Car-Topping     Securing the Boat        Trailering        Connecting the Trailer 
Trailer Maintenance       Launching the Boat

Car-Topping  Go To Top           Click on the Colored Text Below For Definitions !!!

Car Racks  If your boat is small and light enough to be lifted five feet or so onto the roof of a car, little beats the freedom and ease of car-topping. However, when traveling on a highway, you need to make very sure that your boat is well secured. The only way to safely transport a boat on the roof of your car is to use a set of car racks built specifically for your car and this purpose.  Buying car racks at garage sales can be risky, as can using makeshift padding materials such as foam blocks or rolled towels.  These makeshift devices often don’t control the side-to-side or see-sawing motion of the boat.  They may appear to hold well enough when in your driveway with the boat secured by lots of rope, but rope stretches and padding can shift, which leads to trouble or frequent stops on the highway.   Be aware that racks that come on some cars, SUVs and station wagons are often for show, and the bars may not be spaced far enough apart or be sturdy enough to support your boat (check your manual!).

Securing the Boat   The first step in car-topping your boat is to place the boat on the racks upside down with the bow at the front (to be more aerodynamic).  Be sure there are enough people to lift the boat comfortably to avoid possible injury or damage – lift with your legs, not with your back! The boat can be loaded on the car from the rear or the side, whichever is easier to do.  Next, secure the boat with straps or low-stretching, abrasion-resistant line such as Dacron.  Do not use nylon line because it stretches.  Some people like to use webbing straps with buckles that automatically lock and allow you to adjust the straps quickly.  Tie down pads that slip onto the straps can be used to protect the boat from possible chafing by the straps or buckles.  The boat should be tied down with straps or lines from the bow and stern of the boat to the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle –preferably to each corner.  These tie downs will keep the boat from sliding forward and backward or twisting.  Another set of straps or lines are tied across the boat at the front and rear rack bars to prevent the boat from sliding sideways.   If using a line, secure one end of it with a bowline to the load bar on the inside of the rack post.  Throw the line over the boat, and secure the other end to the opposite side of the bar on the inside of the rack post.  A trucker's hitch tied into the line about a foot above the rack bar can be used to adjust the tension by passing the line under the rack bar, then up through the loop of the hitch and pulling down on it.  Then secure the line to itself with a round turn and two half hitches (double half hitch).  A disadvantage of the trucker’s hitch is that it may be hard to untie if you want to remove it.  Never attach the line to the bar on the outside of the rack post, because if a gust of wind or bump makes the boat shift, the line could slip off the end of the bar and send the boat flying. Tie off any loose ends of the tie downs to prevent them from flapping on the boat or car and causing abrasion.

[Tip: If your tie down straps vibrate in the wind, try putting a half-revolution twist in the strap to stop the vibration.]

Trailering  Go To Top

While there is a limit to the size of boat you can car-top, you can trailer almost any boat with the right equipment.  Large boats need large multi-axle trailers with independent brakes and a large vehicle to pull them, but a small light sailboat is able to use a single-axle trailer pulled by the average car.  The combined weight of the trailer and boat, including any gear on board, should not exceed the manufacturer’s maximum gross weight of the trailer. Also check the combined weight of your trailer and boat to determine whether trailer brakes are required.  You should be aware that many states require brakes when the combined weight of the trailer and boat exceeds 3,000 pounds, but the limit may go as low as 1,500 pounds, and some manufacturers recommend brakes as low as 1,000 pounds.  If trailer brakes are required, there are two types: electrically activated brakes, or ones that use a surge hydraulic system. Some states prohibit the use of surge hydraulic brakes. Check your state’s requirements and the manufacturer’s recommendations to make sure your trailer complies.  Rollers or bunks (pads) on the trailer support the boat and they should be adjusted so that the hull is evenly loaded on all of them.  If your trailer has rollers, make sure that none of them are raised too high to cause indentations in the hull.  The trailer should have a winch with a lock mounted on a pedestal to pull the boat all the way onto the trailer and secure the bow against the bow stop.  The winch pedestal should be adjusted so that the eye on the boat is located below the bow stop and the cable leads cleanly to the winch under the bow stop with no interference.  The back of the boat should be secured to the trailer frame with a webbing strap or a sturdy non-stretching line, which is attached to one side of the frame and passed over the boat to the other side of the frame.  When it comes to your vehicle, there will be additional wear on brakes, transmission, suspension and tires, and the engine’s cooling system may also be affected. Check the owner’s manual for recommendations and any warranty requirements that may affect trailering.  The car must be equipped with an electrical connector to power the trailer lights and a trailer hitch that is appropriately rated for the trailer’s gross weight and tongue weight.  The hitch should be securely bolded or welded to the vehicle’s frame – not attached to the bumper.  Remember, hitch balls come in different sizes and should match the size of the trailer’s coupler.

Connecting the Trailer   Most trailers are connected to the hitch with a coupler on the end of the tongue that slips over a ball on the hitch.  The weight on the end of the tongue typically ranges from 5 to 10% of the combined weight of the trailer and boat.  If your combined weight is 800 pounds, the tongue weight would range from 40 to 80 pounds.  If the tongue weight is too light, it will reduce the traction of the rear wheels and cause your trailer to fishtail on the highway; too heavy, and it will put too much weight on the back of the car that will make steering difficult and cause your headlights to point too high.  When connected, both the trailer and vehicle should be level to the road.   Make sure your boat is loaded correctly on the trailer, and the boat's gear is stowed in the car.  Back your car up as close as possible to the trailer, and then lift the tongue over the ball -- using a trailer jack will make this easy and prevent injury. Once the coupler is attached to the ball, a clasp is then locked which prevents the coupler from coming unhitched.  A padlock should be placed through the clasp to hold it in place and also to prevent the theft of the trailer while you’re out sailing.  Next, the wiring harnesses are connected, and the trailer's brake and directional lights checked to make sure they're working properly before hitting the road.  Finally, and very important, the two safety chains are attached. They should crisscross under the coupler to prevent it from dragging on the road if the trailer accidentally comes off the hitch.  The chains should be long enough so they don’t come under tension when making a turn, but they should not drag on the ground. Attach them to appropriate locations that are strong enough to take the load of the trailer.  If hooks are used on the ends of chains, they should be attached with the hook opening facing in the direction of the chain.

Trailer Maintenance  Continual immersion in water, combined with weathering and road wear, take their toll on trailers.  Trailers need seasonal maintenance to keep them safe, particularly in two areas: the bearings and the wiring.   If bearings are not properly maintained, they can heat up and "freeze", or lock in place, when traveling on the road.  The wheel bearings should be checked every 1,000 miles or at the beginning of each season. Waterproof bearings and/or spring-loaded bearing protector caps are recommended.  Protector caps allow grease levels to be easily checked and keep out water if the trailer is immersed while the grease is still hot (hot grease contracts if cooled rapidly).  The bearings are located in the tire hubs under a metal cap that has to be pried off. There are 2 bearings per hub (4 per trailer axle).  Before the first launch of the season, these need to be inspected and re-lubricated in marine-grade, waterproof bearing grease.  This is accomplished by blocking the trailer wheels, prying off one metal cap with a screwdriver, jacking up that wheel until it's off the ground, and pulling the whole wheel hub off the axle.  Then both bearings can be pulled out with your fingers (don't use the screwdriver -- you could damage the bearing).  Wipe the grease off the bearing and test each roller to make sure that it moves freely.  If it does not, replace it.  The second item that has to be checked is the wiring.  Make sure that the connectors are clean, the wires are intact, and the insulation has not been chafed to bare wire.  Test your brakes and directional lights before getting on the road.  Driving with non-functional lights is both illegal and dangerous.

The final part of trailer maintenance is the paperwork.  Trailers usually have to be registered with your local Department of Motor Vehicles.  Permits for launching facilities can usually be obtained locally -- often there are signs at launch ramps advising boaters where these can be obtained.

Launching the Boat  Go To Top

Launching a boat at a boat-launching facility with a concrete ramp and a dock is generally preferable to using someone's beach or marsh flats where you run a risk of getting your car and trailer stuck.

Before launching, make sure everything is ready for launching in an area that does not block the ramp.  This would include checking over all the main parts of the boat, such as the standing rigging, running rigging, centerboard or daggerboard, rudder, hull, spar, and sails.  You should insert and secure drain plugs, close self-bailing scuppers, unplug the wiring connector, remove the tie downs (except for the winch cable attached to the bow), and attach a line to the bow (called a painter) that someone will loosely hold onto during the launching.  Allow time for the bearings and lights to cool down before launching.
 
Then slowly back down the ramp until the boat is in the water far enough for it to float off, then detach the winch cable from the boat. The boat should be able to float off, or slide off with a push.  The person holding the bow line can then pull the boat next to the dock, secure it, and prepare for the sail while you park the car and trailer.

[Tip: The person driving the trailer down the ramp should make sure his vehicle window is down during the launching.  This will allow the driver to escape should the vehicle and trailer roll backward into the water and submerge.]

If you don't have experience backing a trailer, you should practice before attempting to launch a boat from a  ramp. (Tip: Practice by backing into your driveway.  The trick is to turn the bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go, and take it slow.) 

Launching a boat can be tricky the first few times.  The most common mistake is to forget to insert the drain plugs.  Other more serious launching mishaps can be dangerous, such as when the boat won't float off the trailer, and the boater decides to back up quickly and slam on the brakes to jettison the boat from the trailer often causing the boat to come flying off the trailer into the water and careening into another boat or the dock, or float away.  It is a good idea to have someone experienced in boat launching to help you launch your boat for the first time, or go to a launch facility that is staffed by professional personnel.  Tell them you haven't launched a boat before, and ask that they assist you.

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