Watercraft and Overlanding

[IronPercheron]

Let me start by saying this should be, and will be a collaborative effort as i have limited knowledge compaired to some.

My vision is to contribute an article for reference for safe transport and use of watercraft. The obvious would be kayaks, canoes, and inflatables excetera...

Personal favorite has been a canoe because I like to take fishing gear with me, I am beginning to look closer at fishing kayaks and have spent some time in them but the Simplicity of a canoe in and of itself is beauty.



Here is Uncle Ruckus gussied up for a trip to the lake. This was the most effective way that I found in my ownership of both the vehicle in the canoe pool noodles did a great job of isolating friction areas and providing just enough durability to be slightly crushed by the pressure of the ratchet straps I can't say that I was ever impressed with the miles per gallon of this vehicle ever but I did not find any adversely noticeable differences.

This is a fine example of a crude application... ugly... but strong. Gorrilla style.



This is how I operate now that I have a family. I've actually been toying with the idea of a hybrid Adventure trailer and boat trailer all in one. After I get my roof top tent I will likely crack out the welder and stir up something a bit neckish... :-)

Towing a small Jon Boat ( smaller than mine preferably) is really no different than a decent Adventure trailer and I have on more than one occasion slept in this boat I have decked the floor and it's a nice flat area for an air mattress or something a little bit of 550 cord and a surplus Poncho later and you are in heaven.

When it's not being used as a boat it's nothing more than a trailer and if done right with good expanded metal floor under the boats runners when the boat is off loaded the trailer can still be used to move the containers that were in the boat unfortunately you'll have to wait for pictures of this for a few days.

This is my contribution to this thread.

I want others to add to this bring on the kayaks bring on the inflatables.

 

[87comanche]

I can add a little bit to this . For my part will be about touring kayaking and primitive camping , i'll try and add some photos in as i go along .
for me i use a 17' necky chatam touring kayak that can carry up to 375 pounds that's gear rider and boat all together . so to start you'll need a good quailty kayak , and then good ultra light gear in this case the lighter and smaller it can be packed the better , cause you will still need room for food,trash removal from camp . here's a small list of what i use

1. camp stove ( msr pocket rocket + 3 or 4 cans of fuel )
2. msr 10L collapsable water container
3. platpus 4L gravity water filter
4. hydration pack ( for hiking or just for water while paddling )
5. fire starter kit
6. first aid kit ( a must have )
7. life jacket (must have )
8. small axe and or a folding saw for fire wood
9. kitchen kit i use a gsr system it packs up small and will store the msr stove
10. ultra lite tent or hammock
11. sleeping bag
12. dehydrated food ( at least it's what i use due to small size and ease of use )
13. two way waterproof hand held radio i would not go cheap here range is important !
14. gps beacon ( this could save a life if it's ever needed )

anyhow this is just the start of everything .
in this pic my friend and i are loaded up and ready to head out
here we are heading towards our camp site 15 miles from civilization up into the wilderness preserve .

 

[87comanche]

I can add a little bit to this . For my part will be about touring kayaking and primitive camping , i'll try and add some photos in as i go along .
for me i use a 17' necky chatam touring kayak that can carry up to 375 pounds that's gear rider and boat all together . so to start you'll need a good quailty kayak , and then good ultra light gear in this case the lighter and smaller it can be packed the better , cause you will still need room for food,trash removal from camp . here's a small list of what i use

1. camp stove ( msr pocket rocket + 3 or 4 cans of fuel )
2. msr 10L collapsable water container
3. platpus 4L gravity water filter
4. hydration pack ( for hiking or just for water while paddling )
5. fire starter kit
6. first aid kit ( a must have )
7. life jacket (must have )
8. small axe and or a folding saw for fire wood
9. kitchen kit i use a gsr system it packs up small and will store the msr stove
10. ultra lite tent or hammock
11. sleeping bag
12. dehydrated food ( at least it's what i use due to small size and ease of use )
13. two way waterproof hand held radio i would not go cheap here range is important !
14. gps beacon ( this could save a life if it's ever needed )

anyhow this is just the start of everything . View attachment 12320
in this pic my friend and i are loaded up and ready to head out View attachment 12321
here we are heading towards our camp site 15 miles from civilization up into the wilderness preserve .View attachment 12322

the last pic was at the shore line

 

[87comanche]

so after reaching your camp area of choice some of the first things i do is i will set shelter , then a camp fire if a fire ring already there , if not i build the ring then the fire , next i move on to potable water filtering and storage in the 10L msr blatter , food storage should be 75 yards from your camp up in a tree tied up with a cord 25 feet or more from the ground to keep critters out of the food and your camp. from there your pretty much set to enjoy your 3 to 4 day trip of fly fishing , hiking or whatever it is that you enjoy doing out in the middle of nowhere lol .

 

[87comanche]

 

[87comanche]

well i'll leave it at that i can't get the last picture to load .
my post by all means is not a full post of everything that would be needed , i did it this way due to where your location is the gear will need to be adjusted to fit your needs , just remember when packing your gear into your kayak to evenly distribute the weight between the front and rear cargo hatches ,and the heavier gear should always be at the lowest and centered point in the cargo compartments. and if you have to carry something on top of the deck it should be the lightest , this will help keep from rolling the kayak over .

 

[vicali]

Lots of short trips around home so far, we went with a cabrac so that we could still pull the trailer behind without any interference from the canoe.

 

[87comanche]

Lots of short trips around home so far, we went with a cabrac so that we could still pull the trailer behind without any interference from the canoe.

Nice rig , that white truck i posted belongs to a friend we dented his tailgate on that trip with the kayaks lol sence then we have extended the trailer some .

 

[IronPercheron]

So i kinda started this party and then forgot about it! Life is cruel and unusual lately.

wow wow wow at these awesome rigs, and all the info @87comanche thank you !

@vicali that is a very nice canoe. I have old beer can special up there!

recently i have been trapped on land... but i will get my feet wet soon enough! Lake Texana calls!

 

[Teague]

I try to snag a picture whenever I see someone with a boat. We have tie downs so the kayak sits on the cross bars, which I don't have a picture of.

 

[IronPercheron]

View attachment 22909 View attachment 22910 View attachment 22911

I try to snag a picture whenever I see someone with a boat. We have tie downs so the kayak sits on the cross bars, which I don't have a picture of.

Way cool!

 

[IronPercheron]

I recently improved my tie down methods with this

https://www.rei.com/product/662054/riverside-car-top-universal-canoe-carrier?CAWELAID=120217890000855188&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=21009508720&CATCI=aud-153254652760:pla-194432822920&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_6164|6620540010|none|f9fece1e-edc2-480e-922d-562552c7c476|aud-153254652760:pla-194432822920&lsft=cm_mmc:PLA_Google_LIA|404_6164|6620540010|none|f9fece1e-edc2-480e-922d-562552c7c476|aud-153254652760:pla-194432822920&gclid=CjwKEAjw3pTJBRChgZ3e7s_YhAkSJAASG9VrmCiCXg0dvcacwd3ymvPR-f3sNho4cMpbxfa6msGBOxoCt_bw_wcB

I must say... if you're a canoe man... this is a great option that stores well in the 4runner catch all storage in the cargo area.


EDIT: I did have one reservation... I used ratchet straps rather than their straps. I am sure they work fine! I just didn't try it, I like ratchets.

 

[Flipper]

We have a 12' Carolina Skiff with a 25hp Yamaha. It is equipped with a Raymarine color depth finder, Standard Horizon VHF radio, Garmin GPS. I usually carry two 6 gallon fuel tanks that give me a range of 110 miles. Great for exploring!

 

[The Nothing]

I like kayaks....

#1 for transport: Use Bow & Stern Tiedowns. I've lost a complete rack off a car without. Was a good way to destroy a few thousand dollars worth of plastic. It's hard to make out on the photo above, but even the kayaks and SUPs on the trailer are also tied bow and stern.

#1 for use: always wear a PFD.

That said, I'm a big fan of my NRS inflatable kayak, and I suspect it'll be getting more use than usual this year.

The advantage of the inflatable is easier stowage , work just as well on flat water as moving (with use of appropriate skegs), and much higher capacities. I can load up the kayak with all the fishing and camping gear I need for a couple days down the river and still have plenty of draft available.

 

[Longshot270]

I built a whole trailer around hauling a kayak and gear that was secured in such a way that sticky fingers would have a challenge.

 

[IronPercheron]

I built a whole trailer around hauling a kayak and gear that was secured in such a way that sticky fingers would have a challenge.

Very cool!!!

I like kayaks....

#1 for transport: Use Bow & Stern Tiedowns. I've lost a complete rack off a car without. Was a good way to destroy a few thousand dollars worth of plastic. It's hard to make out on the photo above, but even the kayaks and SUPs on the trailer are also tied bow and stern.

#1 for use: always wear a PFD.

That said, I'm a big fan of my NRS inflatable kayak, and I suspect it'll be getting more use than usual this year.

The advantage of the inflatable is easier stowage , work just as well on flat water as moving (with use of appropriate skegs), and much higher capacities. I can load up the kayak with all the fishing and camping gear I need for a couple days down the river and still have plenty of draft available.

ALSO VERY COOL


This thread is awesome! My old aluminum Canoe is on the horses for repair. Leaking pretty bad.

 

[IronPercheron]

Checking in on my old content and ran across this gem, how many of you are still yaking?

 

[BigBlueOx_TRD]

I purchased a Jackson Cuda HD 2 years ago for a fishing vessel that could be taken overland ground with me. I've only been able to use it twice due to this past years shutdowns, but intend on using more this year. I received a YakAttack Black Box for Christmas, which should help for storage on the water and then removal for placement in 4runner when traveling. I was putting this up on the roof rack for transport but, weighing almost 90lbs, became a struggle. Currently almost complete building the yak trailer from an old Jon boat trailer I had. Thanks for reviving this thread. I'd like to see others setups. Happy trails to you!

 

[Boostpowered]

Checking in on my old content and ran across this gem, how many of you are still yaking?

Not so much anymore, catching large catfish in a 10ft kayak looses its appeal after you've caught a few And being out on rough water isn't too fun either. I've got em if I need em but I'd rather be on my boat where I can throw a cast net, walk around, have radio, more than 3 poles, have a propane heater, trolling motor, livewells and be able to go 30mph instead of 5mph

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I've been kayaking for almost 15 years. I have an old Wilderness Systems Pamlico 100 and an old Islander Swifty 9.5 (now done by Perception, I think).

My old 1994 K1500 Blazer Silverado could take them flat, topside down, side by side on the roof rack. For my 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I had two sets of J hooks to lay them in. Those J hooks were a buddies, so I gave them back and used the Thule Stacker, which is STILL mounted on my old Jeep GC. For all intents and purposes, they lived on the roof of my SUV's until the first snow or low enough temperature I couldn't kayak anymore for the year.

On the big Blazer, I just used ratchet straps. The Jeep uses the Thule Stackers. I ratchet them around each other and through the roof rack, and then use the Thule straps and pawl setup for stern and bow.

Sorry I dont have any pictures handy, but the ones with a dusting of snow on the yaks, on the Jeep are priceless.

The great thing about them is, after all these years, they've taken some punishment but all that is required to repair them is an old frisbee and a heat gun