How to tie down board on car

Question
Hi there,

I have a question about how to tie down a board on top of a car.  I have a rather bulky board, 2008 Starboard Rio.  I currently have soft racks but am considering Thule Roof racks for more support as I live in the Chicago-Land Area and have to drive quite a bit on the highways to get to the lakes.

With a Thule Roof Rack, I see they have windsurf pads for the bars, but what do you recommend for securing to the bar and car?

Thanks


Answer
Hey Chris,

Soft racks work fine for lightweight surfboards and small sailboards but you should definitely go for the hard rack for your Rio. I am a devout fan of Thule racks. The square tubing seems stronger than the round Yakima type and any accessory items won't rotate on a square tube.

You can go to http://www.thuleracks.com and look up car racks. There you can put in your make and model of car and it will give you the exact component numbers you need for your car. You will see just what is needed to mount the racks to your car. Some places have personnel that can install them for you but ask to watch so you will know how to do it. They do come with directions that are easy to follow. Be sure to secure everything fairly tight. Grab the bars and give them a good shake to ensure a solid connection. You will be looking for a rooftop carrier for windsurfing. Be sure to get pads to protect your board.

For tie downs, where you purchase your racks will have tie down straps. To strap down your board, start with the buckle on one side of the bar and feed the strap over the board, under the rack bar, back over the board, under the bar and into the buckle. Rotate the whole thing until the buckle is close to the board and cinch up all the loose tension. Pull the strap snug. If the buckle gets too close to the bar, loosen and slip the buckle back up to the board. Once you have the strap nice and tight, do a loop around the straps and snug it. This will prevent the strap from loosening. Wind remainder of strap around the bar and loop it on itself to prevent the excess strap from flapping in the wind.

One thing to do while feeding the strap over the board, put a twist in the strap at each board crossing. This will prevent the strap from vibrating on the board and leaving strap marks on the hull of your board. It also makes it quieter.

Do the same for the back strap. Always check your straps before driving away and any time you stop and get out of the car.

You can tie on booms and masts to racks but I recommend putting sails inside so they don't get crushed. I see lots of folks tying their sails on top but I've never done it and my monofilm sails last many seasons.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover