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giddyup
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09/04/2018 07:22PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I have a very small, one car garage with too low of a ceiling to hang a canoe. Any suggestions for very compact storage solutions for a 17 foot tandem canoe and 15'6" solo canoe?

If you have purchased a rack, which do you use? If you constructed your own, could you include pictures? Do the canoes need to stay either upright or upside down (I've seen the discussions here about pros and cons of each when it comes to hanging) or can they be tipped up on their sides? The solo is UL Kevlar and the tandem is Royalex. Thanks.
 
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billconner
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09/04/2018 08:19PM  
Someplace else in garage or outside? I didnt understand.
 
airmorse
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09/04/2018 08:29PM  
 
RTurner
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09/04/2018 08:58PM  
If I had a UL Kevlar solo boat, I'd store it in my living room if need be :)
Airmorse - Beautiful kayak, did you build it?
 
airmorse
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09/04/2018 09:09PM  
RTurner: "Airmorse - Beautiful kayak, did you build it? "

Yes. Took about 6 months. Its a Chesapeake Light Craft.
 
RTurner
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09/04/2018 09:40PM  
airmorse: "
RTurner: "Airmorse - Beautiful kayak, did you build it? “

Yes. Took about 6 months. Its a Chesapeake Light Craft."

Nice job! I thought it might be a Chesapeake. I built a Guillemot, cedar strip...took about 10 years. Never should have started to build a kayak when I had 3 young kids. It went untouched for years at a time.
 
09/04/2018 10:00PM  
Given the size of your garage, you are limited to options at home other than to take it in to the house, move your car out, store in a shed you have or build, or put a tarp around it outside. You may have a friend who can store it for you or pay for a storage unit. Good luck.
 
andym
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09/05/2018 02:49AM  
My racks are a very simple design I learned about here. They are similar to airmorse’s racks but extremely simple carpentry for when you have almost no tools around. For each canoe get two large shelf supports. Get a length of 2x2, cut to length, and screw to the top of the shelf supports, screw to wall, optionally add pipe insulation with some duct tape to cushion canoes and prevent sliding.

Canoes are upside down resting on their gunwales. It’s a very stable and strong position and no possible leak can fill them with water. As mine are in a storage space near my cabin, I do worry about what could happen over the winter or spring when I’m not there.

I have two tandems on the wall and the lower tandem is high enough that my solo is underneath it resting on some 4x4s on the floor.

If outside, you might be able to use a few of these at the top to support a tarp.

Sorry that I don’t have pics of mine but this thread has some pics of where I got the design: Simple garage racks
 
THEGrandRapids
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09/05/2018 09:34AM  
Here's an idea. But would need a tall ceiling....

Sawbill Outfitters Winter Canoe Storage
 
DeuceCoop
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09/05/2018 10:07AM  
This is the boatport. I park my truck in the driveway. I'd have to raise the rack and move the raft (which is usually on a trailer) in order to make space for the truck, but it's a tall truck. This system was very cheap and simple to build, and it's bomber and works extremely well. Without knowing your garage's dimensions I can't say for sure, but I expect you could make some version of it work for you. You'd need to access your joists.

I screwed two heavy duty shelf brackets into studs on one side. On the other side are two corresponding vertical 2x4s. One 2x4 rests on each combination, and there are three vertical 2x4 hangers screwed into the ceiling joists and horizontal 2x4s for strength and rigidity. I keep two or three Royalex canoes and/or my girlfriend's tandem (HEAVY) SOT kayak pictured up there all the time, and I am not careful when putting on and taking off boats. They slide great and are well protected on the cheap carpet from the big orange supply house.

I highly recommend this approach if you can swing it, and I'd be willing to bet you can albeit with some modifications for your situation. Good luck with the project!

 
OCDave
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09/05/2018 10:16AM  
I have been watching this thread with great interest. I also have a small, one-car garage. My 15'6" Solo fits but dominates the available space. I would like to add a Northwind 17 but it wouldn't fit without removing everthing else.

Large spaces are easy. Anyone creatively using small spaces? My neighbor's garage has an additional door cut into the peak and his canoe slides in just below the rafters. Sadly, even cutting an extra door, my garage would still be to short for a 17'6" canoe.

I am considering building something akin to an 18' long doghouse along my fence line.

 
CheapskateSolution
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09/05/2018 11:59AM  
if you have a deck, hang the kevlar upside down from it.
the other canoe could be on the ground upside down, or construct some sort of saw horse contraption to keep it off the ground. Snow and cold ain't gonna hurt them, sunlight might hurt the Kevlar, so cover it with a blue tarp



 
andym
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09/05/2018 12:25PM  
OCDave: "
I am considering building something akin to an 18' long doghouse along my fence line.
"


I'm considering something like that for our tandem sea kayak at home. While I have a large storage space near our cabin even our rather normal two car garage would be dominated by that boat. My boat house will probably have a plywood roof and a tarp for a wall to ease getting the boat in and out.
 
giddyup
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09/05/2018 12:56PM  
Thanks for all the great ideas. Between the ideas and pictures here and the link to the previous discussion, I got some good ideas. Yes, billconner, the boats will be inside, even if the vehicle stays outside. And I'll even put the UL-Kevlar solo on the wall in the family room if I have to, but hoping I can figure out how to get them into the garage together. I think the tiny too small garage will become a boathouse and other gear storage.
 
jdmccurry
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09/05/2018 01:17PM  
I am fortunate to have a high ceiling in my 2-car garage. I use a Harken Hoister to lift my Wenonah Prism to the ceiling. I noticed that most people store their canoes upside down. I have the Hoister straps around the hull with the wood gunnels up. The Prism is carbon fiber/kevlar and quite stiff. Is there a problem with this configuration or should I store the canoe gunnels down?

Harken Hoister
 
THEGrandRapids
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09/05/2018 03:57PM  
jdmccurry: "I am fortunate to have a high ceiling in my 2-car garage. I use a Harken Hoister to lift my Wenonah Prism to the ceiling. I noticed that most people store their canoes upside down. I have the Hoister straps around the hull with the wood gunnels up. The Prism is carbon fiber/kevlar and quite stiff. Is there a problem with this configuration or should I store the canoe gunnels down?


Harken Hoister "


If you search the site, there are numerous debates on whether to hang right side up or upside down. Seems the consensus is upside down. After see Sawbill store theirs on end, I don't believe there is a wrong way. Some points from the other threads- ropes vs nylon webbing- ropes may "dig" into the canoe or hanging canoe right side up will attract a mouse house or even a raccoon family- should only be a problem in a barn- and some have said plain old dust is easier to clean from the outside then the inside of the canoe- so they hang upside down. I'd hang however is convenient for your situation.
 
09/06/2018 06:50AM  
jdmccurry: "I am fortunate to have a high ceiling in my 2-car garage. I use a Harken Hoister to lift my Wenonah Prism to the ceiling. I noticed that most people store their canoes upside down. I have the Hoister straps around the hull with the wood gunnels up. The Prism is carbon fiber/kevlar and quite stiff. Is there a problem with this configuration or should I store the canoe gunnels down?


Harken Hoister "


Probably fine either way. Mine is hanging and I store it upside down just in case my a garage springs a leak. The water would run off, otherwise could slowly fill the canoe and then severely damage it form the pressure points of the weight of the water. 16 years though no leak and probably never will :)

T
 
VoiceOfReason
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09/06/2018 07:28AM  
inside = either way
outside = upside down :)
 
09/06/2018 07:40AM  
 
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