Need ideas for Canoe storage

Leah Frances

This fall we acquired two canoes.* They have been residing on my lawn all winter; but now that spring is here I need to devise another storage option for the good of my grass. I am thinking about some sort of rack.

- it will be outside;
- it can be up against the outside of my garage, but I don't want the exterior garage wall to be the primary structural support;
- One canoe is quite light, a wenonah - 60lbs;
- the other is a monster, and old school Old Town Tripper, over 100lbs;

Thoughts? I can easily manage cutting and assembly, but I need some ideas about design and structural capacity.


*We bought the wenonah used from a guy off craigs list in October. My in-laws decided in November that they wanted to give us their Old Town. Not that I ever look a gift horse in the face, but I really don't need two canoes. I'd sell the Old Town, but that is not an option.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

High Gear

It have somewhat similar canoes a "freighter " discovery old town and a Curtis solo tripper.

Any chance they could go in the garage ?

I used to hang them between ceiling joists .at my old place.

I used two 2x4's ( spaced several feet apart) with enclosed eye hooks

and 4 lenghs of rope from above with open eye hooks attached.

The canoes would rest upside down on the 2x4's and you would just

disconnect the eye hooks to release them.


That freighters a fun for long trips and bringing the creature comforts ,

portaging not so much heh heh.

The wenonah got to make you smile with there responsiveness.

ratherbefishin'

Leah, just set a 6x6 post close to the garage, then build two open frame platforms the width of the canoes and about 4-5' long. Bolt the platforms to the side of the post at appropriate heights...voila...minimal footprint. Just make sure the bottom one is high enough to allow clearance for your lawnmower.

You've reminded me that I still need to do something besides folding sawhorses for my T-17 Michicraft. Dang it, too many projects, never enough time

Leah Frances

In the garage is not an option for two reasons
1) Garage isn't really used for this sort of storage. Mostly working on cars.
2) Garage ceiling is only 7 feet tall

Thanks for the ideas. I want to get this done next week.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

tcleve4911

Just a couple of ideas

High Gear

My garage was probably only 7' also , the canoes were virtually flush with the bottom of the ceiling joists ( parallel to ,open ceiling , not dry walled )

If you have cane seats and wood thwarts , rails, they hold up much better out of the weather.

Leah Frances

Yeah. We don't have an open ceiling, so hanging isn't an option. We don't have any organic materials so I am not worries about rot. I am planning on covering the canoes to keep the canoes out of the sun and weather.

I found a pic (copyrighted and protected or I'd post it here) of a pair of super-sized, double decker, sawhorses. I think this will be easy to build, portable, and can stand alone.

BTW
- There's a guy in my neighborhood who stores his canoe on his picnic table.
- looking online I found lots of people with bigger canoe problems than I have (one guy owns 12).

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

2TallTary

i just built a overhang and hung them from the ceiling http://www.iplasticsupply.com/wp-con...1/03/canoe.jpg

Leah Frances

Looks NICE! What supports your overhang. I couldn't tell from the pic. Is it fixed to the fence?

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.