How to Transport a Kayak Yourself

As a full-service river recreation company, we are used to taking the guesswork and heavy-lifting out of your kayak experience- and it’s what we love to do! But with the Coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures, we’ve had to put the ratchet straps in your hands with our Kurbside Kayak rentals. This has raised the question with many of our patrons:

How do you transport a kayak, canoe, stand up paddle-board, or other personal watercraft without River Queen’s brawny team and big trailers?

Our answer is: easily.

While there are many ways to haul your boat around Nashville, we put together a quick instructional video on how to execute our preferred method using ratchet straps. Check it out below, and keep reading for some answers to other frequently asked questions!

WATCH: How to Transport a Kayak on Your Car

• How do you transport a kayak without a rack?

  Great news! You don’t actually need a roof rack or cross bars on your car to be able to transport a kayak. There are many ways to problem-solve transporting your kayak on your car. Our favorite solution for if you don’t have a roof rack, cross bars, or anything of the sort on your car, is to secure your kayaks by running the ratchet straps through the inside of your car. We also highly recommend putting down blankets or a yoga mat on your roof prior to loading the boat on to avoid any scratches!

  PS If your car has an antenna on the roof that gets in the way of the boat you’re loading up, you can easily unscrew it! Mind=blown.

• How do you transport a kayak by yourself?

  How you transport a kayak by yourself will depend on a variety of factors, such as how heavy your kayak is, how tall your car is, and how much weight you are able to lift. For instance, our Jackson Riviera kayaks are very sturdy, and thus, very heavy. While a single person may be able to load one of our Jackson Riviera kayaks on a standard sedan by themselves, it would be very difficult to load it onto an SUV. However, there are other kayak models, such as the Pelican Argo 100X, that are very lightweight and would be easy to lift and position for a single person!

• Can you stack kayaks on top of each other?

  While we don’t recommend storing kayaks stacked on top of one another, it is totally fine to transport them that way. In fact, if you don’t have all of the fancy transport accessories, this is likely the most convenient way for you to transport two kayaks on your vehicle at once. We recommend putting the first kayak on your vehicle right side up, with the bow (front) of the boat facing the front of your vehicle. Then, load the second kayak on top of the first by flipping it upside down, and pointing the bow of the boat towards the back of the vehicle. This way, the kayak weight is distributed evenly and the boats interlock into place.

• Can you drag a kayak?

  There is a big difference between “can” and “should” when it comes to the question of dragging your kayak. While we know that dragging your kayak is sometimes unavoidable, we do not recommend it! The less wear and tear you inflict on your boat, the longer it will last for you. However, some kayaks are equipped with replaceable skid plates that allow you to drag your kayak without causing too much permanent damage.

• Should I transport my kayak upside down?

  Whether you transport your kayak upside down or right-side up will depend on personal preference, what transportation set-up you have on your vehicle, and what kind of kayak you are transporting. For example, if you are transporting one of our Jackson Riviera kayaks with the molded-in high back seats, it will not lay as flat and flush to your roof if you load it on upside down. If you’re transporting a sit-in kayak, you can easily do so upside down. That way, it will provide a smooth and more aerodynamic profile as you drive!

When it comes to transporting your kayak or other small personal watercraft on top of your vehicle, there is room for you to get creative and find something that works for you, your needs, and your vehicle! Trust yourself and the info we have given you, and then go from there. We believe in you!