Lefty Ray's Kayak Rigging Recommendations

Currently I use a single-seat sit-on-top Perception Prism and a tandem sit-on-top Perception Mandalay. Most of what I describe below is aimed at those two kayaks, but a lot of this is adaptable to most any type of sit-on-top kayak

Security	Paddle Holder	Tie Downs	Saddles
Vehicle Rack	Kayak Repair	Homemade Light	Light Installation
Painting	Kayak Maintenance	Misc Rigging	Hatch Cords
Rod Holder Installation	Items for Sale	Small Hole Repair	Large Hole Repair
Tow Ropes	Fishing Report	Milk Crates	Fish Bags

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Security is the most important item when traveling. This is the cable/lock that we are currently using. It is made by Master Lock (Python) and is available for around $20 at home centers. It is 6 foot long and 3/8 thick. The thickness should deter most thieves. I run the cable through the kayak drain holes and around the bars of my luggage rack. You can cinch it down to just about any dimension. Krypton bike locks and "The Club" cables also work but make sure they will pass through you kayak drain holes.

Stability during travel is also important. I use a ratcheting tie down rope cable on the nose to counter the wind and to prevent the kayak from shifting in the saddles. I used to use one on the rear but have discontinued doing that. This product is available in the home centers.

I have marked my kayaks with a magic marker so I know where to line it up before I tie it down in place. This saves time when calling it a day. I also do not have to adjust the ratcheting tie down rope on the nose because the kayak is in the same place every time.

I have replaced the Yakima supplied tie downs with a ratcheting one. This is faster to use and secures better. The ratchets were sewed on the Yakima straps by a local seamstress. I then coated the ratchets with rubber spray material. Invariably these will fall on your vehicle and possibly cause a scratch. The rubber coating will minimize that possibility.

These new ratcheting straps are available at the home centers. They help strap down a kayak quicker.

If you use web straps to tie down your kayak be sure to put a twist in the straps. Straight untwisted straps will resonate in the wind and cause a very loud roar.

No rollers for me, although some of my friends use 2 rollers and 2 saddles. We use saddles all the way for my Perception Prism. The Yakima Mako Saddles are made of two parts. The black part is slick when wet and eliminates the need for rollers. The light gray strip grips the kayak when the straps are tightened down.

The reason I use Land Sharks is because the Perception Mandalay has a flatter bottom rather than a curved one like on the Prism.

Some shops will try to sell you a Yakima or Thule rack to carry your kayak on top of your vehicle. If you have SUV with a luggage rack then you might be able to use it rather than buying a rack which consists of 4 posts and 2 crossbars. First, check the load rating on your luggage rack. My Chevy Tahoe is rated at 200 lbs so i figured I could carry 2 kayaks without a problem. Second, search for a Yakima (horizontal) Mighty Mount that will fit your luggage rack crossbars. The Mighty Mounts sandwich the crossbar and then bolts to either type of saddle.

Back in the day when I sneaked the kayak on top of the family car, I used this homemade rack. It is made of PVC pipe and elbows covered in red electrical tape. The foam blocks are found at kayak shops. The are the blocks meant to go on factory rack crossbars.

Although not really recommended, sometimes you can get away with just some rope to tie down the kayak

TPWD requires a white light viewable 360 degrees between sundown and sunrise on kayaks. Here is an inexpensive way of creating one assuming you have a Scotty rod holder base already mounted. (1) Buy a section of PVC pipe (1/2" x 5 foot) and stick it in Scotty rod holder base. (2) Tape a Mini Maglite to it with a Nite Ize translucent cone on it. (3) If you want to get fancy, cut half off of one end and with 2 pieces of stretch cord, tie the light in place. After the sun rises, most kayaks should allow you to stow the pipe inside of your kayak and out of the way.Total cost $15.00.

The Scotty light comes with the light, pole, and Scotty base (same as the rod holder base). The pole will insert and twist into place just like the rod holders.

(1) Items required: Drill, 1/4 inch drill bit, 1/4 inch stainless steel pan head bolt, 1/4 inch washer, 1/4 inch locknut (nut with plastic built in washer, clear caulk.

(4) Apply the caulk to the threads of the screws. This will prevent water from leaking through the holes.

(5) Screw the bolts to the nuts with a washer between the kayak and the locknut. (6) Finished assembly.

Most kayaks are made of a certain type of plastic which repels just about anything you try to stick to it. Most adhesives and paint have a hard time adhering to them. Back in 1999 I painted my Prism and dubbed it the "Floating Tiger." I used plain-jane enamel from Wal-Mart and it stuck pretty good over the years. Since then some of it has flaked off. In 2004 I repainted with Rust-oleum enamel and will keep track to see how long this paint job lasts.

Elastic cord is a good way to "temporarily" hold down items and to keep them from floating away. A fanny pack, chestpack, PFD, or camera bag can be quickly stashed under these cords (1) To install it, drill 4 holes in the hatch cover. (2) Melt the ends of the cord so they won't fray on you. (3) Pass the cord through it and tie the cord into a knot. Seal the hole edges with clear silicone and pull the knot tight up against it to waterproof the drilled hole. You can buy the cord by the foot at Austin Gear & Guidance.

Another option: If your hatches are small in size, then this might be better way of achieving the same results. The eyelets and the plastic hooks are available from places like West Marine.

(1) I want to remove these paddle holders that were installed with pop rivets. (2) Drill out the pop rivet using a 3/16 drill bit. (3) Both pop rivets removed. Re-drill the hole to the size of your plugs.

(4) These 1/4" plugs were purchased at Lowes. (5) Before installing the plugs, squirt some clear caulk or silicone into the hole. (6) Push the plugs in place and let dry.

I use 2 tow rows on the water. The first one is a 25 foot rope for dragging my kayak behind me in the water. This keeps any hull snap noise well away from me. The second rope is 3 foot long and is used to connect 2 kayaks in the event I have to tow a kayak.

(1) Package of 50 foot, 1/4 inch Braided Nylon. The 1/4 inch diameter has enough heft to it so it will not be blown overboard. (Lowes). This type of rope handles being wet real well. It does not rot and has held up for 3 years plus. (2) Attach a carabiner to each end. (3) Optional non-metal Scotty clips.