How did version 1 perform?
Function and fit were pretty good…
“The Rack – version1” worked really well from the storage perspective. Using the rack really cleaned up the deck, and the velcro tubing holders proved to be more than strong enough.
The dimensions were just about right for width and depth, and we knew beforehand that the rack was a bit too tall. When strapped in place, The Rack was tall enough to block our exit from the garage, so we left the rack unattached until the boat was in the driveway.
One thing we hadn’t anticipated was how much our view was obstructed by stuff in the top rack (doh!). But since we normally run the boat standing up, it wasn’t a problem.
Durability, on the other hard, was….meh
The Rack managed to survive some fairly rough weather in it’s first few months, but by the end of the summer, we had cracked one of the joints.
That meant version 1 was pretty much a goner, since there was no way to permanently repair a cracked PVC joint. We tried gluing the parts back together anyway, but the repair did’t even make it all the way through the next trip.
With the PVC rack down for the count, we decided to build the replacement out of aluminum or stainless steel.
Rough water cracked “The Rack”!