How can I carry a canoe on my 86 Golf?? Solved, With Pics!!

[mtnbob]

I need to be able to get my canoe to the lake, and my Golf is my daily driver. I have the foam blocks so the canoe can sit on the roof, but can't figure out how to tie it down. Is there any way without a roof rack?

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Well, you could roll down the back windows and run a strap over the canoe, into the window, and hook it to it self.  Then one from the front of the canoe to the front bumper, and one to the rear (to keep it from sliding front or back).  Ratchet straps would probably work best....or find a friend with a pickup.  Good luck!

[saurkraut]

There is a kit that comes with the foam blocks, two ropes, and a "Volkswagon" strap.

I call it the "Volkswagon" strap, because there was a VW commercial where some guys were trying to load a Golf with household stuff during the duration of a traffic light while in line for the light.  They successfully load it, including tying a matress to the roof.  After they had the matress tied on, they rejoiced because they had beaten the traffic light.  However, when they went to open the front doors, they discovered that they had tied the rope holding the matress to the roof through the windows of the front doors; making it impossible to open them.  The commercial fades to black as the VW crew gets heckled, New York style, by the drivers waiting with them for the traffic light.

Any way, back to the canoe.  Put the foam nerds on the gunnels, lift the canoe and center it on the roof of the car.  Adjust the foam nerds so they are on 'hard' parts of the roof.

Open both front doors, verify that all is clear and the toss the buckle end of the "Volkswagon" strap over the top of the canoe.  Pass it into the passenger compartment, pass the bitter end through the buckle and snug the strap down tightly.  I useally put the strap to the forward part of the door opening as I'm 6' 2" and I don't want to have my head bumping/rubbing on the strap.

Add a bow and sturn line, tied in an inverted 'v' to the bumper shocks/brackets and your ready to go.

I usually tie a bowline knot to one of the bumper shocks, run the bitter end though the bow/stern of the canoe, go down around the opposite bumper shock/bracket, back up to the canoe, and back through what ever the rope went through previously.  I then take about ten tight turns, hangman noose style, around the apex of the inverted "V" and then do two half hitches.  This hold extremely well.  No issues at interstate highway speeds either.

And you can see both of your bow and sturn knots, and monitor the tension of your "Volkswagon" strap.  If anythin starts to loosen (it won't), you can stop and correct the issue.

I have a Thule rack for my rabbits now, but I still use the "Volkswagon" strap, and the bow and stern lines, and it still works great.

[mtnbob]

Ok thanks for the help. It is on the roof of my Golf right now. Passing it through the open doors worked like a charm. I'll put on a bow strap, but not sure I'll even need a stern strap, since I'm going back roads at under 60mph speeds and it is very secure feeling now with just the two cross straps. I'll try to post a pic later because it looks pretty funny to see my little car with a 17 ft canoe on it :lol:

Robert

[burn_your_money]

I hooked mine onto the tow hooks. I forget what I did at the back since there is only 1 tow hook though

[mtnbob]

I put two straps around the canoe through the doors, and a strap on the front through the two tow hooks. Worked great! Had it up to 65mph with zero problems.

[mtnbob]

www.flickr.com/photos/11904434@N05/2598033828/in/photostream/

Just a pic to show you what it looked like. I had a lot of strange looks as I drove to the lake :lol:
How many people can get their boat to the lake and get 40mpg??? LOL

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11904434@N05/2598875224/in/photostream/

[CoolAirVw]

Tasty!

[mtnbob]

Oh Yea!!!! Nothing like bringing home 6 tasty catfish from a couple hours on the lake.

[CoolAirVw]

How was your mileage with that canoe on there?  

Probably went up!  Streamlining!  

I'm thinking of tying a Cessna to mine.    :lol:

[mtnbob]

Not sure until i refill, but I think it hurt it a bit :shock:
I'll let you know in a few days
 

BTW I was trying to make the canoe pic my avitar, but it didn't work. Any suggestions? I reduced it to the right size and limits and hosted it on flikr, but it keeps saying invalid URL.

[saurkraut]

I put two straps around the canoe through the doors, and a strap on the front through the two tow hooks. Worked great! Had it up to 65mph with zero problems.

I like the 2 "Volkswagon" straps idea.  Four doors only!  With two straps, there is a strap on each side of the 'belly' of the canoe.  I don't know if you even need a bow strap any more.  That canoe can't go anywhere.

I can get trout, walleye, and perch up here, but Nothing's better than fried catfish.  Any hushpuppies?

[CoolAirVw]

BTW I was trying to make the canoe pic my avitar, but it didn't work. Any suggestions? I reduced it to the right size and limits and hosted it on flikr, but it keeps saying invalid URL.

Try photobucket.  Takes less than 5 min to sign up, its free and it works well.   Easy to link pics with no pop ups!

[mtnbob]

Thanks i'll check out photobucket. The canoe rides great with the two vw straps , the front one is just for insurance :shock:

No hushpuppies, maybe this weekend , since we are going back to the lake on Friday and camping out on one of the islands on Friday night.

[CoolAirVw]

Since I'm now seeing an avatar I guess photobucket worked?  You should use the picture with the fish as your avatar.