Problem with my roof rack

Lately I've been noticing that my roof rack is putting a dent in the side of my kayak (to clarify, it's bending the corners of the side on the top and bottom and pushing it in around an inch).  It's the Thule rack that holds the kayak on it's side.  

I've been thinking of adding a reinforcement strip to the kayak's hull, but wanted to ask if someone knows a better solution to the problem before I act.

any chance this all happened during prolonged storage in the recent heat wave?  or has it always been an issue?

It's always been a minor issue, but this weekend it started getting really bad during long trip in a lot of heat  (Tacoma to White Salmon to Lake Chelan to Cle Elum Lake to Tacoma)

It seems to happen immediately (right when I put it on the rack) now, where as before it would only do it after it was on the rack for a while.

Top and bottom?  Do you mean top and bottom of the kayak on downward edge?   Or do you mean upward edge and downward edge as it lays on it's side?

-Allen

upward edge and downward edge as it lays on it's side

Yes that.

The left side of the kayak.  The kayak sits on it's side with left towards the ground, up against the rack, and the right side up in the air.  On the left side, where it is touching the rack (and all the weight is pushing down) it has started bending across that whole side, from the top corner to the bottom corner.  "Corner"  being the sharp angles where the hull transitions from bottom to side to top. 

Is there a proper term for that part of the hull?

Lee

Ah ok ... so only on one side, the left side that it is laying on.

What kind of kayak?

-Allen

Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140 - If you look at a picture of one, it's happening right at the spot where the bungee cord for the paddle is.

What about putting a foam cushion underneath the yak?  It might distribute the weight a bit more...

that's pretty common with boats, especially in the warmer months. If I'm reading your first post correctly, you're already using a j-cradle, which should help. You could add additional padding, like a thin minicell foam, to the bottom of the cradle. It may also be that you're strapping the boat down too tightly, which is a common cause. You want them snug, but not so tight that you're deforming the boat. Also, if you're leaving the boat in on the rack while stopped for a while in the sun, loosen the straps up. Just make sure to snug them down again before taking off (don't ask me how I know).

Good luck!
Brian

Just make sure to snug them down again before taking off (don't ask me how I know).
/quote]

haha, ok thanks!

yeah, just don't strap them down so tight. your feet should not leave the ground when snugging the cam strap takes a while to get over that paranoiah, but they don't need to be that tight.

also- bow and stern lines should be taught but no tighter. On a hot day that will bend the boat into a C shape. They don't do anything to stop the boat from flying off anyway. They're really there to let you know (when they start flopping back and forth across your windshield) that you need to pull over and retie your load.

Also- if you can get the boat to sit in the saddles close to the scuppers it's a little more structurally rigid at that spot than where the scupper arent.

I see some seriously wacky boat transport innovation/disasters at the shop on a regular basis, but those are pretty common issues and not super intuitive to deduce on your own.