# Garage Pulley System for Kayaks or Rocket Box



## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Found this:

http://www.krabach.info/kayak_hoist/hoist.html

My dad used the harken hoist system and it is sweet.


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## CUBuffskier (Jul 7, 2005)

This is awesome! And very helpful. Thanks


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## soylent green (Jul 8, 2004)

I use a bike hoist that I bought at Home Despot. It works perfectly for about $20.


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## JeremyTheMonster (Jul 12, 2010)

Yeah, not sure you're going to rig up something with rope and d-rings + pulleys any cheaper than: Amazon.com: Racor PBH-1R Ceiling-Mounted Bike Lift: Home Improvement + your existing cam straps.


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## bigben (Oct 3, 2010)

come on, you call yourself a boater!?! just ghetto rig that shit!!! ;-)
cam straps and a few i-bolts in the ceiling and your good to go. 
used to have a 16 ft udisco slung from my moms garage ceiling like that (rope instead of cams tho). worked great


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## mafro (Sep 17, 2009)

Eye bolts and webbing/rope with a trucker's hitch on the bow and stern seems like the most basic option. Proceed to the kayak hoist system above if you need to move an economy-size sedan.


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

You gotta see my hoist system. 12' frame, dryboxes, coolers, pontoons, etc. Harbor freight electric hoist. Ill post pics tomorrow


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## DeeGardiner (Jun 18, 2009)

I built my hoist systems with parts from Home Depot. My first kayak hoist used pulleys, eye bolts, and rope, but not in a block and tackle configuration (1x). It was harder to hoist the kayak than I expected due to the friction on the ropes.

My next two hoists used a 2x block and tackle configuration much like the one shown in that krabach link posted earlier. Rather than use a Prusik knot to tie it off, I mounted one of the forked anchors (forgot the name) like they use on sail boats and flag poles - I just figure 8 the rope around the anchor a few times. Works great.

For my oaring frames I used to use a geared hand winch (like on the front of a boat trailer). It was a pain to crank up, and it would not lift straight so I had to keep shifting the load.

I have replaced the winch with some eye bolts and four 1" cam straps - the kind that have a carabiner at one end. I hook up one end and pull down on the two straps to lift the frame. I then hook up the other end and hoist it up. You need to be careful so it doesn't swing away from you, but I can now easily hang the frame by myself. Lowering it is even easier.


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## Swank (Jun 20, 2009)

I was going to also say grab one of the $20 bike hoisting kits at a home improvement store. I think I've even seen them at Target and Walmart.


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## snakester (Apr 24, 2011)

bigben said:


> come on, you call yourself a boater!?! just ghetto rig that shit!!! ;-)
> cam straps and a few i-bolts in the ceiling and your good to go.
> used to have a 16 ft udisco slung from my moms garage ceiling like that (rope instead of cams tho). worked great


You still have that boat? I have a 16' Udisco. The Disco Queen. :smile:Sa-WEET. I need some more patching material.


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

I'd say go look at the $20 bike hoist and then go to the hardware store and buy the components for $10.


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## skipowpow (Mar 1, 2011)

I have a couple of the bike hoists as well a a couple of hardware store pulleys and rope setups. What I like about the prebuilt hoist systems is that it has a self arrest that makes it a little easier for controlled raising and lowering.


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

Bikehoist will work fine if the load is balanced otherwise will want to raise and lower unevenly. Probably work great through handles on kayak


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## CUBuffskier (Jul 7, 2005)

16.48 seems like it would be hard to beat!


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## hkbeliever (Nov 6, 2008)

the self arrest feature is why I went back to the bike pulley. Cheap easy and as far as the uneven load...it still evens out at the top and bottom. I use them for three kayaks and rocket box.


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## Ryanrugger (Jun 7, 2005)

Harbor freight has bike hoists for cheap. I keep my burn and superstar up in my garage and it works great!


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## CBrown (Oct 28, 2004)

Avatard said:


> You gotta see my hoist system. 12' frame, dryboxes, coolers, pontoons, etc. Harbor freight electric hoist. Ill post pics tomorrow


Im curious to see that.


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

Unistruct bolted (3/8x4" lags predrilled pilots into floor joists. These span across ceiling

Welded unistruct members to divide corner load points across 4 bolts/2 joists

2:1 pulleys to slow down lift speed and reduce rope tension by 50%

Long 18' run to hoist across beam in garage

So its not complete yet. Just added second support to hoist smaller frame with pontoons ( first) and then when anchored to ceiling i use the hoist with much larger frame coolers and dryboxes

The really heavy stuff i dont hoist for obvios reasons. I figure overall capacity with high margin of safety is about 1000lbs


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## bigben (Oct 3, 2010)

yo snakester. yeah man i still got that old tub. hasn't been used in years. pretty much made out of swiss cheese at this point!! 
if you need patching material i'll trade it to ya for a case of beer or somethin


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## soylent green (Jul 8, 2004)

Avatard said:


> Bikehoist will work fine if the load is balanced otherwise will want to raise and lower unevenly. Probably work great through handles on kayak


DO NOT hang your boat from the handles. Especially if you have shitty Pyrhana plastic. It will flex over time and eventually crack. Throw a camstrap around the boat and hang it from that. I know this from experience.


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## snakester (Apr 24, 2011)

bigben said:


> yo snakester. yeah man i still got that old tub. hasn't been used in years. pretty much made out of swiss cheese at this point!!
> if you need patching material i'll trade it to ya for a case of beer or somethin


 For sure dude, I'm interested in taking it off your hands. let's work out some kind of deal.


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