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===== Cartop Carriers and Load Stress =====

**Re: Another Rudder Story\\
Erik Borgnes** \\
06/19/08 #4536

It's a give and take with hull layups. The Epics have a kevlar skin which will resist punctures better than straight carbon, but the kevlar honeycomb combo is more prone to indentations. For example, a friend here in Wisconsin got a new V10 Ultra. Tied it down nice and tight on his Mako saddle Yakima roof rack so that the ski fit symmetrically over the car, i.e. just as much sticking out in front of the front bumper as the rear bumper. Then he proceeded to drive 70 mph (110 kph for our unarmed friends), into a 30 mph (50 kph )side wind. The ski hull got two big dents where it met the front saddles. Big dents. He should have pushed the ski way back on the rack so that there was less ski forwards of the front saddles which would decrease the torque on the hull in a cross wind, right? Maybe traveled with it facing backwards, too.

I'm not sure which I'd go for if I had a choice - a solid carbon ski, or a kevlar/honeycomb ski. I've always had solid carbon or glass skis. Carbon is now really expensive and hard to come by, kevlar isn't. Maybe Daryl can fill us in more and what we might be seeing in the next few years.

Erik

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**Re: Another Rudder Story\\
JD Davies <jd@…>** \\
06/19/08 #4537

The problem is the Mako saddles not the boat layup. Unless the saddles are padded up properly, they will point load the bottom of any ski. You are better off putting the ski on upside down on a pair of foam pads, or try and find the old TLC saddles from Yakima.

Aloha,

JD Davies

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**Re: Another Rudder Story\\
Larry Bussinger <lbussing@…>** \\
06/19/08 #4538

When I had Jude lay up my boat, I had him put in extra material where I knew the boat would lie on the rack. For the same reason as mentioned below. With 20 foot boats, and the new cars having racks designed for bicycles it wouldn't be hard to see 8 feet of boat in front of the support. Larry B

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**Re: Another Rudder Story\\
Larry Bussinger <lbussing@…>** \\
06/19/08 #4539

I also used Yakama Huli rollers so the cradle will match the boat profile evenly. I had to file the bracket to get more angular motion. They are still point load, but at 4 places, 3" long and evenly distributed over a larger area.\\
Larry B

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**Re: Another Rudder Story\\
JD Davies <jd@…>** \\
06/19/08 #4540

The Hully Rollers are worse than the Mako's for a Ski or an OC-1. They were designed to help get wider and heavier boats on your rack, not cradle it. I have been a Yakima dealer for 14 years and will not sell them for any high performance boat. You are better off spending 20 bucks for a pair of pads rather than over 100 for something that will do nothing but damage you boat.

JD

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**Re: Another Rudder Story\\
Larry Bussinger <lbussing@…>** \\
06/19/08 #4541

Maybe, but I have had a boat on my truck for 320+ days a year for well over 10 years and have never had a problem other than black marks. But like I said, I filed the brackets so they can turn so the flat of the rollers lay evenly on the curve of the boat. Larry B.
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