Today we're going to show you techniques on how to properly tie-down the bow & stern of
a canoe or kayak on the roof of your vehicle.
To reduce the chance of serious damage to vehicles and/or cargo, it is imperative to
tie-down any type of cargo extending past your vehicles windshield and rear window.
Before using bow & stern tie-downs, it is important to properly secure the canoe or
kayak to your vehicles roof rack system. Please Note that Bow & Stern tie downs are NOT to
be used as a stand alone tie down system.For this demonstration we will be tying down a
kayak with ratcheting bow & stern tie downs.
When tying down the bow, use a secure point on the front of your canoe or kayak and a
secure point on the front of the vehicle. We will be using the grab handles on the front
of our kayak and the tow hooks on the front of our vehicle.
Please Note that you should NEVER attach the tie downs to plastic parts of your vehicle.
Keep the tie downs loose yet snug. Over tightening can damage your vehicle and/or kayak.
If you don’t have a secure point on the front of your vehicle to tie down to, Hood
Loop Straps can be used as an alternative solution.
Each hood loop simply attaches to an available bolt head located under your hood.
An advantage to using Hood Loop Straps is that they can be permanently attached to your
vehicle.
Once properly installed, close the hood with the loop strap exposed. Now you can use the
hood loop as your secure bow tie down point.
When tying down the stern, use a secure point on the rear of your canoe or kayak and a secure
point on the rear of the vehicle. We will be using the grab handles on the rear of our
kayak and the chain loops on the hitch of our vehicle.
Keep the tie downs loose yet snug. Over tightening can damage your vehicle and/or kayak.
Once secure, tie up any extra slack.
If you don’t have a secure point on the rear of your vehicle to tie down to, Quick
Loop Straps can be used as an alternative solution.
Simply pop the hatch or trunk and lay the Rubber side of the Quick Loop inside. Close
the hatch or trunk and the Quick Loop Strap is installed.
Now, secure the Stern tie down strap, tie up any extra slack, and your ready for the
road.
For added safety check the tie-downs after driving the first 5 to 15 miles and every
25 miles after to ensure that they are still properly secured and that the kayak or canoe
hasn’t moved.