wanting to slide... Another option is to lay a heavy quilt on top of the car, slide the boat on, then work the foam blocks in place and remove the quilt, however that can be a little trying.
I wish I could offer better suggestions. The two best observations I can make are not to hurt yourself number one, and not to scratch up the car.

Best Regards
Jim

[Lupe]

My thoughts are in line with what Dave and Jim are saying...there are some tricks to loading a long boat onto a rack to save your back and/or shoulders, but not so sure about anything to help if you don't have a rack.

A couple of options I've used that are less expensive than that Hull-avator are the Yakima Showboat (with a rack) or the Thule outrigger bar extender (with a rack). Both of those allowed me to load canoes when I had very limited overhead arm strength while recovering from nerve damage. Not cheap, although less expensive than a Hull-avator, and also less expensive than hurting yourself and having medical bills!

Unfortunately both of those are going to work in conjunction with an existing rack system, so I know that's not quite the answer you were hoping for. Another thought is that once you have a rack, I would think you might be able to fabricate a bar extender solution on your own to perhaps save a little on that. I even once fabricated a temporary bar extender in an emergency by using some pipe and heavy duty zip ties. I loaded the boat and then cut the extra pipe back off by cutting the zip ties.

Good luck finding a solution that will work for you!

[Randy Dodson]

get 6 foam blocks......measure and place 4 of the blocks on the gunnels where they need to be for transport.......place the other 2 foam blocks on the gunnels as far forward as they'll go (right behind the deck plates).........from behind the car, lift the front of the canoe so that the far forward blocks are resting on the top of the car near the back.......then lift the back of the canoe and slowly walk the canoe forward......once the forward foam blocks start to leave the front top of the car, slide them back on the gunnels and continue until the forward transport blocks can be used and you have the canoe in place.

that's the best I can think of if that made any sense.

having said all that, foam blocks are just a pain unless 2 people lift the canoe over the car and lower it down right where it needs to be. Even then you'll have wind noise and rain coming in where the straps run through the car. the straps can also tear up the rubber door seals if you're not careful.

best of luck to ya

[Raynard]

Folks, thanks for your help. Looks like I will be rack shopping if I buy the 17 footer.

[Canoe_Codger]

My answer was to build a canoe trailer from a jet-ski trailer. When not in use, it doesn't affect the car's milage and gives me a place to store the canoes and all my gear. Total cost was not much more than a rack.

[Moniker]

My answer was to build a canoe trailer from a jet-ski trailer. When not in use, it doesn't affect the car's milage and gives me a place to store the canoes and all my gear. Total cost was not much more than a rack.

After wrestling my 16' Buffalo on and off my truck and van I bought a shorter boat.Since the Outrage is'nt all that great for fishing and I was tired of loading the beer barge I too built a trailer.Mine is built on a boat trailer frame.Mine may be a bit over engineered (too many years in a tool and die shop)but I can haul six tandem boats without stacking and the rear rack is easily removeable so I can use the trailer for other things.
I did make one mistake,when I went to register my shiny new trailer I had to asess it's value for tax purposes.When they asked it's value I proudly blurted out"With materials and my labor I figure about $1,200."The words had'nt left my mouth before I realized I had volunteered to pay property taxes on my labor.
Of course the obvious solution would be to have a partner help you load the boat and sit in the front while you scream and cuss at them while they yell over their shoulder "WHAT?"At least thats been my experience while tandem paddling.

[Cowper]

Folks, thanks for your help. Looks like I will be rack shopping if I buy the 17 footer.

If you haven't yet bought the canoe, consider tacklng the other end of the equation - how much does the canoe weigh? I see a lot of folks using WW canoes that would be at home on Class IV on relatively easier WW, when a touring model would actually make for a more enjoyable day of gliding through the pools between the rapids.

Each 10 pounds of reduced weight makes a very noticable difference on how easy a boat is to load, especially if you're working solo. If you plan to paddle solo, there are decent boats that weigh in at 45# instead of the 80 plus pounds of a typical tandem WW boat.

[MissEllie]

My solution is a little different. Go on Freecycle, put the word out to all your friends, post on Facebook, etc. Look for a “free” boat trailer. Once you get the trailer, you will probably need new tires & maybe a light kit. Then you can use lumber to build an easy load/unload rack for the trailer. Add a trailer hitch to your car & you are set.

We did this, the hubby then built a rack, we can haul four kayaks/canoes at a time. We also store our boats & paddles on the trailer & cover with a tarp. If you want you can ask for/salvage a large tool box such like the type that fits in the back of a truck, mount on the trailer for transporting the rest of your gear.

The trailer was free, two new tires (including new rims), light kit, registration, lumber, hardware & hitch lock. All we put in the rig was about $180.00 or less. We already had a trailer hitch on the truck so that was not an expense for us. The more you salvage the less the cost. In all we paid less than a good rack system.

This is very easy load/un-load. I also have bad shoulders & back; I can load by myself with no issues.

[Canoe_Codger]

IF you have a receiver hitch on the car, several companies make a hitch mounted loader. Most rotate and to load one end onto the bar, strap it down, then lift and walk the other end around and place it on the car roof rack.
http://www.thefind.com/sports/info-rece ... canoe-rack" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But from the ideas presented by others here, it shouldn't be too hard to make an ersatz rack extender from a piece of pipe, tubing or even a 2x4. Attach it to the rack, set the canoe end on it, then lift the other end onto the rack, and slide the first end onto the rack, then remove your rack extension.

With my trailer, I don't have to load and unload at home and most of the time at the river other paddlers or an outfitter are more than willing to help get the canoe down and back up on the trailer. When no one is available, I've devised a method to do it myself. Getting it down is a matter of sliding it off the back of the trailer rack, then lifting just the bow and walking it around off the rack. I can do the same to reload it. The canoes have poly covered gunnels and I covered my trailer rack with split black polypipe so that sliding is effortless. I just have to be careful to strap the loaded canoe well before hitting the road with this slick-to-slick arrangement. I tried closed cell foam first, but it didn't slide well and was torn up after one or two trips to the river.

There are times when sliding the canoes up the back don't work because of space or the surface (like rough concrete or mud that I don't want to drag the bow or stern deck plates on), and I load from the side. I lift the canoe a short distance to the top of the trailer tire on it's side gripping the upper gunnel, rest, grip the lower gunnel and lift again sliding the canoe against the trailer rack risers until the upper gunnel hooks on the rack tiedown eyes. Then I lift again rotating the canoe and slide it across the rack until it bumps to offside tiedowns. The trailer rack is lower than a car rack and I don't have to worry about scratching the vehicle if I have an "oopsie" while loading or unloading.

Of course all of these maneuvers are easier with my 42# solo canoe than with my 80# tandem (which I also usually solo).

If buying and building a trailer is attractive to you, a single place jet-ski trailer will hold and carry a single canoe just fine with little adaptation other than removing the bunks, rollers and wench. Most of these trailers are still like-new long after the expensive jet-ski has been thrashed. I got my Karavan off Craigslist for two bills and often see them advertised with the dead jet-ski for three to four hundred. I added welded tiedown eyes to the frame, a plastic lined wire basket bed (discarded truck bed liner and wire store shelving), a gear locker, a wire paddle locker and raised rack on to my trailer so that it would carry more than the bare trailer. But all that work wasn't really neccesary.

[Raynard]

I appreciate all of the ideas.

Cowper, I am looking at Kevlar lake boats. Thanks for the thought.

Seems I need to consider trailers before I decide whether to go rack shopping.

Raynard (Mike Tharp)

[we66erno1]

Keep ice cold beer handy to entice helpers...

Or make/buy you something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC0OqvYe0Q8&sns=em" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Raynard]

Ice cold beer I've got.

Raynard

[Deuce]

Ice cold beer I've got.

Raynard

Not enough for Doug I fear.