One BIG WIN of this week is that I FINALLY managed to figure out how to strap stuff to my roof bars securely!
It's not the heaviest or largest of loads, but trust me, for me it's a big deal getting these poles strapped on (oo er!):
I need these 2.5 metre Eucalyptus poles for my cabin in Alpedrinha - they're just the perfect supports (along with a 200 year old Cork Oak) for a very large triangular sun sail (shade) I intend to put up before it starts to get really hot in the summer months, and I had to transport them from my land in Aranhas which is a 30 minute drive away.
My first attempt at strapping these poles to my roof three weeks ago - they were already cut, in my inherited storage barn - ended in a dismal failure. I basically just wound two of my then brand new ratchet straps around the roof bars and poles, but on checking their taughtness realised there was quite a lot of movement, then failed to figure out how to undo them and so just cut them off in frustration, leaving the poles in Aranhas and a pile of butchered ratchet strap on the floor of the car!
Fast forward three weeks (trauma takes a while to get over) and I hit on the strategy of just ratcheting through the windows rather than 'around' the roof bars, and it worked a treat - which is precisely what ratchet straps are designed for:
On 'ratcheting up' (correctly this time) I got that nice 'ping' sound when I strummed them - different tones on each side as they weren't quite central - closer to the edge side of the road rather than the oncoming traffic - seemed safer.
NB this was after a bit of a practice session with some other wood during which I finally learned which way around to have the straps at first, and how to actually feed them through the mechanism AND (importantly) how to release them!
I bought a pack of four straps originally, ruined two in my first 'impatient' experience (first day on the land, I wanted to 'harvest' something!) but I could only find one of the remaining two - I'm sure the other one will turn up!?!?
The ratchet straps 'cinched' the poles to the bars, but I couldn't trust this to stop lateral movement, so I also use bungees and cord (with a bowline, how cool am I ?!?!) to deal with that:
I did experiment with paracord, but that was too slippy - so I've hit on cheap regular twine, it does the job and sticks quite nicely.
I then tied a little luminous ribbon to the end - so at least I got some legitimate use of that butchered strap:
And I also realised that it comes in handy in the rear view mirror - if it moves and especially if it disappears, you know your load isn't secure!
As it transpired, the load was very secure for the entire 30 minute journey - even when I got back to Alpedrinha when I shook the poles, the car shook along with it, which is what you want.
HOWEVER, when I took the ratchet strap off, the chord and the bungees alone did allow for some movement from the poles - so hats off to the ratchet straps!
All I need to do now is find my other strap and I'm ready to pile more wood on the roof bars in the future!
Which is just as well, because I have the urge to build shit!