Pardon while I resuscitate this thread with a question.
I've been car topping all kinds of boats for decades now, I've had some really excellent rigs and managed to make do with some really sketchy rigs.
I gave a 1970 wood Pocock single to a good friend of mine who had it fully restored up in Seattle and wants to drive it to Southern Cal with a good friend of ours. they have a solid lumber rack for the back of my friend's truck, and for most of the old trainers and aeros I often haul around I see no problem tying as is to the existing racks for short distances and decent weather.
For safest hauling, I insist on at LEAST 8 ft between racks for a racing hull, 10 ft even better. Ideally I like solid padded cradles at each end that hold the boat hull up and making sure the boat is canted front end of car very slightly down. This is consistent with this pocock which I want to have it cradled so the edge of the boat is secure and that the middle deck stringer isn't getting pressure on it but is in contact with the padding. For this reason, I suggested a unit they can construct themselves, I can even mail them wooden cradles I have they can bolt to the ends of a ten foot rectangle aluminum stock about 1 by 3.
Is this overkill?
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On 19/03/2022 01:13, sully wrote:

Pardon while I resuscitate this thread with a question.

I've been car topping all kinds of boats for decades now, I've had some really excellent rigs and managed to make do with some really sketchy rigs.

I gave a 1970 wood Pocock single to a good friend of mine who had it fully restored up in Seattle and wants to drive it to Southern Cal with a good friend of ours. they have a solid lumber rack for the back of my friend's truck, and for most of the old trainers and aeros I often haul around I see no problem tying as is to the existing racks for short distances and decent weather.

For safest hauling, I insist on at LEAST 8 ft between racks for a racing hull, 10 ft even better. Ideally I like solid padded cradles at each end that hold the boat hull up and making sure the boat is canted front end of car very slightly down. This is consistent with this pocock which I want to have it cradled so the edge of the boat is secure and that the middle deck stringer isn't getting pressure on it but is in contact with the padding. For this reason, I suggested a unit they can construct themselves, I can even mail them wooden cradles I have they can bolt to the ends of a ten foot rectangle aluminum stock about 1 by 3.

Is this overkill?

Assuming a fabric deck and boat carried inverted, then better to have relatively hard padding (pieces of rubber of rubber-backed carpet) that
are restricted just to the very edges (gunwales) of the hull to prevent pressure on the deck. You don't need soft padding, just something to
prevent hard contact that will rub.

Cheers -
Carl

--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Find: tinyurl.com/2tqujf
Email: carl@carldouglasrowing.com Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: carldouglasrowing.com & now on Facebook @ CarlDouglasRacingShells
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On Friday, March 18, 2022 at 6:13:14 PM UTC-7, sully wrote:

Pardon while I resuscitate this thread with a question.

I've been car topping all kinds of boats for decades now, I've had some really excellent rigs and managed to make do with some really sketchy rigs.

I gave a 1970 wood Pocock single to a good friend of mine who had it fully restored up in Seattle and wants to drive it to Southern Cal with a good friend of ours. they have a solid lumber rack for the back of my friend's truck, and for most of the old trainers and aeros I often haul around I see no problem tying as is to the existing racks for short distances and decent weather.

For safest hauling, I insist on at LEAST 8 ft between racks for a racing hull, 10 ft even better. Ideally I like solid padded cradles at each end that hold the boat hull up and making sure the boat is canted front end of car very slightly down. This is consistent with this pocock which I want to have it cradled so the edge of the boat is secure and that the middle deck stringer isn't getting pressure on it but is in contact with the padding. For this reason, I suggested a unit they can construct themselves, I can even mail them wooden cradles I have they can bolt to the ends of a ten foot rectangle aluminum stock about 1 by 3.

Is this overkill?

If I were entrusted with such a boat I would be inclined to build cradles that support the boat with a strap. Nice, new seat belt material would be my choice. It's the only way to really spread the load. A firm padding at the edges could mar (or worse) the deck bede, and a softer padding risks wrinkling the deck.
Mike Fennelly
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