How to Build a Wooden Kayak Storage Rack

Dig two post holes 10 feet apart. Dig a second pair of post holes 10 feet apart parallel to and 5 feet from the first pair. Dig the holes 2 feet deep, wider at the bottom than at the top. Do this by angling your post hole digger as you strike so that the cutting edge widens the bottom of the hole without cutting away at the sides. This produces a more stable base for the posts.

Saw the posts into 4-foot lengths if they aren't already that length. Place them in the holes and lay the two 12-foot 2-by-12s temporarily on top of the pairs of posts. Use the spirit level and the boards to level the posts by adding dirt under the posts or digging the holes deeper. If the ground itself is level, the tops of the posts should be level at 2 feet above the surface. You can level the pairs of posts with each other, if you want, but unless the ground is very steep, it doesn't matter much if the boats aren't perfectly level when resting on the cross members. If you do level the post pairs, start with the lower pair and raise the posts a few inches, then level the pair that are higher on the slope.

Mix two bags of concrete in a wheelbarrow for each hole. Pour the concrete mix into each hole, making sure the posts remain vertical. Allow the posts to set and cure overnight.

Drill 3/8-inch pilot holes one foot from each end of the 2-by-12 boards in the center of the boards after checking again to make sure that the 10-foot distance between these pilot holes will match the center-to-center distance between the post pairs. Drill matching pilot holes in the posts so that the top edges of the 2-by-12 boards will be level with the tops of the posts on the long side, and lag screw the 2-by-12 boards to the sides of the post pairs on the side facing away from the opposite pair of posts.

Cut two 20-foot lengths of fire hose. You may be able to obtain old fire hose by contacting your local fire department about purchasing some retired fire hoses. Screw one end of a 20-foot fire hose to the end of a 2-by-12 board using a galvanized screw and washer. The hose should lie flat along the top edge of the board. Push up an 8-inch segment of hose to make a bump, and drive another screw and washer through the hose. Continue making a series of bumps in the hose with a screw between each bump. Make them about the same size, working along the cross member until you reach the end. Trim off the excess hose. This row of canvas bumps will help protect the hulls of your boats from bumping when they rest on the rack. Repeat with the other cross member and hose. Though not as effective a solution, if you can't obtain fire hose you can wrap strips of carpet over the tops of the boards.

Space seven eye screws approximately 2 feet apart, evenly spaced across the outside front of each cross member. These will provide tie-down points for the boats on the rack. Don't worry about the eye screws' positions relative to the canvas bumps on top.