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Stacking boards on cartop rack
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Darbonne



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 252
Location: Farmerville, Louisiana

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 8:55 am    Post subject: Stacking boards on cartop rack Reply with quote

OK, I'm sure there are posts on this topic but my searches have been fruitless. I am going to be driving for 10 hours and want to take my Start and my Kona. My thought is to put the Start on the bottom, and take the CB and straps off the Kona and stack it on top of the Start. Do I need some high density foam in between? My fear is that they will rub together and rub the EVA on the Kona. I usually cartop the Kona in a board sock. This will be my first time stacking boards on top, any advice will be appreciated.
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hilton08



Joined: 02 Apr 2000
Posts: 505

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You should be able to leave the footstraps on the Kona but I would remove the centerboard. You can cut down some pool noodles to use as foam spacers between the boards. I would put the wider board (Start) on the bottom and run some lines from the ends of the longer board (Kona) to the car bumpers so it can't twist under the tie down straps.
For a long trip, I would probably use one set of tie down straps on the bottom board and a second set over both.
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 10:53 am    Post subject: Re: Stacking boards on cartop rack Reply with quote

I wouldn't take the straps off either board. whichever order you stack them.
You will want to remove any centerboards,
fill the straps of the boards with foam, and then build yourself some
pads for between them. I find Pool Noodles to be quite cuttable,
moldable, and inexpensive for something like this. In fact,
you can use them in combination with the largest diameter pipe insulation for killer
pads that look like dumbbells between your boards. Looks like
this from the front (forgive the ASCII crudity):

..............................._________________________
----------------------- /-----------------------------------------\
---------------------- /---------------Board A-------------------\
-----------------------\___________________________/
------------------______ ------------------------------------_______
------------------|-Pipe-|_______________________|-Pipe---|
------------------| Ins---|--------Pool Noodle-------------|---Ins---|
------------------|--------|_______________________|---------|
------------------|_____|------------------------------------|______|
------------------_______________________________________
-----------------/---------------------------------------------------------------\
----------------/---------------------Board B-----------------------------------\
----------------\_________________________________________/


No rubbing, but on a long trip I'd double strap the front "tiedowns",
and retighten after the 1st few hundred miles.

This type setup is going to cost you about 5MPG additional gas.
Are you sure you can't fit one of those boards inside?

-Craig





Darbonne wrote:
OK, I'm sure there are posts on this topic but my searches have been fruitless. I am going to be driving for 10 hours and want to take my Start and my Kona. My thought is to put the Start on the bottom, and take the CB and straps off the Kona and stack it on top of the Start. Do I need some high density foam in between? My fear is that they will rub together and rub the EVA on the Kona. I usually cartop the Kona in a board sock. This will be my first time stacking boards on top, any advice will be appreciated.
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Darbonne



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 252
Location: Farmerville, Louisiana

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys. Going to contemplate this a little more. May end up putting the Start inside.
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a question about something, that each one of you mentioned.

Why, would you remove the centerboard (CB) ??

The Kona (like many high performance longboards built in the last 25 years) has a fully retractable CB. It fits (like they all do) very snug, when retracted into the board.

I agree about leaving footstraps on... and, I agree with putting "firm foam spacers" between the boards to prevent any part of both boards, from touching the other one.


But if you use the right thickness foam spacers, they will keep your footstraps from getting crushed... and they will keep the CB head/knob from hitting the other board.

I've done exactly this forever. So, I don't know why anybody would remove the CB. What am I missing?

Maybe it's this -
For a 10 hour drive... maybe you're thinking... "can I get better mpg with a more low-profile load"?
And I'd say, yes, you probably can.
So, in this case... yes, I'd remove the straps AND the CB. And I'd use thin spacers... enough to keep the boards from touching... but NOT thick enough to prevent footstrap crush or CB head touching. And this would allow a lower profile load, slightly improving mpg.

So, what's the deal with "remove CB but leave straps"?

Thanks, Greg Smile
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Darbonne



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 252
Location: Farmerville, Louisiana

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My thinking was that the CB knob would rest and rub on the bottom board. However if you use the proper foam spacers it would probably be OK. I Have a Ford Ranger with a camper shell and my rack is mounted on the shell. I think I have decided to put the Start in the back. It just takes up so much room and sticks out about 3 ft. Stacking boards correctly is a hassle.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fuel consumption increases more with extra height than with extra width. Cramming the shorter board inside would lower both your fuel costs and your risk of damage (to your boards and to others' windshields).
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stacking boards isn't a hassle, once you get the right spacers, and you get used to it.

Back in the day, there were windsurfing shops everywhere, and they sold various size "firm foam spacers", for exactly this purpose. Much better than using a pool noodle. They were cheap, and very effective.
I've been using mine since 1985 for carrying multiple boards in the Gorge. Stack 3 shortboards all the time.
I've also stacked 2 shortboards on top of 1 raceboard (with all straps and the CB still in the raceboard)... no problem.
No boards or straps or CB knob touching anything else.

But anyway, if this is a 1 time thing.. this 10 hour drive... then improve your mpg slightly... and take the components off the boards... and use pool noodles... and you'll be fine.
You or I wouldn't do this... if we did it all the time... cause you don't want the hassle of putting stuff back on your board all the time. But for a 1 time trip, no big deal.

Lastly, spend some time if you want them both on your roof. You can also take the fins off. Stack the 2 boards in every possible combination, till you find the best aero load. Then just add spacers, so they don't touch.

If you sail a Kona... what are you even taking a Start anyway?
(Maybe for someone else?)

Have fun, Greg Smile
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konajoe



Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 517

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Make sure to stack the boards deck up. If you put the Kona on with the bottom of the board up, you have a good chance of damaging the rails. With the deck up, the load of the straps gets spread out over a long distance on the round rails. With the bottom side up, the load of the straps is concentrated on the 90 deg edge of the rail, and will damage it.

That also eliminates the centerboard knob issue.

Put your board spacers directly in line with your roof racks and straps.

An old study done by Mercedes Benz back in the heyday of windsurfing showed that stern first, deck up was best for mpg.
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hilton08



Joined: 02 Apr 2000
Posts: 505

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

gregnw44 wrote:

So, what's the deal with "remove CB but leave straps"?


Removing the centerboard should be a quick and simple process, but removing and reinstalling the footstraps is a PITA, even with an electric driver. (although the Kona CB may be a bit more complicated to remove than most)

The centerboard knob also likely sticks up further than the straps and is more likely to damage the other board if they make contact so you would need thicker spacers between the boards. The thicker spacers would create more drag.

I suppose if he put the boards "fin forward and down" then the centerboard knob would be on the top of the pile, but I was assuming "fins up" which would also require removing the fin(s) from the Start board.
(This should create a whole new debate on how to best stack the boards)
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