Note: New Jersey law requires the wearing of a PFD from November 1 through May 1.

Tie-Downs

To transport your kayak, you'll need some way of securing it, whether on a roof rack, truck bed, or trailer. I recommend the type of tie-down strap shown above, with hooks on the ends, and cam buckles, not ratchets. Ratchets are a pain in the ass, and you don't need all that much force anyway. In fact, you don't want too much force, your boat is only made of plastic!

When it comes to tie-downs, more is better. On the truck rack, I use four per boat - two to secure it fore-and-aft, and two to secure it side-to-side. If you're good at puzzles, you could figure out how to do it all with just two, but I don't like to think that hard, and tie-downs like this are cheap. In the truck bed, two would do, but I have four, so I use them all. Especially on the highway with high wind loads, you will never regret using extra tie-downs.

Your tie-downs should be at least as long as your boat, so you can reach from anywhere to anywhere else, or have plenty of length to wrap around things. Light-duty tie-downs are perfectly adequate - you're not trying to crush your boat or pull the handles off !!! An inexpensive set of four should run you under $20.

Don't forget to secure the paddle as well, and the seatback. And don't trust the bungie cords to hold your PFD in place at 70 miles an hour!


Lake Lefferts
( 40.41181, -74.24096 )

  1. Lake Lefferts - Matawan ( 40.41563, -74.23362 )
  2. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (E) ( 40.45089, -74.22033 )
  3. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (W) ( 40.45216, -74.22269 )
  4. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (Whale Creek) ( 40.45090, -74.22274 )
  5. Raritan Bay - Keyport (E) ( 40.44095, -74.19534 )
  6. Raritan Bay - Keyport (W) ( 40.43921, -74.20160 )
  7. Raritan Bay - Laurence Harbor (E) ( 40.45877, -74.24622 )
  8. Raritan Bay - Laurence Harbor (W) ( 40.46223, -74.25482 )
  9. Wagner's Marina - Matawan Creek ( 40.43540, -74.21416 )

Lake Lefferts is a man-made lake, the result of the construction in 1928 of Lake Lefferts Dam, which captures and stores the flow of Matawan Creek. This is the nicest spot in northern Monmouth County. The lake is in three parts:

  • The lower part that contains the dam and the launch area and extends up to the Route 34 bridge. This part is fairly deep and free of obstructions.
  • The upper part from Route 34 to Route 516. This part is much shallower and weedy, especially at the far end.
  • An unusable section beyond Route 516. This part is pretty much just mud. It may look like water, but trust me - don't go there.