PFD Leashes and Roof Rack Boat Lashes
Several weeks ago, at the Twin Rivers Paddle Club rescue and roll clinic in Martin Marietta Park Lake, I met several people who came to observe. After the class, as I was loading my boat onto the Jeep, they asked me several equipment related questions.
PFD Leashes
The first question was about the hooks and leashes on my life jacket, or personal floatation device [PFD]. In the last four years, I have purchased four high quality PFD’s from Northwest River Supplies [NRS] in Idaho, all because I kept finding more advanced PFD features with better ways to fasten my electronic devices. Of course, attached to the shoulder straps are the whistle and sheath knife.
My GPS is a Garmin Montana 750i, which is abnormally big. I also carry an iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is the largest available cell phone. For carrying pockets, I first used heavy, bulky Army surplus ammunition pouches, because the pockets available on most PFD’s, and the after-market add-on pouches, were too small. I tried attaching the ammo pouches to my PFD, to my deck bag, and to the front deck rigging, but each system did not work in some way.
Every year or so, NRS would come out with a new style PFD with different pockets, and I would buy another one. But the attachment points were weak and poorly designed.
My current (and hopefully last) PFD from NRS is the C-Vest. It is designed for fishing, with two medium size pockets, and two large pockets. Most importantly, it has two sturdy D-rings attached to the two shoulder straps. For anybody wanting to buy a C-Vest, they are now discontinued and selling out. There are a few left in stock. See the picture attached to this article.
I use the D-rings to attach heavy duty brass double clips, and attached to those are springy, expandable leashes. The leashes end in small carabiners which clip to the GPS and phone. The Garmin has a hook built into the case for the carabiner, But for the phone, I had to glue another D-ring to the phone case. While paddling, the two electronic devices ride in the PFD front pockets, and the leashes allow me to pull them out and navigate with them, while protecting them from the risk of me dropping them into deep water and getting lost.
I also carry a VHF marine radio, but only as an emergency backup, so I do not need to pull it out and consult it while paddling. I carry it in my deck bag, with my snack food, water, and poop and pee kit.
Roof Rack Boat Lashes
The rescue class observers’ next questions were about how to load a 50 pound boat over my head onto the Jeep roof racks. I have loaded canoes and kayaks onto vehicle roof racks for 50 years, using about 20 different systems. For my current and best system, see the sequence of pictures attached to this article. Importantly, all the painters (bow and stern ropes) and cross-boat straps are exactly measured, cut and tied or buckled to fit. To move the boats, I do not have to tie or untie any more knots.
First, I lay the boat on the ground with the bow a foot past the Jeep rear tire and the stern directly behind the Jeep. I only lift up one end of the boat at a time, so I only have to deal with half the weight. I set the bow on the rear cross bar kayak saddle, then lift the stern and push the boat forward, until it is even with the front of the Jeep. You can buy roof devices which roll easier, called Hully Rollers. But, I find the boats slide easily enough on the saddles, without the rollers.
The painters are circular loops, which clip into carabiners that I attached permanently to the Jeep front and rear bumper hooks, using metal clamps and plastic zip ties. The length of the painters fit exactly into the carabiners. The cross-boat straps use Ancra buckles, which allow the straps to feed through easily, and then grip like shark teeth, so there is no give and no tightening needed. For extra security, the straps cross over the top of the boat twice, and cross under the racks twice.
While the boat is in use, I run the painters and straps under the bow and stern deck rigging. By good luck – not something that I designed – the ropes and straps fit the length of the bow and stern decks, then clip into the carabiners, without having double wrap them or tie any knots. The same system works on my solo / tandem Dagger canoe.
