Transporting a Cherub

[phil_kirk]

I assume the boat comes with a trolley.  The best approach would then be lash the trolley to the roof rack bars. Stick boat on and strap down seperately to the roof rack bars.  Tie both ends of the boat and forward end of the trolley to the ends of the car as mentioned.  lash the mast at the ends of the boat probably with some rags or foam as padding. 

You could event consider tacking a line from the bow to the roof bars to gaurd against sudden braking.  I doubt acceleration will be a problem on a fiesta.

Total load on a roof rack is usually 75 kg's but please check your rack/car as a smaller car may have a lower limit.  A trolley can easily be 15kg's so a down to weight boat and mast could take you quite close to the limit. If the boat is a little over weight you could be on or over.

[Torchy]

Car-topping 1980 style

[Neil C.]

Hi Nigel,

Love the cartopping photo. My initial impression was Morris Marina, but I seem to recall you might have said that's actually a Saab. Is that right? My uncle, who was an architect and had an eye for design style, had a Saab 99 for quite a few years about then. The recessed door handles ring a big bell but I can't quite connect it.

Anyway, here's 2631 (Groovejet) leaving Andy Paterson's premises in 1986. I'm not sure if the 1980's motoring design icon belonged to Andy or the new owner though:

[Neil C.]

Here's me looking like a bit of an eejit. Ken and I were pretty fired up, on the way to Largo Bay for an open meeting in 1991. The 1990's motoring design icon was my Mum's, since I was still a penniless student at the time. In fact, the boat cost me £75 thanks to the fact that it had a few holes in it, having been hit by a train ( I kid you not). A few bits of ply, some epoxy resin and a bit of paint and she was sorted. You can actually see the railway line in the background of that photo. The dinghy park at Royal Tay YC is right next to the East Coast Main Line.  2534 blew over on her trolley in a gale one evening, and the rig ended up sticking out over the tracks. The InterCity 125 from Aberdeen took the mast off and rammed the boat down onto her trolley, puncturing the hull with the end of the cradle. Rumour has it that the rig was removed from the front of the train at Edinburgh Waverley, but it was never re-united with the boat. 

[Torchy]

Rumour has it that the rig was removed from the front of the train at Edinburgh Waverley, but it was never re-united with the boat. 

!!!!!!!!

You're right about the car...we must have got the Saab later - that's Gill's Uncle Jack's Morris. The photo was taken at the farmhouse we stayed at in Sarn (near-ish Pwllheli), North Wales. As I recall the sea was too rough the entire week and we never even launched.

[andy_paterson]

It was mine!  A Metro was much better than a mini ( or so I thought ). Later it started looking a bit rusty, so I poked about with a screwdriver...  and found big rotty holes  - both front wings near the headlights and near the doors, bottom of the doors, both sills, the front and rear bits like sills under the bumpers, edges of the bonnet and boot...  the roof was OK. I did get £25 for it though - weighed at the scrappers at £30 a ton I think.

[Torchy]

Many cars used to be rust-buckets. The Vauxhall Viva was the worst. 5 years and they fell apart.

How times have changed...my Espace is 'plastic' (no scrap metal value) and doesn't mind me digging the tow hitch into the rear sill - no rust...just a bit of white powdery stuff showing.

[Graham Bridle]

Seriously impressive photo's guys !

[Torchy]

Real men in those days Graham...did we worry about roof loading! No sir!

Mind you I can't actually work out what I'm standing on or whether I'm actually in the boat.