cartopping noise

Hey,

We just drove up to Old Town, ME to buy ourselves a canoe. Got a 17'

Kate,

Just a guess, your straps may have been tight and started to vibrate (like a reed instrument). Try taking the left ovewr strap, if you have any, and wrap it aroun the strap(s) that go around the canoe and tye a tensionless hitch after you have wound enough of the strap around the remaining strap. I know it sounds corny, but it works. If this oesn't make sense, email me.

Josh

Better yet, just twist the tie-dowm straps a turn or two. It eliminates harmonic

Are you using flat nylon straps or ropes? If you are using straps, put a twist in them before you tighten them down. That stops the

And if rearranging the tie downs doesn't fix it, try putting some foam pipe insulators over your rack bars. Uninsulated my Yak rak moans at me with or without a canoe on it, usually kicking in at 55-60 mph. Insulated, a little bit, but not nearly as much.

Give the straps a twist or two also. That changes the harmonics. Try to avoid any long sections of taunt straps.

Yup I agree with all the others about vibrating straps but check that there aren't any little holes in the bars. Mine are hollow and they whistled like a stuka dive bomber until I filled in the holes.

My Yakimas moaned loudly until I filled the bars with sand.

I've played with the locations of the straps a bit. Usually keeping the straps tight against the entire hull of the canoe helps. I use the tie down straps sold by Yakima, Thule or NRS. These seem to hum far less than the garden variety of straps sold at the local discount store. It is very important to tie the straps tight against the entire hull exterior.

The foam pad carrying method ends up with the straps only over the bottom of the overturned canoe and then running towards the edges of the doors or windows of the car. This often causes the straps to hum where they contact the canoe. Keels on canoes also help to set up a hum. Thankfully I don't have a keel on any of my canoes. If adjusting the straps doesn't solve your problem, then you might decide to get a roof rack for your van. They are invlauable and a far mor secure method of attaching to the roof.

Finally try to avoid putting the straps around the fattest part of the canoe. I find that when strapped on this way it is very difficult to avoid the hum. I try and put the straps out towards the ends of the canoe. I just adjust the canoe on the roof of the car so that the straps don't wrap around the middle.

Good luck,

Here is a solution to cartopping noise, when the straps are flat they catch the wind just like the reed in a woodwind instrument or a duck call. If you a twist or two in the strap on either side of the canoe it will stop the noise

Did you leave a twist in your straps so that they don't vibrate?