Canoe Lock

[Max Peterson]

I have a Thule roof rack system for my van that nicely locks in place, but I don't presently have any way of locking the canoe to the roof rack. I would be interested in methods others have used to lock their canoe in place while it is on the roof rack.

Max Peterson

 

[davelanthier]

I use a heavy guage, vinyl coated bicycle cable and padlock. This is long enough to wrap around a canoe seat [for example] and your roof rack.

 

[charvey]

I bought a piece of flat bar steel and bent it in the shape of a narrow "U". I welded chain onto one end of the "U", and drilled a hole big enough for a lock to pass through on the other end of the "U". This neatly slides through the gunnels, the chain raps around the roof rack, and the lock secures the the chain to the other end of the "U"

 

[Max Peterson]

This sounds interesting. If I understand it correctly, the canoe is resting upside down with the gunwales on the carrier bar. The "U" shape goes over the inwale with one leg through the scupper. The small, short chain then passes around the bar and is paddlocked to the other leg of the "U". Is that correct?

Max

 

[charvey]

Yes Max, that is it. Very simple, very strong. It doesn't blow around in the wind much at highway speed. But if I'm going any considerable distance, I wrap the the U bracket and chain with duct tape to prevent wood damage.

 

[mark wismer]

I use a heavy guage, vinyl coated bicycle cable and padlock. This is long enough to wrap around a canoe seat [for example] and your roof rack.

I do the same and lock it to the ladder rack on my pickup cap when parking overnight, etc. The same system works good around a thwart & roof beam when hanging in a garage; or from sawhorses to a porch railing...round a tree while you run the car back up river to the truck...very handy way to secure a canoe.