How to Build a Kayak Stand or Canoe Stand for $20 or Less

Building a kayak stand or canoe stand needn’t take long nor cost much. I whipped up this canoe/kayak stand in about one hour, which included the run to the lumberyard to buy supplies. It packs down small enough to fit in the trunk of a small car, and it’s sturdy enough to support a boat while you work on it. Its small profile stays out of the way for a display. All you need to complete it are a few tools.

Materials

Purchase the following materials for your kayak stand or canoe stand:

• Three 8-foot, 2-by-2 boards
• Two 4-inch, 1/4-inch lag bolts
• Eight  washers (four for the bolts, four for the deck screws)
• Two locking nuts
• Twelve 3-inch deck screws
• 1-inch nylon webbing, 5 feet

Tools

Because this project is simple, you can pull it off with a limited number of tools.

• Handsaw
• Drill with drill bit
• Screwdriver
• Wrench
• Lighter
• Knife

Building a Kayak Stand or Canoe Stand

1. Cut four 3-foot uprights for your stand from the 2-by-2s. Keep the cuts square.
2. Cut four 2-foot feet from the 2-by-2s.
3. Drill a centered hole that is big enough for your bolts in the center of each upright.
4. Screw a 2-foot foot to each upright to make four pieces that look like “T”s. Before you screw the foot into the end of the upright, drill a pilot hole to prevent the wood from splitting. The foot should parallel the bolt hole that you drilled in each upright.
5. Bolt two “T”s together to make a stand.
6. Cut two pieces of webbing 2 feet 3 inches long. You can vary the length as desired. A shorter length fits a narrower boat and rises the height of the stand slightly. The suggested size is a good length for using it as a kayak stand or a canoe stand.
7. Burn the ends of the nylon to prevent fraying.
8. Screw one end the top of one side of a stand and the other end into the other side. Use screws fitted with washers to prevent the nylon from pulling off the screw. Drilling a pilot hole helps prevent the wood from splitting.

That’s it. It’s an easy way to make a canoe stand or kayak stand.