Has anybody tried any of the equipment bags designed to go on top of roof racks like these at windsurfing sales

http://www.windsurfingsales.com.au/products/bags/

I'm going for a bit of a trip to Victoria at Xmass time and am thinking about carrying my sails on the roof to keep them out of the trouble and strifes way . Also interested in how anybody locks boards and gear onto roof racks ? I have a set of Rhino sports racks (SXB2)

Haggar,

I have been looking at lockable roof boxes long enough to take sails up to around 8m2 (ie. 2.2m boom). Rola and Thule, etc make them.

If you are driving a station wagon you can just chuck the equipment bag into the car if you are going to leave it. (Not an option if you are driving a sedan though.)

There are some lockable steel cable tie-downs that you can get as well for boards. Not sure how secure they are?

Regards,
Harrow.

Hi Haggar, I use a Neil Pryde bag. 3 masts, 3 booms and 5 sails all jam in pretty well. Straps go through the bag over the masts and secure pretty well. It could be locked on but I take it off and stick it in the car (wagon) when I'm not around as I've been ripped off before. The real shame is that generally only sailors would know whats in it!

Tim

On a related note, regarding locking down equipment:

- make sure your roof racks have locks on the clamp mechanism (I have had people try to take the racks themselves...)

- You can now get lockable tie-down straps (I have seen them in SHQ Melbourne and at Bunnings Hardware stores). I'm not sure how tight they are as I haven't tried them...

- Hardware stores also stock a lockable-cable thing, which is popular with tradesmen that lock ladders to roof bars.

- I personally use the plastic-coated steel cable with a couple of padlocks -> wrap the cable through the footstrap, then around the roof rack. It is still possible to unscrew the footstrap, but then cable-cutters are also possible...

Has anyone seen the stainless steel net things in the shops? I know they area available for backpacks - maybe a larger one of those is a lightweight non slashing solution. And let's face it - if they want to take it they will - you just have to make it look hard enough that someone will see them doing it cos it is taking longer - hence they might not try.
Good luck