Kayak/Canoe Rack + Wood Storage
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. This rack was designed to hold 1 canoe on the bottom of the rack, 2 kayaks above it and to store fire wood underneath the canoe (the yellow kayak was being stored for a friend and is only sitting on cinder blocks).
First things first, measure all of your boats. When determining where to place the wood posts I wanted to be sure that at least 1' of the smallest boat was hanging over on each end. Mark your posts and then dig holes for them at 2' deep. I used 6"x6"x10' for the posts.
After deciding that 2' was going into the ground I made a diagram of the remaining 8' and determined the vertical spacing between the galvanized pipes. To hold the boats I used 1/2" galvanized pipe. I laid the 6"x6" posts on some horses and marked a 2' line, and then 3 other markings for each of the posts. Understanding that these pipes need to be at a slight angle to hold the boats from sliding off, I made 3 separate markings on the back side of the posts exactly 1" lower than the front markings.
Using a 3/4" drill bit I drilled a hole connecting the front and back markings. This was the most challenging task and it did not prove to be very consistent. The drill bit wasn't 6" long so I had to go in from the front and in from the back. The hole was not always straight but luckily this made the 1/2" pipe snug in the 3/4" drill hole.
I then placed the posts in the ground. To make sure the holes were level across the posts I placed a 2"x4" across the top of the posts and placed a level on it. After determining that the posts were level I mixed two 60lb bags of cement for each post. I filled the holes and then let it set for a day or two.
After the posts were dry I inserted the galvanized pipes into the posts. The pipes for the kayaks are 3' long and 4' long for the canoe. Once the pipe was pushed all the way through the posts I measured the front side to make sure the same amount of pipe was sticking out. After that I got 3/4" PVC pipe and cut it to the length of the galvanized pipe hanging out the front side. I figured the PVC would be a little softer for the boats to rest on then the galvanized pipe.
Finally, to prevent bees from building nests in the pipe I placed wine corks in the holes. And that's it! I can't wait for the spring time to come around so I can split some wood and store it under the canoe to keep dry. I also bought bike locks and rigged up a way to lock the kayaks through the carrying hooks to the posts.
First things first, measure all of your boats. When determining where to place the wood posts I wanted to be sure that at least 1' of the smallest boat was hanging over on each end. Mark your posts and then dig holes for them at 2' deep. I used 6"x6"x10' for the posts.
After deciding that 2' was going into the ground I made a diagram of the remaining 8' and determined the vertical spacing between the galvanized pipes. To hold the boats I used 1/2" galvanized pipe. I laid the 6"x6" posts on some horses and marked a 2' line, and then 3 other markings for each of the posts. Understanding that these pipes need to be at a slight angle to hold the boats from sliding off, I made 3 separate markings on the back side of the posts exactly 1" lower than the front markings.
Using a 3/4" drill bit I drilled a hole connecting the front and back markings. This was the most challenging task and it did not prove to be very consistent. The drill bit wasn't 6" long so I had to go in from the front and in from the back. The hole was not always straight but luckily this made the 1/2" pipe snug in the 3/4" drill hole.
I then placed the posts in the ground. To make sure the holes were level across the posts I placed a 2"x4" across the top of the posts and placed a level on it. After determining that the posts were level I mixed two 60lb bags of cement for each post. I filled the holes and then let it set for a day or two.
After the posts were dry I inserted the galvanized pipes into the posts. The pipes for the kayaks are 3' long and 4' long for the canoe. Once the pipe was pushed all the way through the posts I measured the front side to make sure the same amount of pipe was sticking out. After that I got 3/4" PVC pipe and cut it to the length of the galvanized pipe hanging out the front side. I figured the PVC would be a little softer for the boats to rest on then the galvanized pipe.
Finally, to prevent bees from building nests in the pipe I placed wine corks in the holes. And that's it! I can't wait for the spring time to come around so I can split some wood and store it under the canoe to keep dry. I also bought bike locks and rigged up a way to lock the kayaks through the carrying hooks to the posts.