How best to transport my boat?.....?

Question

I am going to build a 3.8m dingy sail boat. It will be of plywood construction. the only dilemma i have is how i am going to transport it to the sea... I have a VW Polo and was wondering if a roof rack would do the job or if the boat would simply be too long? are there any laws restricting length of carried objects, etc. I dont have a trailer licence so would rather not get one of these as it maybe an expensive option! Any ideas or suggestions welcome. Cheers

Answer 1

i think you should dig a canal to the sea that would be your best bet.

Answer 2

What weight will the boat be? Can the Polo cope with this weight on its roof? (Maximum carrying capacity will be in the brochure somewhere).

How far apart can you get the roof bars? Too close and the boat will swing up and down. Get the bars as far apart as possible, and make sure you tie the boat down to the front and back of the car, as well as to the roof in the middle.

What will you do when you get to the water? How will you launch it there? Do you need a launching trolley?

You can always hire a small truck, or an open backed truck. Load the boat onto that.

Here in the UK, you wont need a trailer license to tow a small boat that weighs not very much compared to the car. Normal full driving license is enough.

Answer 3

Trailer!  fighting with that thing every time you want to sail???!!! you are also likely to do damage. use a trailer and just float it into the water!

Answer 4

While I like the idea of digging a canal to the sea I think that you should tow the boat on a small trailer.  Here in New York I do not need a special license for a private boat trailer, it just needs a license plate (tag).  You do need a special license for a semi or tractor trailer however.  I believe you folks call this a lorrie or caravan or some such thing.  

There are some cheaper trailers available here for about 5 hundred (U$).  You might be able to repair or rebuild an older one using wood (construction lumber, 2 x 6) if the axle and ball bearings are still in working order.  

You will also need to get a towing hitch or yoke added to the transom of your car along with the proper electrical connections for lights on the trailer.

See if you can find a used one for sale a little closer to the sea, or dig a canal there!

Answer 5

I think a roof rack would be just fine captain oh captain.