Ceiling kayak storage

  • This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 6 days, 4 hours ago by Roberto Dominguez.
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  • September 14, 2026 at 8:35 am #28897
    Roberto Dominguez
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    Hi,

    Running out of space for my kayaks in my garage, so I am wondering if anybody can share their experience with ceiling storage? electric hoists?

    Roberto

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  • September 14, 2026 at 5:27 pm #28903
    Roberto Dominguez

    Thanks Steve, that may actually work!

    I have a double garage, and while the beam goes across the car spots, making it difficult to hoist along side, I am just realizing that I can put the system across the spots as well… which also gives me the length I need for the 21 1/2 ft I need for my tandem boat!

    Roberto

    September 14, 2026 at 4:00 pm #28902
    Steve Best

    Hi Roberto,

    I use the Harken Hoister 4-point system, available at MEC. Lots of mechanical advantage, don’t need an electric hoist.

    https://www.harken.com/en/shop/garage-storage/?srsltid=AfmBOoqcXKJpt_vw1666kmiAFPNvwb8SQLUc0l6H2UkOn_F29CyBX10y

    In my old double garage I had to turn it 90 degrees to avoid the overhead door in the raised position.  That might work with avoiding your beam. In my new single car custom-built garage I installed outswing doors and can drop my two kayaks right onto the roof racks.

    September 14, 2026 at 10:50 am #28900
    edwin torillo

    Have you tried a 3:1 ratio system by adding either pulleys and carabiners?  It helps slow down the line.

    September 14, 2026 at 10:01 am #28899
    Roberto Dominguez

    Thanks John for your feedback.

    Height is not a problem, the garage is fair tall ~15ft. However I forgot to mention that there is a beam going across the ceiling, so a standard pulley system with the cable line going horizontally from pulley to pulley would not work out of the box.

    Good point on the effort on getting the boat up and down, my concern is more about the risk of dropping it rather than the effort itself… that’s one of the advantage of an electric motor, not just the convenience.

    Roberto

     

    September 14, 2026 at 9:23 am #28898
    John White

    Hi Roberto,

    I have installed and used two of these manual rope and pulley systems for storing kayaks in my garage, and while they do work, they have some limitations:

    1. Takes quite a bit of effort to hoist the boat, and

    2. you need a high ceiling. If your garage ceiling is an 8ft ceiling you will find you won’t have much or any headroom to walk under the boat. This is due to the reliance on straps from the hook that pass under the boat in addition to the pulleys etc.

    If you can hook directly to the kayak you’ll gain some space but if you use the bow and stern handholds/eyelets, but it probably isn’t idea for the boat as it’s better to support it 1/3 in from each end for long term storage.

    John

     

     

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