DIY Plan for a Wooden Canoe Rack

There are a wide variety of ways to build a wooden canoe rack. Racks can range from simple post and wide crossbeam assemblies to T-shaped racks that hold up to eight canoes in a vertical stack. They can be leaned up against the garage, A-frames that stand in the yard or slings that hang from the eaves of the garage. Here are some suggestions for how to plan a wooden canoe rack.

  1. How Many

    • The most obvious thing to consider is how many canoes you need to rack. If you've only got one or two, a simple L bracket screwed to a garage wall makes a handy rack. For two or three, a freestanding A-frame rack works well. For six to eight boats, a T rack with several cross members is versatile. If you have a wide variety of sizes and a varying number of boats, a low post and crossbeam rack gives you versatility and the ability to nest boats to increase the numbers. Below are brief descriptions of each of these easy-to-construct wooden canoe racks.

    Wall Rack

    • If you only have a boat or two, screw a couple of L brackets to the side of the garage about 10 feet apart. Screw a three-foot 2-by-4 to the top of each bracket, pad with foam or carpet scraps, and you have a shelf you can set your canoe on.

    Making an A Frame

    • Simply build an A-frame, swing-set-looking wooden structure. Extend the crosspieces of the As so they extend a foot or two outside the frame legs. Bungee the boats on the outside leaned against the frame legs and resting on the outside extensions of the crosspieces. A third boat can sit inside the frame on the crosspieces. This one's easy to build.

    T Rack

    • This one is built on two tall posts about 10 feet apart sitting in postholes that have been filled with concrete. Bolt six- to eight-foot 2-by-6 cross members to the poles starting a foot off the ground and continuing two feet apart up to the top of the pole. Angle-brace the cross members for strength. Next, pad the cross members and sit the canoes on the crosspieces. Tie down with bungees.

    Flat Rack

    • This simple rack is made with four short posts cemented into the ground in a 10-foot square. The posts should stick up about one to two feet depending on the site. Cut two 12-foot 2-by12s and bolt them to the sides of the post parallel to one another. Attach some padding on top of the crossbeams and you're ready to rack up your canoes, kayaks and sailboards. The flat rack is easy to load and by nesting the canoes, you can pile more canoes onto it.

    Weather Protection

    • The sun and exposure to weather can damage canoe hulls made of plastic and fiberglass and corrode metal fittings. To add protection from the elements, simply throw a tarpaulin over the top and secure it with bungee cords to keep off the sun and rain.