Although I don't like endorsing commercial stuff The
YAKIMA showboat is one product that makes loading and unloading my heavy sea kayak a breeze - especially after a big paddle! Lifting kayaks on and off cars causes a lot of injuries and if I'm going to get kayak related injuries I want to get them at sea, not in the carpark!
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| The Yakima Whisbar System can take conventional cradles or J-Racks |
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| Instead of lifting your kayak off you simply slide out the rear roller bar to the side |
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| Place the stern out onto the extended roller |
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| Lower the bow (if your not on sand just throw down a towel) |
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| Four effortless steps and your kayak is ready to drag into the water. |
To put it back just drag or carry your boat to your car and reverse the steps. I find its not so much the weight of the kayak but the height of my forester (and lack of height of me) that makes loading and unloading difficult. This system makes it really easy to load and unload the kayak on my own and because I'm never lifting the full weight I can leave safety equipment, pump batteries and other bits and pieces in the boat instead of having to completley empty it every time I need to get it on and off the car.
