Zach – tell me again how to secure pontoon to car
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Neal –
On one end of your rope, double the end back on itself about 8-12″ and then make a single overhand knot with the loop end. That will give you a solid loop to pull on. Put that loop under the bar on one side of the pontoon, then pass the long tag end through the loop you made, lashing the rope to the bar on one side.
Throw the rope over the top of the pontoon, being sure that it is riding on the frame and not just the pontoons. Do this both fore and aft on both bars.
Go to the other side of the car. Reach up as high as you can and make a single half hitch loop in the rope. Do this by making one loop, then passing the tag end side of the loop through – not the whole tag end, just enough of the standing line to pull a loop through the loop you made and cinch (if you pass the side of the line that is attached to the other side of the pontoon, you’ll cinch it down and make it very hard to untie, so be sure you are passing the tag end side). This is the exact same loop that you would use to attach a balloon indicator. The whole system I am describing is called the “trucker’s hitch.”
When you have your loop, pass what remains of the tag end under the bars on the side of the pontoon where you are now. Then take the tag end and run it through the half-hitch loop you made. You now have leverage to pull on the tag and cinch the whole system down. As you pull on the tag, it will slide through the half-hitch loop you made, and slide against the bars, shortening the length of the rope that passes over the pontoons and tightening the whole thing.
To secure, simply make one more overhand loop around the two lines that are running from your half-hitch loop to the bars. As you pass the tag through the overhand knot and release, the pressure from the pontoons will pull back against the knot and seat it. You can make half-hitches in the remaining tag-end to secure it if there’s a bunch left.
Obviously this is complicated to explain, but all you really need is an overhand loop knot on one side of the line and a “trucker’s hitch” on the other. If you look those up, you’ll probably find visual instructions. This is a standard canoe securing system and was taught to me by Dr. Rob Lewis at a whitewater canoe school/lesson.
When you are done, you can yank hard on the tag end and the half-hitch loop you tied to make the trucker’s hitch will pop out, so you again have a smooth line with just a loop on one end.
Zach
I picked up a CataCarryAll for the top of my Blazer (at the time), becuase my OD 1018 was wider than the top of my Blazer.
I’ve used the cam straps and they are just about equivalent, but I am a lot faster with my rope system at this point and I trust my knots more than the cam jaws, frankly.
The other thing to mention is to watch the inflation level of your boat when it is on top of your car (or anytime it is out in the sun).
Not that it matters much, but if you are at all concerned about the ropes or cam straps scuffing the finish on your truck or car, buy a pool noodle from a dollar store, cut it into sections, slice the sections so that they can be opened up, and slip the rope/straps through them.
Like I said, it isn’t a big deal, but if you travel more than a few hours it could help save some paint.
Bryan
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