| An Overhead Storage System For Canoes and Kayaks -- by Shawn Simon |
| Shortly after purchasing my two kayaks, I was left with a bit of a storage dilemma. I was storing the kayaks temporarily on the screened in porch at first. But the porch offered little in the way of protection from the elements. Plus I lost the use of my porch almost completely. I decided the best option for me was to store them overhead in my one car garage, as the ceiling is basically wasted space otherwise. This would keep them up and out of the way, free up my porch and still leave room for me to park my vehicle. I scoured the web looking for any type of overhead system I could find. Most of what I found were good systems but they were pricey considering they are nothing more than a pre-fabricated pulley setup. The cheapest I could find was still $50 per kayak. I was eventually able to build a setup from fairly common materials for around half that amount at $25 per kayak. I thought about making my own system using standard pulleys. The problem with this is that the use of tie down cleats is required. This would clutter up my garage with lines running everywhere. Not to mention the fact that if you suddenly lose your grip, down comes your precious vessel crashing to the floor below, or worse yet on your head. While looking for alternatives I found these ratcheting type pulleys. They function similar to standard pulleys, except the ratcheting action prevents back spinning. You can find them at Home Depot and Lowes for around $8 each for the 1/4'” type. The ¼” versions are rated at 150lbs capacity per pulley which is more than enough for any kayak and most canoes. They come complete with hanging hooks and an 8’ section of braided nylon. The supplied rope was not long enough for my application so I picked up some ¼” nylon braided rope to use instead. |
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Parts List:
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Most kayak
manufacturers recommend kayaks be suspended or stored on their sides.
With this in mind determine how far apart you would like
to place your straps on your kayak or canoe. Try to locate two positions
on your kayak that are spread far enough apart to balance and support
the load evenly. On my 14-foot kayak I placed them 6 feet apart. I have
one strap positioned over the tank well, and the other just forward of
the cockpit area but before the front hatch. Next measure the distance
between the two straps. This will be used as the distance between your
ceiling anchors. Determine where you want your kayak suspended from the ceiling. Remember to account for any obstructions such as opened garage doors, overhead lights, etc. Take your measurements carefully and mark the desired location for your anchors on the ceiling accordingly. Be wary of any electrical wiring before drilling. Then drill a small pilot hole and screw in your lag screws. Start them in by hand, then use a screwdriver through the eye of the lag screw to get leverage and screw it in until the eye or circular portion of the lag is just below the ceiling.
Lowering: One of the safety
features of the ratcheting pulley is the automatic locking mechanism
that prevents it from back spinning. You must raise the built in lever
to allow it to release. When doing this its best to have another pair of
hands assisting you as the process requires you to be up on the ladder
to reach the release lever. The person on the ground can slowly pay out
line until the kayak is lowered. It may take a couple trips between the
pulleys before the kayak is completely lowered. The process only takes 5
minutes. It is possible to lower the kayak single handedly but it’s
probably not the safest method. Good luck with your project. (Snookout) |
Start
by locating the overhead beams in your desired storage location. If you
have an unfinished ceiling it should be easy. If not then use a stud
finder.
Attach
your straps to the kayak and run them through the steel rings. The use
of the rings is optional. I used them so I wouldn’t have to tie the
rope to the straps directly as I would have to untie them every time I
wanted to use the straps on my roof rack. The rings should be attached
to the rope with a bowline or other secure knot. Attach your ratchet
pulleys to the overhead lag anchors. Next raise the kayak only about a
foot off the ground. You want to make sure it is secure before raising
it 8+ feet off the ground. Once secure go ahead and raise it as high as
you need to.