kayaking the pacific islands. - Canoe & Kayak

Loads on roof racks by James Fitness
Transport Authorities know that ever more kayaks are
being carried on our roads. This may cause you grief.
Nicholas reports an incident
We came back from Mt Maunganui carrying a Qk Tasman Express, a Perception
Eco Bezhig and a Bliss Stick MAC1 on my roof racks. With a flag attached the
load overhung the car’s tail by about 1 metre. But as usual with weekend
kayaking we were behind time and driving home in the dark. Leaving
Hunterville we were pulled over by a police officer for not having a light on
our overhanging load. Luckily for us the officer was in a nice mood and let us
off the $350 fine with a warning.
He suggested that all we needed was a bike light and, since our flag was faded
and thrashed from lots of use, we should probably get a new one.
Nicholas, finding no information on the regulations, asked NZ Kayak Magazine
for help.
The bare facts are;
Regulations on overhanging loads.
If a load extends more than one metre beyond the front or rear, or 200mm
beyond the sides of your vehicle, during daylight you must attach: flags
(coloured white or fluorescent red, orange or yellow, at least 400 mm long
by 300 mm wide)
or
Standard hazard warning panels (coloured yellow/green with an orange stripe,
at least 400 mm long by 300 mm wide).
During the hours of darkness, you must have lights on the load visible in
clear weather for at least 200 metres:
at the rear and facing backward, coloured red (if the load extends sideways
or to the rear)
at the front and facing forward, coloured white or amber (if the load extends
sideways or forwards)
(reference: www.ltsa.govt.nz/road-user-safety/motorists/glovebox-guide)
Suggestions
Before you buy a roof rack, check the weight your vehicle can safely carry
on its roof. (Look in the vehicle’s manual) Check the roof rack’s safe load.
Consult your roof rack specialist to find the system which best suits your
vehicle and the accessories needed for your specific load.
While weight will seldom be your problem, bulkiness and length are very
likely to cause trouble.
When a kayak overhangs, and regardless of the accessories used to mount
it, you must tie the bow to the front of the car and the stern to the back to
prevent the boat from lifting in the wind. There is huge leverage at the end
of a kayak which could well rip your roof rack off! And no, this will not be
covered by warranty.
The normal spacing of roof racks to suit the shape kayaks is about 700mm.
Any further apart and your kayak will touch the roof between the bars.
The accessories you’ll need will depend on the number of boats to be carried,
what the kayak is made of, and what else you are carrying.
If you are carrying composite boats you should invariably use a set of kayak
cradles. These 4 pads hold the kayak firmly in place without the need to overtighten
the load straps and cause compression cracks. There is often space
on the roof rack to fit two cradles alongside each other for two kayaks, or to
hold one kayak and a box and bike carrier for the multisporters.
Upright bars are more practical when carrying up to 4 boats. Stack them on
either side of the bars, with hulls facing hulls to prevent indentation from
the cockpit shapes.
Obviously, the more you have on your roof, the sturdier the straps will need
to be. Bungy cords are never substantial enough.
Remember that ...
• the more weight on the roof, the less weight can be carried inside your
vehicle.
• roof racks increase wind resistance and buffeting.
• you may need to travel slower and your vehicle will use more fuel.
ne Kayaks
1 metre
Maximum forward overhang 3 metres
(measured from front of seat)
1 metre
Maximum rear
overhang 4 metres
Designers & Constructors of Multisport
& Adventure Racing Kayaks
Phone 06 875 0043 Fax 06 875 0983
E-mail:- kevin@ruahinekayaks.co.nz
P O Box 11146 Hastings
Website:-www.ruahinekayaks.co.nz
This fast, stable kayak is designed
for the larger paddler looking for
a longer, stable boat.
Gladiator
ISSUE FORTYsix• 2008 11