johnholmes

New Member

Registered: 24 Aug 2020

Posts: 1

Car Topping

Has anyone got any experience of car topping a NE Dory? I am hoping to build one this year at Fyne Boat Kits on a course and would like to avoid dragging a trailer there and back from Deal in Kent. Thanks in advance. John

MartinC

Member

Registered: 3 Apr 2020

Posts: 341

Re: Car Topping

Hi John.

Much depends on your car and whether you are going to do it single handed.

I have just completed a 17ft, 50kg Waterlust sailing canoe and have a Freelander 2, and it just works.

17ft is pretty much the limit in terms of length for my car as the roof bars are only 1.2m apart and the rear one is only about a metre from the end of the car. This means that the boat needs to go as far forward as I dare in order to reduce the overhang at the back to about a metre. (Any more and you might get unwelcome attention). The weight is not a problem.

I would recommend that you get hold of an extending ladder and extend it to 17ft and then put it on your roof to see how it looks and where the tipping point is.

If you don't already have roof bars, don't make the same mistake as I did and get ones which fit between the rails as these are too narrow. You will need the ones which extend past the rails and are as wide as possible. You can't have them too wide as you will need space for the mast as well.

Single handed:- I do mine single handed with a home made one of these (costing less than £100).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSeHSCfHniQ

Good luck!

CrimeaRiver

Member

Registered: 3 Oct 2016

Posts: 18

Re: Car Topping

Anything is possible!

A Flying Dutchman on top of a Volvo 'Amazon':-

The NE Dory is pretty light but beamy and therefore quite bulky. I toyed with car-topping the boat when I first embarked on the build but it became apparent once the hull was complete it would be a no-no on a regular basis. Maybe OK for a one-off trip though.

I'm tall and built like a gorilla, so is my rugby-playing son and between us lifting the boat up into the air and onto the roof bars of a normal car, or estate car, would be a proper challenge. More problematical if you have a tall SUV. I would say it can definitely be done but only safely if 4 strong guys are involved. And that's if the boat is put on the roof bars right way up. Putting it on upside down creates more handling difficulties, to say nothing of the requirement for roof bars in excess of 1.5m long.

At the end of the build I'm guessing that the boat with be an expoxied/glassed 'bare shell' complete with gunwhales and bulkheads? If so, it will be plenty stiff and robust enough to get it up on to the roof bars. Driving 380 miles with it on top of your car, in autumnal weather, will certainly have its challenges though!

Would love to see some photos of your build as well as your reflections on the build process. Needless to say, you'll be in good hands up there in Gatebeck.

---

Recidivist wooden surfboard builder!
Built a Kaholo 12' 6" SUP from plans
Built a NE Dory from plans

MartinC

Member

Registered: 3 Apr 2020

Posts: 341

Re: Car Topping

Hi John.

Just to confirm that it is possible to car-top a 17ft, 50kg boat on a Landrover Freelander! (Allbeit it has a flat bottom and therefore travels the right way up). The ladder makes it easily possible however tall you are. I am average height and not that strong.

I have midships cleats which I use to tie to both roof rails to stop backwards and forwards movement and 'twist' is prevented by painters at the bow and stern fixed to the car. It is not shown on this video, but the support ladder goes in the back of the car and the towbar mounted T bar swings up and supports the back of the boat when underway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Autk5 … e=youtu.be