What's a good rope to tie down the canoe to the roof of my car?

I use cam straps permanently attached to flat webbing for around the belly of the canoe. For the bow and stern I have a cotton/poly blend rope that has a little stretch to help absorb turbulence generated while driving down the road.

If you go the route of using webbing, be sure to put a half or full twist in the line at any point a gap is created between the hull and straps. ie: to go thru the interior of the car due to using foam blocks, hull tumblehome, keel, etc. This will prevent the straps from "singing" as you drive down the road.

For the roof I wouldn't use rope; I would use straps similar to the Northstar Cam Straps.
For securing the bow of the canoe to the front of the vehicle I use low-stretch polyester cordage. One side attaches to my Yakima anchor straps using a bowline knot and the other side is attached to the anchor strap with a truckers hitch. It's what works for me anyway......

Another vote for cam straps over rope. A cam with straps is much easier than rope, tends to hold with little need to stop and tighten anything. Well covered before, but do not use the ratchet tie downs, too much risk of hull damage with over tightening. I do have to adjust my front tie down which is rope that stretches, usually once when I make the first gas stop.
I cut my straps to just fit with a tie off and put black electricians tape on the front strap so I know which goes where. The cuts are angled, easier to start in the cam, and marker tape is next to the cam.

Over the top of the hull I use Yakima straps. That's the important tie down. when I have to tie down the the bow and stern, I use a ratchet rope . I don't like using straps for this part. They can make a lot of noise unless you twist them and then they just annoy me. Those should not be too tight btw. Right now my setup is such that I don't need to attach at the bow and stern of the canoe

straps and rachets here as well. Tighten the rachets till the Kevlar cracks a little, and then you're good!

unshavenman: "For the roof I wouldn't use rope; I would use straps similar to the Northstar Cam Straps.
For securing the bow of the canoe to the front of the vehicle I use low-stretch polyester cordage. One side attaches to my Yakima anchor straps using a bowline knot and the other side is attached to the anchor strap with a truckers hitch. It's what works for me anyway......"

Same here and same knots. But I may switch to a front strap at some point.

Cam straps are better. NRS makes good ones that are inexpensive. Hood loops are good for the front. I use shorter cam straps for those. Rope has a tendency to stretch, especially on long drives.

I use rope.
Period.

I use some 14/2 wire just like how I tie my extension ladder down on the work van.
If you're real good, you can get away with only doing the front unless there's a cross wind. Just don't back up fast.

This is good advice, you can also use a fisherman’s bend in lieu of the bowline for tying off to the anchor loop. I also use the cam straps on the canoe.

Rope of straps both work well. Straps with ratchets can over-stress a composite hulls and they can whistle annoyingly in wind, easily fixed with a twist in the strap.
I have used rope much more often, generally with 2 over hull ropes secured to crossbars and front/rear lines to anchor loops on the vehicle.
3/8ths braided poly works well and does not stretch as much as nylon. 7mm kern-mantle has better hand and has replaced my old ropes. A couple of years ago invested in cam buckle straps, simple and easy to use, just not as versatile.


butthead