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Topping it Off


FOUR ACCESSORIES TO HELP YOU RACK’N’ROLL by Ian Merringer


Thule Hullavator


Unless you’re working on your clean and jerk technique for the next Olympics, you’re bound to appreciate not having to lift your 17-foot sea kayak over your head to load it on your vehicle. The Thule Hullavator swings over and down to rest beside your vehicle’s doors so you can load your kayak at waist height before sliding it up and into place on top of your car. It only takes up 28 inches worth of the bar when in place, it’s compatible with Yakima bars and it comes with a customizable cradle that snugs up against your hull.


$600 Cdn, $400 US. www.thuleracks.com


2. Don’t get bars that extend past your roof… unless they are well overhead or you like black eyes. Once you have the correct feet for your vehicle you can purchase different bar lengths of up to 78 inches. The pleasure of loading four kayaks across on long bars is hardly worth the pain of walking into them just once.


3. If you use uprights of any sort, don’t get in the habit of leaving them in the upright position. This is especially important if you own a truck, van, or SUV and park in a garage. This seems pretty obvious but we all know someone who has peeled off bikes or boats. Could there be a more horrible sound followed by a more sickening feeling?


4. Car washes should be avoided, even the no- touch ones. Yes, you’ve probably gone through okay, but you had your fingers crossed didn’t you? The fuzzy-roller car washes are sketchy on the best of days and even the no-touch car washes have sensors that “see” the surface of the vehi- cle but don’t always “see” the narrow tube bars of our roof racks. Once your wheels are locked into the tracks and the light turns green you’re committed.


5. Lastly and most importantly, if you lose a boat, luggage or your entire rack, DON’T admit it. Instead, try these lines: “The missing gel- coat and smashed rudder? That was from an epic surf landing. You should have seen it.” Or, “Where’s my boat? Umm. I just came to volunteer and help with the race. Then I’m going Rollerblading.”


Canoe Leg Truck Rack The short roof span of pickup trucks makes properly loading boats a challenge. The Canoe Leg effectively extends the roofline of you truck out as far as the back bumper so your kayak is supported along more of its length. The pivot bracket at the base of the vertical arm either bolts to the step bumper or mounts on a trailer ball—no drilling required. Swing the arm down to open the tailgate. Available in single or double (shown) models. Single: $240 Cdn, $200 US. Double: $289 Cdn, $279 US. www.canoeleg.com


Yakima Boat Locker Peace of mind in the form of a 10-foot cable and two locking paddle cuffs.


The flexible cable locks to itself around your racks (or a tree) to create a single-lock system for both your boat and your paddle. One-piece paddles are secure when the cable is threaded through the paddle cuffs. Lose your keys and you’ll find out just what a theft deterrent it really is.


$75 Cdn, $49 US. www.yakima.com


Yakima BoatLoader If you’ve given it all you’ve got on the water you won’t have any partners or muscles left at the end of the day to help you get your boat back on top of your vehicle. Loading alone is simplified by the assisting arm that slides out of the crossbar, letting you get one end of your boat up to rack level at a time before sliding it on top of your still unscratched vehicle. $80 Cdn, $60 US. www.yakima.com


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