Connecticut Coastal Kayaking - memories of CONNYAK and MASK trips

Thimble Islands (2010)

Mystic CT (2006)

Around the time I started sea kayaking in the early-90s, I encountered few other paddlers on the water in the western end of Long Island Sound. Plenty of motor and sail boaters, but few (if any) other paddlers. To find other sea kayakers, for reasons of camaraderie and safety, I combed through the advert sections of magazines (ACK, Sea Kayaker), checked brochures at local paddling shops, and inquired of folks I encountered during kayak instruction classes, pool sessions, etc. I quickly became aware of the two principal sea kayaking clubs in my region -  MASK (the Metropolitan Association of Sea Kayakers) and CONNYAK (Connecticut Sea Kayakers). Yes, there were other paddling clubs in the area (Sebago Canoe Club in Queens, Touring Kayak Club on City Island, and Long Island Paddlers may have been around then) but these other clubs were either more locally-focused or had membership requirements as a condition of joining trips.  By contrast, MASK and ConnYak were open to all and advertised paddling trips further afield throughout Connecticut and New York so were just what I was looking for.

The mid-90's being pre-internet days, I relied on monthly (or quarterly) paper newsletters from MASK and ConnYak sent via snail-mail.  These newsletters typically included short articles on paddling and most critically their list of upcoming paddling trips. Trip calendars had to be published and mailed months in advance – so we all waited for these newsletters with great eagerness.

MASK: I only attended a few MASK paddles and perhaps one or two club meetings which were fun events that sometimes included guest speakers.  I remember “Captain Al” Ysaguirre being a lead organizing figure and the club having a strong Greenland paddling bent. Although very active for years, I believe MASK is now inactive, hopefully it will come back to life (formerly at www.seacanoe.org).

CONNYAK: Regarding ConnYak, I paddled with them a lot over the years.  Am not sure how I initially hooked up with ConnYak – could have been through Norwalk’s Small Boat Shop (another hugely prominent force in the local sea kayak scene, now closed, RIP) or from people I met at rolling sessions I attended early on with AMC’s whitewater paddling chapter at the YMCA pool in Stamford, CT.  ConnYak was, and remains, a fantastic resource for paddlers eager to explore the varied habitats and conditions of coastal Connecticut.  One thing I will say is that the membership of ConnYak, and therefore the location of most trips, was (is) mostly comprised of individuals from central and eastern Connecticut. So as a Westchester County paddler I was a bit of an anomaly.  I had to do a lot of driving East - which was fine, I paddled the western end of the Sound on my own all the time so enthusiastically looked eastwards for variety.  Later, in the 2000’s, I hooked up with a rough water "subgroup" of ConnYak who focused on paddling out of Stonington CT, around Napatree Point and the Fishers Island tide races - places I became very familiar with while paddling with Atlantic Kayak Tours (AKT) in the early 2000's.

Connyak’s a great, open resource – their website has replaced newsletters and they’ve put all their launch sites on the web – an excellent resource: CONNYAK Launch Sites

Atlantic Kayak Tours

For in-depth sea kayak training in the NY Metro Area, the only real game in town back when I started paddling in the 90's was Atlantic Kayak Tours run by husband and wife team Bill and Janice Lozano.  Bill was an early convert to the BCU system, the only 5 Star Paddler in the area at that time, and BCU’s North American Administrator for many years.  During much of the time I paddled with AKT, Janice was leading many (if not most) of the trips and handled the day to day business while Bill focused on setting up their Paddle Sports Center at Annsville Creek (Peekskill NY).   To this day, Bill and Janice have a unique passion for the sport and love sharing their passion with others.  This business of theirs, that they've run for more than 30 years, and their infectious enthusiasm for the sport have been huge gifts to so many sea kayakers.

So when I started paddling more seriously, AKT was THE PLACE to learn. I had done a lot of paddling on my own initially, with instruction from many different places and instructors.  Later, some years into the sport, I got serious about learning the best way to do things. And indeed had to "unlearn" some things as well. With the help of AKT, I was able to really develop my skills and eventually got my 4 Star Sea and Coach 2T awards. Around 2004 (?) Bill asked me to join the AKT staff to help lead trips and as a sea kayak coach. Although I was only able to be an active staff member there for maybe 5-6 years, it was the highlight of my time sea kayaking.  It’s impossible to overstate how important teaching others and being responsible for the happiness and safety of paying customers is in rapidly improving one’s own paddling knowledge and leadership skills.  When one has to teach how to properly execute strokes hundreds of times and when things like rescues and towing happen often out of necessity, not as part of an exercise, you can pack tons of valuable sea kayaking experience into a short amount of time.

I always remember my days paddling with AKT fondly. Their emphasis on core paddling skills and having FUN on the water really sets them apart. And the central personalities of Bill and Janice have added greatly to the success of their business, and I think to the popularity and development of sea kayaking in the NY Metro region.

Check out their "expert center" for superior tips on paddling skills, boat maintenance, etc.: AKT Expert Center

A few photos:

Crew ready to head out - North Fork Long Island!

Bill at Brigantine, NJ

Hudson Highlands w/ Becky

Chuck and Jim -  instruction class on Hudson

What to do with the Knees? Alternative Sea Kayak Cockpit Designs

Ah, the perpetual debate.  Every sea kayaker will have an opinion and a preference about this, and that preference may change over time.  I was happy with an “ocean” cockpit for many years, moved from looser-fitting boats to tighter fitting ones, then back again.  My thoughts on four general categories of cockpit design below.

1. Knees under in the Middle (Ocean, Greenland)
2. Knees under out to the Side (Standard Keyhole)
3. Open or Exposed (Epic, West Coast)
4. Knees under but High (Keyhole Compromise)

1. Knees under in the Middle (Greenland or Ocean Cockpit)

Pros: boat control in rough water; potential for improved forward paddling form 
Cons: increased effort during entry/exit

Traditional Greenland sea kayaks intended for open water use typically had small, round cockpits to keep the water out and to facilitate the attachment of a seal skin spray skirt or Tuilik.  The first British fiberglass kayaks copied this traditional or “ocean cockpit” design.  It’s a cockpit style that has fallen out of fashion in recent years. The ocean cockpit allows placement of the knees anywhere along the underside of the deck and is often paired with a knee tube or centrally-placed foam block glued under the deck to allow contact points for your knees for boat control.  I used a fairly roomy ocean cockpit on a VCP Pintail kayak exclusively for many years and preferred it over keyhole cockpits for these reasons – more comfort, better forward paddling ergonomics with legs out straight (not bent Indian-style), and excellent boat control with the knees gripping the central foam block.  The downside is the extra struggle to get in and out of an ocean cockpit, which requires shimmying in from the back deck while bracing with the paddle at the shoreline. Not an insignificant annoyance but one that's acceptable to many.

Even smaller ocean cockpits with lower decks are common on today's Greenland-inspired kayaks, whether skin-on-frame, wood, or fiberglass. These  allow for an even lower knee position which can reduce the up-down movement of the legs and so can limit torso rotation during forward paddling.  But as anyone who paddles a Greenland boat will tell you, their low decks provide superior contact points for boat control.  One school of thought is that the Inuit did not employ much torso rotation during forward paddling, but instead relied on low strokes and “breaking the box” arm movements, meaning bending the elbows more (i.e. the paddle shaft does not remain in-line with the shoulders as much during the forward stroke as compared to the European-style forward stroke). When paired with a Greenland paddle, this less dynamic way of forward paddling may be easier on the spine over the long haul and makes sense when one considers that native peoples needed to maintain a life’s time of paddling to survive.

2. Knees under out to the Side (Standard Keyhole)

Pros: boat control in rough water; speed/safety when existing during rough water landings
Cons: may restrict forward paddling form and forces

Sea kayaks began borrowing the keyhole cockpit designs first introduced in whitewater boats, which provide firm and typically low grip areas for the thighs. Edging the kayak and C-to-C rolling with such a setup is fantastic due to the leverage provided by having the knees out to the side “Indian-style”.  Another advantage to the keyhole design is the ability to get the legs out of the boat quickly at the shoreline, providing an added measure of safety during exposed landings.

The problem with the standard keyhole cockpit comes in the forward paddling department. Kayak manufacturers play around with the height of the cockpit coaming’s thigh braces or “thigh hooks”.  Setting them low provides a tight fit and immediate response, while setting them higher allows room to pump the legs a little bit when forward paddling. But either way, with the standard keyhole cockpit’s Indian-style knee position the “line of force” from your hips down the legs to the feet is not a straight line. As compared to ocean cockpit or open cockpit boats (discussed below), the angled leg position necessitated by the keyhole cockpit design reduces the effectiveness of torso rotation and the transfer of force from your body to the footpegs/footplate during the forward stroke.  But for most rough-water sea kayakers, the keyhole cockpit is a reasonable trade-off that creates a boat that is just as maneuverable (controllable) as an ocean cockpit-equipped boat with the added benefit that one can easily get in and out of it without a lot of gymnastics.

3. Open or Exposed (Epic, West Coast)

Pros: improved forward paddling, freedom of movement
Cons: boat control in rough water

American-style (i.e. West Coast) kayaks were initially made with bigger cockpits for use in protected waters. Sitting in such a kayak, the knees can be kept together in the center and up above the cockpit rim while paddling but, when necessary, the knees can be tucked under the sides of the cockpit to edge and control the boat.  This cockpit style does not provide substantial thigh hooks so lacks the positive leg-to-deck contact points found in the keyhole cockpit shape.  But these boats do gain one key advantage - with the wider cockpit opening they can be paddled in a knees-up position similar to surf skis or to K1 racing boats. Some even come with a central foot plate so that the feet can be kept together rather than out to the sides on footpegs.  These elements are of great benefit when forwarding padding. Epic's sea kayaks (inspired by surf skis) fall into this category as do older designs such as the Necky Arluk/Tesla, the Current Designs Solstice, and others – there were many kayaks with open cockpits in the early ‘90’s when I started sea kayaking.  However, boat control in rough water is a little tricky with this cockpit design, relying more on shifting weight and support strokes with the paddle since the knee-to-deck contacts are not immediately available for lateral adjustments (roll trim).

If you don’t paddle frequently in bumpy water, then the open cockpit design has many advantages.

4. Knees under but High (Keyhole Compromise)

Pros: knees up for improved forward paddling; boat control in rough water
Cons: ?windage?

With the goal of improving upon the keyhole cockpit, designers at Rockpool and Tiderace (and possibly other companies) have added a 3-dimensional quality to the coaming with thigh hooks (thigh grips) that dip down into the cockpit opening to allow for a higher, more centered knee position while retaining the keyhole’s other advantages.  I’ve paddled a bunch of kayaks with this design and I can say without reservation that this design is an improvement for most people.  The key features are the more vertical (up/down) surface provided by the thigh hooks, the placement of the thigh hooks closer together to reduce the angle of the paddler's legs, and the greater height at the front of the coaming. This design puts the legs more in-line with the feet (the knees are less splayed out) which allows some additional up-down leg movement and torso rotation. Not as good for forward paddling as a surf ski or open cockpit, but better than the old-style "locked in" keyhole shape. So in a sense, this cockpit design is a "compromise" between the standard keyhole and the more centered-knee position allowed by the open cockpit.  Another advantage I’ve noted in these designs is that the thigh hooks are just an extension of the coaming, the kayak’s deck is not part of thigh hooks.  This allows the cockpit opening to have a continuously round, elliptical shape so that the spray skirt rand fits snug and as a consequence the cockpit can be more water tight than with Standard Keyhole shapes.

As far as “cons” to this cockpit design, if the front deck height is taken to extremes (as in the Rockpool Alaw kayak), this design may add windage and get in the way of low sweep strokes. Also, the front part of the cockpit is a bit narrower with this cockpit type which may hamper a wet exit slightly.  Neither problem a big deal in practice as far as I'm concerned.

Ratios of Bow Length to Stern Length - Kayaks

At the risk of spreading misinformation – this might be of interest to some, see tables below.  Been talking to a friend about various boat options he’s considering buying. So, I made these very approximate measurements simply using plan-view photographs available online to help that discussion. They show the ratio of bow length to stern length for select SKUK and Tiderace kayaks. The numbers mean nothing in themselves (I measured in centimeters with a ruler on the computer screen) – but assuming the photos were all well-centered when taken and assuming my measurements are fairly accurate (two big “if’s”), I think the bow/stern length ratios say something about the behavior of these boats.  The bigger ratios have more length in front of the cockpit as compared to behind the cockpit, whereas the smaller ratios are more balanced fore and aft.

So for example, the Romany is at the higher end of the bow-to-stern ratio with a 1.64 and behaves that way – its comparatively short stern is very maneuverable when planing on a wave and the boat remains straight-running in following seas, resists broaching more than some. But when paddled forward aggressively on flat water its short stern (and therefore lack of volume behind the cockpit) can cause the kayak to “sink” in the rear, especially with a heavier paddler (like me at my 185 lbs former weight).  At the opposite end of the scale, the Explorer and Latitude are more balanced fore-and-aft, coming in at the lower end of bow/stern ratios – 1.50 and 1.41.  Having owned an Explorer, this makes sense – it glides better, resists “sitting” in the stern and is good for distance paddling. 

This “method” can’t be used across kayak manufactures – I think it only says something when comparing boats of very similar hull design.  The SKUK hulls are all “variations on a theme” with roughly similar distribution of volume, rocker, etc.   Comparing these ratios for SKUK boats against ratios for Epic kayaks, for example, would be meaningless as these boats have strikingly different shapes. Most significantly, the Epic hulls are based on surf skis and so are strongly swede-form, so can have very high hull volume behind the cockpit despite having a comparatively short stern.

I did the same thing for some Tiderace boats I’ve paddled – separate table below.  It too supports my impressions of these kayaks.  The Xtra is designed for playing in rough water and sure enough has a comparatively high bow/stern length ratio of 1.58. Whereas the touring purpose of the Xplore has a lower ratio of 1.36.

Just something to think about.

Draw Strokes on the Move (it’s all the same thing)

Always wondered why the various directional "draw" strokes were never taught this way to beginner paddlers from the outset - why no one ever clued me in to the fact that, “Hey, they’re all the same stroke!”  They all pull the boat towards your paddle.  After I was clued in to this, I would pass it along to other paddlers who sometimes had an "Aha!" moment.  

Best way to illustrate is the image below.  The only difference between the bow rudder (bow draw), stern rudder (stern draw), or side-slip (hanging draw) kayak strokes (all draw strokes) is where you place the paddle blade, up or down the line of the boat.  If you put the blade in up by the bow, it will pull the bow towards your paddle and therefore turn the boat that way. If you put it by the cockpit… it will pull the boat towards your paddle which moves the entire boat in a "side slip" from amidships so ideally the boat stays straight. Lastly, if you put the blade back towards the stern it will….you guessed it, pull the stern towards your paddle which effectively turns the bow the opposite way.  

Keys to executing any of these Draw Strokes include:

·         Get some speed – the stroke doesn’t work if you’re not moving forward

·         Place the blade fully in the water and hold it firmly in place

·         Angle the blade slightly outward to catch the moving water, this will pull your boat (and you) in the direction of the paddle

Hanging Draw Position

Bow Draw (Rudder) Position

Stern Draw Stroke in Action

Stern Draw Blade Angle position (but when executing, put paddle in more vertical position (raise offside hand) as shown in image to left)

Kayak Repair and Construction with Gel Coat and Epoxy – Random Photos of Past Projects

I used to do a fair amount of repair each year on my boats – didn’t often take photos, but a few below. I've grouped these by "Gel Coat" and "Epoxy", which are used for somewhat different purposes. Gel Coat is really a surface treatment, it forms (and is used to repair) the hard, rigid outer shell of the kayak.  Epoxy is more a "glue", which can be used to make wooden boats and also used to repair holes and deeper damage to fiberglass kayaks, typically in combination with some patches of fiberglass cloth. Rule of thumb for me is if you have a real hole/leak or damage that goes down into and through the fiberglass, you need Epoxy - use Epoxy Resin on the inside of the boat for the initial repair to make the boat watertight again, then finish exposed areas on the outside of the hull with gel coat. If the damage is only in the outer Gel Coat, but the underlying fiberglass is largely undamaged, then Gel Coat is all you need for the repair. 

Gel Coat:

If you remember nothing else, remember “Get the FINISH Gel Coat” kind, not the laminating gel coat.  See photo of Gel Coat can below.  This type air-cures so is the one you want for repair – doesn’t require a barrier film over it, which is a pain.  Gel coat is typically white for hull repair - forms the outer coat (shell) that protects the underlying fiberglass from abrasion damage and UV sun exposure.  Like automotive "bondo" it is made to harden by adding several drops of a clear liquid catalyst (methylethylketone MEK), that has a recognizable smell.  It's easy to work with, but I always use goggles when I mix it because the MEK can damage the eyes if a drop gets in.  I used to fill gouges and deep scratches in the gel coat on my kayak hulls maybe once a year with new dabs of Gel Coat.  But even a small job requires some work and that you return the next day to sand it down.  So, I eventually got tired of that and only fixed major Gel Coat gouges or areas of impact that exposed the underlying fiberglass, as shown in the images of my repair job below - you can see the underlying fiberglass weave.  Deeper areas of damage in the Gel Coat that expose the fiberglass layer underneath are “functional” (not cosmetic) and require Gel Coat repair because exposed fiberglass can absorb water or shred the fibers more over time. (Not immediately, you can still paddle the boat unless it's leaking but covering areas of exposed fiberglass with new gel coat soon is wise). Shallow surface Gel Coat scratches or spider cracking aren't a problem and IMHO need not be repaired.  Photos below show repair needed due to a big whack that occurred while RI rock-gardening.  For that repair, I was using a Dremel tool and 80-grit sandpaper to remove all Gel Coat at the damaged area down to the fiberglass.  I applied a few coats of Gel Coat (perhaps 2 coats to build it up, the second painted on after the first was tacky) followed by wet sanding after it was fully cured/dry with 600 grit sandpaper. The better you prepare the damaged area by sanding away loose/cracked gel coat, the better the repair area will do  - repair will be imperceptible when it’s done.  But more shallow, simply cosmetic Gel Coat repairs are often too thin to hold up well - the new gel coat will just crack again. So, unless it’s a major repair, I’ve learned to leave cosmetic scratches and spider cracking alone.  The hull’s gel coat is meant to be a sacrificial barrier anyway, to protect the underlying fiberglass – once it’s really bad you repair it. I have a friend who had his entire 20-year-old kayak hull re-sprayed professionally with new Gel Coat for $600 in Norwalk CT - worth it to him since he loved the boat. Or, once your hull is really worn, you can add a keel-strip with fiberglass tape, polyester resin and gel coat (a semi-big job which I did once to a kayak I later sold, no photos).

Rock-gardening casualty

This is the stuff - FINISH Gel Coat

Added patches of fiberglass cloth where heals damaging hull and at leak area - I should have used Epoxy for better strength instead but didn't have any handy

Dremel down to expose fiberglass

[Technical Note:  Gelcoat is a special type of polyester resin mixed with coloring agents and UV inhibitors that protect the boat’s underlying fiberglass.  When a boat is manufactured, “laminating” gel coat is sprayed into the boat mold.  This type of gelcoat will not fully dry – it will stay tacky.  Fiberglass cloth and resin (polyester, vinylester, or epoxy resin) are then added on top of the gelcoat such that the two materials (uncured “tacky” gelcoat resin and fiberglass resin) bond chemically, making the protective coating very strong.  By comparison, subsequent repairs made by kayak owners with air-curing gelcoat must bond physically, not chemically, so they require that the repair area be roughly sanded to make a better bond.  That’s why gelcoat repairs are never quite as strong as the original chemical “gelcoat-to-fiberglass resin” bond.]

Epoxy:

I used 2-part MAS Epoxy (a few gallons) to make the CLC North Bay kayak in 1999, photos below.  A testament to the fact that anyone can make a stitch-and-glue boat! I did a messy, novice job - but the thing was water tight. Finished product looked great on the outside with a lot of sanding, a few coats of varnish and some wood inlay for decoration. That's one nice thing about wood boats, each spring you can lightly sand and add a coat of varnish making the hull like new.  

In addition to its use in wood kayaks, more significant fiberglass kayak repairs can also be made with Epoxy (MAS or West System), especially on the interior of the boat.  After Epoxy dries you need to cover sun-exposed areas with paint, varnish or gel coat since epoxy has no UV protection in it. (Yes Gel Coat can be applied over Epoxy - see video here.)  Epoxy seems more "tacky" feeling to me, less hard/brittle than Gel Coat. I've also heard it is more tenacious than gel coat, able to bond to things with less sanding and acts more like glue. That's why it should be used for holes, and more major repairs.  Also, unlike Gel Coat (a polyester resin), which just requires a few drops of the catalyst, Epoxy is composed of a two-part "resin" and "hardener" that are mixed in more equal proportions. Lastly, epoxy doesn't smell as strongly as Gel Coat (in fact I can't smell it at all most times). Some say wet epoxy is less toxic compared to Gel Coat (which is made from polyester resin) if it gets on your hands.  I'm not sure about that - I always were gloves when dealing with either substance.  When sanding a big surface of freshly cured epoxy (as when making a wooden boat) it's also wise to use a respirator and gloves (as in photo below). Fully cured epoxy can be sanded with just a dust mask. For small repair projects, such as fixing an interior leak below the seat or repairing a paddle, I've used the easy-to-use West System 101 kits of epoxy (photo below) - the resin and hardener come in little envelopes with some silica dust to thicken and a mixing stick. I’ve also used epoxy sticks (photo below) for "field" repair of a holed kayak that I dropped while on vacation.  An epoxy stick has the consistency of clay – you rip off a piece and knead it to combine the two-parts and it hardens in place.  Later you can sand off the outer portion of the repair and cover with Gel Coat. 

  

Making the CLC North Bay stitch-and-glue kayak, winter 1999

Messy on inside but watertight

Finished product

Inlay (overlay) around compass

Super convenient for quick repair  - used once when my boat was dropped hard while on vacation

Easy West System 101 Repair Kit

Thule Hullavator Review - with tip on how to unlock arms

Background - before I got the Hullavator:

If you paddle solo a lot, some method of assisting you with loading your kayak onto your car is nice - and potentially essential depending on your level of fitness.  I used to carry my heavy British kayaks over one shoulder and hoist them onto my car solo using just my outstretched arms. Not surprisingly, after perhaps a decade of that I began looking for an alternative! I first found Yakima's "Boatloader" - a great product that's simply a bar that extends from your rack. I used that for a long time - you first lift the bow onto the bar and then raise the stern onto the rear saddle - greatly reduces the effort of lifting the boat since you do it in stages.  One downside to the Boatloader is the potential for your kayak to slide off the cradles if they're slippery, or in high winds. (I've got a post about this elsewhere on this blog.)

The Hullavator:

But if you need a little MORE help, then the Thule Hullavator is the load-assist kayak carrier to buy. I finally bought the Hullavator after a shoulder injury. I personally had no choice at that stage. But in retrospect it would have been nice to have a Hullavator sooner, and I definitely recommend the product. The main upsides to the Hullavator include: ease of raising the boat onto the roof (you can really just lift it with one arm); the boat is secured before it's on the roof (won't slide/blow off before you strap it down); and it provides the ability to easily work on the boat when it's in the "down" position - sponge-out water, remove hatches, fix a bungee, adjust footpegs. It's right at waist height so easy to do all that.

So easy to access the cockpit/hatches, no standing in doorwells

The downsides to the Hullavator are worth knowing before you buy. Some, but not all, can be overcome as discussed below. The downsides include:

1. You have to lift the full boat weight to chest height to load it onto the Hullavator.
2. You must simultaneously (yes) squeeze the hand grips to unlock the hullavator in order  to raise the boat - this is not easy if you've got any knee/back/shoulder issues. See TIP below.
3. When you lower the boat, the swing-arms may not fully lock (especially if your boat is lightweight) - meaning the arms will swing up violently when you remove the boat.
4. The cradles don't fold down, so if you must enter a low garage you have to remove the Hullavators - and they're pretty heavy.
5. If you use Yakima (round) bars, the Hullavator arms tend to rotate when you load your kayak, so you must first realign the two arms before cinching your boat straps tight. Otherwise you won't be able to raise it. 
6. Road noise - the rack makes more noise (wind at high speeds, squeaking at low speeds) than other racks.

Ways to overcome some of these downsides:

1. People who have used the Yakima Boatloader, Thule Outrigger, or any of the similar load-assist kayak carriers that allow sliding the boat up from behind (Hully Rollers, Roll Model) are accustomed to lifting just 50% of their boat's weight at a time from ground level - first the bow is lifted up to the bar (or rear cradle in rear-loading methods) then the stern in a second step.  These load-assist products make a major difference in effort when solo-loading. And are a perfect combination to use with a rolling kayak cart.  Unfortunately, unlike these other load-assist carriers, the Hullavator requires that you lift the entire boat's weight at once - why?  Because lifting the bow into the rear Hullavator cradle and sliding it forward is not officially sanctioned (I called Thule) due to the potential for damaging the hydraulic arms with repeated use. The arms are not meant to be torqued sideways - only opened/closed up and down. This inability to load the boat in a two-step fashion is far and away the biggest downside to the Hullavator. If you have no trouble dead-lifting a 60-lb kayak from the ground with the cockpit facing towards you (which is necessary to "properly" load a kayak onto the Hullavator cradles), then chances are you don't need the Hullavator in the first place! (Not sure what Thule was thinking there.)  Nevertheless, despite the non-orthodox nature of this method, what I do is put the bow in the rear cradle, then lift the stern, followed by a combination lift/slide, shimmying the boat forward until the cockpit is between the two arms. Then I strap it down. When "slide-lifting" the boat along the cradles, I try not to put too much sideways pressure on the arms. This is actually one advantage to having round Yakima bars, it allows the Hullavator arms to rotate a bit during the "slide-shimmy", which probably reduces the forces on the joints of the arms. The arms will be misaligned afterward, but I fix that before securing the straps. With my heavier boat, I sometimes lift the stern into one of my Talic portable kayak stands so I can work the boat forward into the Hullavator.  But any way you cut it, lifting the whole boat or a semi-slide method, with the Hullavator you end up lifting more of the boat's weight than with the other load-assist carriers that allow separate bow-then-stern loading. The saving grace is you only have to lift the boat to chest height with the Hullavator.  Because you don't have to lift anything above your head, overall the Hullavator is an improvement in terms of effort as compared to other load-assist carriers in my opinion - especially if saving your shoulders is your goal. But clearly the Hullavator could be improved - Thule should work on modifying the Hullavator to allow step-wise loading from the ground. Perhaps reshape the rear cradle to facilitate sliding and put a crossbar or something to prevent torqueing the arms (?).

2. Next is a major TIP for those who own or are considering the Hullavator.  If you have trouble bending way down to squeeze the two handles (to unlock the swing arms prior to raising them up once your boat is strapped in) I discovered an alternate method through trial-and-error.  You can instead simply stick your finger at the top of the swing-arm (see photos) and pull up on the metal claw that "locks" the arm down. Voila - the arms are unlocked now and you can raise the boat to the roof. (I'd initially rigged a rope across the handles that I could step on with my foot to release, but unlocking the metal claws from above is far easier).

Alternate way to release Hullavator when in "down/extended" position

Pull up on metal claw

3. To prevent the swing arms from swinging up (violently) when you remove the boat, just make sure you press down on the tops of both swing arms firmly once the boat is lowered until you hear a "click". Then they're locked in the down position. This is pretty key. 

Make sure it's LOCKED down

4. Removing the Hullavator isn't hard - in the up position (arms retracted on top of cross bars), unlock the swing-arm and tip it up (so it's vertical but not extended/lowered) and pull it out (extend the swing arm) just an inch or two, then yank out the removable pin with your free hand. The swing arm stays put in the vertical position resting on the cross-bar (but you must keep a hand on it). Then just lift the unit up and off the cross-bar with two hands.  It's pretty heavy - no way around that. The Hullavator's mounting bracket stays permanently fixed to the cross-bar.

To Remove Hullavator from Crossbars

5. Regarding the problem of rotating arms (if you have Yakima bars) no way around that really either - but it's not a major problem.  Just make sure you realign the swing arms so they're roughly parallel before you cinch down your boat straps and raise your boat. Pretty easy to do.

6. On the road noise issue - no way around it, but it's not too bad. I once had my rubberized kayak Lasso lock thing on my boat and mysteriously the squeaking stopped. There is probably an easy way to fix it but the noise doesn't bother me.

So that's it - the downsides to the Hullavator are mostly minor and the upsides are pretty substantial.  The product is expensive ($500+) so it wouldn't be the first product I'd try if I needed solo boat loading help. On the other hand, it might save wear-and-tear on your back/shoulders over the years so you might consider getting one even if you don't absolutely need it.

I considered the various other products out there - none did much more than the Yakima Boatloader (Thule Outrigger) so I didn't buy them.  For those with sedans, the Thule Glide&Set or Yakima's Hully Rollers work well I'm told, in combination with a blanket to protect your car's trunk.  Kari-Tek (a UK company) has the Easy Load Roof Rack which I saw in Wales. While it's a great product, it's primary benefit is loading/lifting multiple boats at a time and it has no hydraulic assist. Worthwhile checking out though if you often load multiple boats.