Another successful Hoister install! 
Storage at ceiling level is a great way to protect your kayak, and to keep things clean and neat. 
This is a one-person, one-rope operation. A built-in safety cleat automatically grabs the rope if it
slips from your hand. 
The Harken Hoister lifts your kayak evenly, no matter how unevenly the load is distributed. |
What a great piece of kayak gear I received for Christmas! I had put the Harken Hoister
on my "what I want" list and I actually got it!
This device consists of a rope and pulley system to lift your kayak, canoe, truck canopy or what have you,
up to the ceiling of your garage or wherever you have space for overhead storage.
Harken is a world leader in sailboat rigging and this kit contains quality components. It has pulleys,
eyebolts, a central dual sheave rope organizer, straps with buckles, and ropes already threaded through
a block and tackle assembly. Within the block and tackle assembly is an automatic spring-loaded cleat that
stops the kayak from falling should you lose your grip. The Hoister is an easy one-person, one-rope block
and tackle system that can evenly raise/lower your kayak up to 10 feet high.
The directions are a little less detailed than I would like, but I had no difficulty following them.
The installation went well. It took a couple of hours, plus an hour or so of fine tuning rope lengths.
About the only tools you'll need are a drill and, depending on the layout of your ceiling, joists (2 each),
2 x 4's, some lag bolts and a stud finder.
You'll be up and down a ladder or step stool a few times measuring the layout, installing lag and eyebolts,
hanging pulleys, routing rope and tying off the rope to the straps. Once it's installed, all you do is
pull the rope and your kayak hoists with minimal effort.
It would be really slick if you had enough room to park your vehicle right under the storage area and
simply lift the kayak on and off the roof rack. Unfortunately, my garage is too low. What I do is lower
the kayak about five feet onto stands, and from there hoist it onto the roof rack of my truck.
If you've been thinking about ceiling storage, this is the one! The Harken Hoister is simple to install,
easy to use, and works great!
Terry Gowler— vice president of the Hole in the Wall
Paddling Club, San Juan Islands, Washington State
