Q&A

KAYAK FISHING

Q: My brother and I have both bought fishing kayaks and would prefer to put both on to one roof rack. What are the options as they appear to be too wide to put side by side? Paul Brooks, Sudbury, Suffolk

MC says: I encountered this when I bought my second kayak. I decided to purchase the longer van bars and have the channels (that slid on to the footpack) milled out further. These were sufficient with my kayaks, but I never went for wide hulls.

Alternatives are cradles fitted on to the bars. These allow them to be moved further from the centre (easy to load and secure), or uprights that allow one or both to be loaded on their side (not pleasant in wind) and J-Bars that also carry them, cradled, on their side (again they catch the wind but are easier to load and more secure than uprights). You can also lay one flat directly on the bars, strapped down, then strap the second securely at an angle leaning on to it, but this isn’t ideal.