Recommended Rooftop Carrier for Tandem Canoe

Question:

I have a Old Town Excursion1 tandem canoe. It weighs approx. 63 lbs. A friend loaned me his above mentioned paddleboard carrier to transport my kayak to Fl. I used a Seals tandem kayak cover. turned the kayak upside down and transported it to Fl. from Ky without any issues. I was thinking of purchasing this rack for future trips. What is your opinion, is this safe and a good option. My boat rode secure and the only noise was the cover occasionally flapping. I did use a bow and stern tie down. Thanks

asked by: Dan G

Expert Reply:

The Thule SUP Taxi XT # TH810001 is great rooftop carrier for paddleboards but its design is not ideal for a canoe. We do offer better options for canoe transport that appear on the page I linked for you.

For a Thule carrier we offer their Portage gunwale-mount # TH819 that includes tie downs. This carrier fits almost any roof rack crossbar shape, including round, square, aero, elliptical, and most factory crossbars. Ideally the rack bars will be spaced close to or at the maximum recommended spacing of 36-inches. For a long tandem canoe you want the supports under the canoe to have a fairly wide spacing.

For a locking carrier that also fits many roof rack bar shapes check out the Lockrack Watersport Carrier # LR54FR. Please check out the video for this carrier to see more.

expert reply by: Adam R