Do-it-Yourself Canoe Rack

Improperly storing a canoe, especially a plastic canoe, can cause the hull to deform or bend, which causes a decrease in performance. To help prevent a damaged hull, store the canoe on a homemade rack. A good rack supports the hull near each of the seats and spreads the load evenly between both gunwales, the rails running from the bow to the stern. A T-style rack anchors into the ground with cement and holds six canoes.

Things You'll Need

  • Shovel
  • 2 posts, 4-inch by 4-inch, 9 feet long
  • 4 bags ready-mix concrete
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Level
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • 2 boards, 2-inch by 4-inch, 8 feet long
  • Drill
  • 1/2-inch drill bit
  • 6 boards, 2-inch by 6-inch, 6 feet long
  • 6 bolts, 1/2-inch by 6-inch
  • 6 washers, 1/2-inch
  • 12 metal bars with holes in each end, 18-inch
  • 24 deck screws, 2-inch
  • 9 screw-in eye bolts
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dig two holes 8 feet apart and 3 feet deep in a site away from any obstructions. Find an area clear enough to maneuver your canoe without hitting anything.

    • 2

      Place a post into each hole. Adjust the hole's depth so that each post sticks out 6 feet.

    • 3

      Mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow according to the directions.

    • 4

      Level the posts and fill the holes with concrete. Make sure to keep the posts level. Temporarily support the posts with several 2-inch by 4-inch boards. Hammer the nails in partway to make them easy to remove. Let the concrete cure according to the directions. Once cured, remove the supports.

    • 5

      Make a mark every 2 feet starting from the top of each post.

    • 6

      Drill a 1/2-inch hole in the center of each 2-inch by 6-inch board. Hold a board with its top even with one of the marks you made and perpendicular to the post. Level its top, and drive a lag bolt with a washer on it through the hole into the post. You won't need to drill a hole into the post because the lag will screw into it. Be careful as the head of the lag bolt nears the wood. Applying too much force can sheer the bolt's head off.

    • 7

      Install diagonal support braces between post and each side of 2-inch by 6-inch board. Hold the metal bar between the post and the board at a 45-degree angle. Screw a deck screw into the hole at each end. Repeat for each board.

    • 8

      Add tie-down points by hand-screwing eye bolts into each end and the center of each board.