Wandering Kayak

Kayaking in the Pacific Northwest

Tag Archives: kayak

Thule Hullavator lift assist kayak rack

Love. Freedom. Hullavator.

The Thule Hullavator has given me the ultimate gift of kayaking freedom! Now I can put my kayak on my Subaru Outback (2012) and go anywhere I want to go without relying on a second person to help load and unload my boat. For this independent paddler, the Thule Hullavator was well worth the investment.

The Thule Hullavator enables you to load your kayak on the side of your car and then provides lift assist for 40 pounds of your kayak’s weight. It works like a dream. I got mine at Olympic Outdoor Center’s, Kayak Pro Shop in Port Gamble, Washington. You can order it online or in the shop. If you are nearby, drive there and they’ll install it for free.

With the Hullavator on my Subaru Outback, the car won’t fit vertically into the garage, so I have to remove the Hullavator “arms/cradles” which seems like it would be difficult to do, but it is actually quite easy. I am 5’3” short and I do not need a step stool to put them on or take them off. It takes me about five minutes to put them on and less time to take off.

Thule Hullavator

Thule Hullavator enables assisted side loading

I have a Current Design Extreme touring kayak that is nearly 19 feet long with the rudder. Because I have to use Thule Hullavator adaptor feet on my Subaru Outback’s rack, the two J racks sit fairly close together so using the bow and stern lines to the car bumpers is a safety necessity when hauling the kayak. I also still have room on roof to carry another touring-style kayak traditionally or have another Thule Hullavator installed.

Kayak loaded with Hullavator

I highly recommend the Thule Hullavator to anyone who wants to more easily load and unload their boat while saving their shoulders and limiting the risk to damaging their kayak in the loading process.

Here’s to freedom to go kayaking anytime, anywhere you want! Thanks, Thule!

Homage to the explorers

Lion's Mane Jelly I found exploring Puget Sound

Lion’s Mane Jelly I found exploring Puget Sound

When you share an endless stream of jellyfish photos, people start asking what you owe your fascination of sea creatures to … here’s a quick homage to the explorers.

In addition to great family camping adventures, a sailboat, and an adventurous dad, I grew up watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (remember Marlin Perkins?) and National Geographic. As a kid, I’d sit cross-legged in front of the TV with my family glued to the images from far corners of the world and the creatures that inhabited them. I was hooked. I was curious. And I wondered. What would it be like to really see a pod of Orcas or see a great white shark in the wild?

Here’s to the explorers, the photographers and the storytellers who are the curiosity builders that inspired my curiosity of the sea and the world around me. Secretly, I still dream of being a National Geographic photographer, or working on a video crew in the wild somewhere. In the meantime, I play with my GoPro and paddle around Puget Sound delighting in the sea life around me.