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 Manalapan - Jamesburg
( 40.34349, -74.43143 )

  1. Brainerd Lake - Cranbury ( 40.31113, -74.51178 )
  2. Dallenbach Pond ( 40.41254, -74.44296 )
  3. Davidson's Mill Pond - East Brunswick ( 40.41117, -74.49789 )
  4. Farrington Lake - East Brunswick (C) ( 40.42465, -74.47680 )
  5. Farrington Lake - East Brunswick (N) ( 40.43900, -74.46646 )
  6. Farrington Lake - East Brunswick (S) ( 40.42201, -74.48242 )
  7. Helmetta Pond ( 40.37817, -74.42657 )
  8. Lake Manalapan - Jamesburg ( 40.34525, -74.43662 )
  9. Lake Weamaconk - Englishtown ( 40.29140, -74.35704 )
  10. Millstone River - Cranbury (E) ( 40.29359, -74.52675 )
  11. Rocky Brook - Hightstown ( 40.27108, -74.52353 )
  12. South River - Old Bridge ( 40.41228, -74.36362 )

This is about the smallest body of water I would consider – more of a pond than a lake. But it is a nice place. Access could not be easier, the parking lot goes right down to the water. If you live nearby, it is a good place for a quick ‘dip’. To go a little farther, you can hop over the railroad tracks and get into the far section and a little ways up the byzantine creek that fills the lake.

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