Denise, Depending on its size, there are several ways to go about this. For instance I own an 18 foot canoe which weighs almost 120 lbs. I store (during the canoeing season) and transport her on a trailer expressly made for this purpose. For a smaller and lighter canoe securing it on top of your car would probably be preferable. If your canoe is very short (14 -15 feet) securing it to racks on top of your car (with ropes or straps), as well as securing the ends to some structure near the bumpers (also with ropes or straps), would probably work. Any longer than that and you might want to consider a "T" shaped device that is intended to be used in conjunction with a trailer hitch. This would support one end of the canoe while the other end rests on a rack on the roof. Roof racks are available comercially to do this; some people use foam blocks between canoe and roof. In either case, I would strongly suggest over-securing your canoe as opposed to under-securing it, even for short trips. Good luck, Tom