Dear Kayak Yak - Transporting Your Kayak

Dear Kayak Yak,
I've seen lots of kayaks on vehicles, but with the rainy July we've had, I've been wondering if there is a way of transporting kayaks that prevents the seats from getting wet if it rains. I know you can get neoprene cockpit covers that are similar to hatch covers, but new kayaking gear can get pretty expensive. (I already had to sell my dog and one kidney to afford a new paddle!) Is there a cheaper alternative?
Yours,
Wet in Whistler

Dear Wet
Yes, new gear is very expensive, but recently Alison came up with a cheap transporting idea to save herself from a wet seat on a rainy day.

Dear Kayak Yak Yak
Normally, I only carry one kayak on my roof rack, but recently I also carried an additional kayak belonging to a friend. It was a tight fit and the two kayaks were rubbing together. Is there any way to help prevent the kayaks from being damaged further if I have to carry another kayak again?
Sincerely,
Hosed in Hope

Dear Hosed,
Socks.
Yes, socks. You may not believe it, but socks could be the most important thing you carry in your kayak. First, they keep your feet warm. They can also be used in a first aid situation as a towel or bandage. You can use them to check wind speed and direction. Finally, they can even be used as food during an emergency (mind you, they do require a lot of cooking).
But to answer your question, socks are also very important when loading your kayaks and can prevent them from rubbing together if you follow these simple directions.
First, you steal a sock from Bernie. Then, once you've loaded one kayak, you attach the sock as you can see in the photo below.


Thus when you load the second kayak, the sock prevents the two kayaks from rubbing together!

And there you have it! Two kayaks on a small car! One sock made all the difference!

Dear Kayak Yak Yak,
There's been a lot of lightning storms around this year. Is it safe to go kayaking during a thunderstorm?
Yours,
Vexed in Vanderhoof

Dear Vexed,
Lightning can be very dangerous and NOAA recommends that "if you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately!"
Our own Bernie tried kayaking during a recent lightning storm. Fortunately the lightning did not strike him until he was on shore, otherwise a great paddle could have been ruined!