New laser in 10 days - transport questions

So after wanting to get back on the water for the past two years, I'm finally going to be picking up a new 2011 hull from APS in a week and a half! I'm very excited to say the least, and cannot wait to be able to bring it home. I've got a quick question for the audience about exactly that, bringing it home.

I'm picking it up in Annapolis and driving it back to Rochester, NY, about a 6.5-7 hr drive. I'm going to be popping it on a Kitty Hawk, and obviously I'm going to pop a bottom cover on it. For extended driving, is a top cover necessary for highway transport or is just the bottom cover needed? I'm going to be making my own top cover once I have the boat home and I can fit it, so for outdoor storage it will be covered, but I'm wondering if I'll want to pick one up earlier than that for the drive home.

Thanks!

-Brian

First question you may need to answer is...Does the builder have an agreement with Kirby ( or the owners of Kirby's rights) ??

if not, you may not use the boat in a laser race.

if the boat was built recently and is not one from Austraila, it is probably not a class legal boat

Top cover not nec. this time of year, roads should be pretty debris free, plus sitting behind the tow vehicle is going to help. Curious why you went all the way to APS with other dealers much closer ?

If trailering with your Kitty Hawk, which is just what i do, and you only use the
bottom cover - Beware. If it rains at all, the cover will trap the run-off water and either separate from the boat in the aft half or just sag. You must stop and empty it or it really screw things up. Make sure the plug is in the cockpit. This will keep that much more rainwater in the cockpit which you can sponge out. Don't be fooled by a light rainfall, your boat cover will collect all run-off from the boat and all the spray from your vehicle as you move. In a downpour, forget it, it's like a firehose is filling up the bottom cover.

I did this for 1 to 2 hour trips over past few years and everytime it rained i had problems. I added the top cover and have not had problems. If you own both covers and you are going that far ( APS to NY) I would suggest using both. You can then decide locally based on the weather. Just my opinion.

gouvernail said:

First question you may need to answer is...Does the builder have an agreement with Kirby ( or the owners of Kirby's rights) ??

if not, you may not use the boat in a laser race.

if the boat was built recently and is not one from Austraila, it is probably not a class legal boat

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I've been through the Fund. rule thread and all the info online several times, but I still cant discern this - is there a chance that 2011 Laser Performance (America) boats can be uncertifed as a class legal boat? I know they themselves have been silent on the issue, and I do know that it's a wonderfully complicated issue, but I would think that boats sold as class legal would keep their status. Am I wrong?

49208 said:

Top cover not nec. this time of year, roads should be pretty debris free, plus sitting behind the tow vehicle is going to help. Curious why you went all the way to APS with other dealers much closer ?

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I was going to be driving through Annapolis next weekend and had a boat lined up, but I think I've found a new dealer much closer to home, so distance isn't quite as much and issue (pending the above comments).

Thanks to all, and let me know if there are any opinions on the class matter in my case.

-Brian

So I've made a few calls out to some of the LP NA centers, and I'm now under the belief that if a 2011 hull is sold as a certified hull with measurement certificates, then it would remain 'valid' under class rules. But, I think the greater issue is that 2011 LP NA boats were never valid to begin with?

Brian

After making more calls around, it sounds like Laser Performance NA and LP Europe have two different trademark/production agreements, of which the NA version is 'up to date' and should retain ISAF certification for 2011 production models. Any other comments?

Since we're talking about it already, and I know you have a nice trailer that is designed for the job..

What about turning the boat upside down when making long runs, or even short runs at high speed? I've worried about the gravel that my truck throws, and I've nicked/scarred trailers all my life .. unless the hull cover has a 'safer barrier' in it, I'd think there was significant chance of hull damage.

So one guy I know turns his boat upside down. He even has a rig on the front to hold the bow so he can rotate the hull after it's on the trailer. Then he straps it down and goes. It's a regular trailer, not a gunwale support trailer.

His feelings are that a stone may damage the deck, but he can live with it. Not so with hull damage. And the deck does not deform nearly as bad as the hull ( another topic ).

Either way, he bought his boat before the big rule debate, so I'm sure he's good. As am I, with my 1980 hull.

BrianOES said:

After making more calls around, it sounds like Laser Performance NA and LP Europe have two different trademark/production agreements, of which the NA version is 'up to date' and should retain ISAF certification for 2011 production models. Any other comments?

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You can ignore Gouv's post. Completely

IMO, isnt it a whole lot easier to just cartop it and not worry about damaging the hull? Even if your car can't carry a boat, swapping cars with a friend who owns an SUV/Jeep that can handle the boat on the roof would work great if you dont mind the poor gas mileage.

That would also solve your top cover issue completely. Hope that helps.

-Jack

203 said:

Since we're talking about it already, and I know you have a nice trailer that is designed for the job..

...I've worried about the gravel that my truck throws, and I've nicked/scarred trailers all my life .. unless the hull cover has a 'safer barrier' in it, I'd think there was significant chance of hull damage.

Either way, he bought his boat before the big rule debate, so I'm sure he's good. As am I, with my 1980 hull.

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I was going to be putting in a nice 3/16" closed cell foam lining in the front half of the cover for exactly that purpose. I've got a Pontiac Vibe which (for my comfort level) is just on the small side for having a factor of safety when car topping the boat. Especially since I've got a much shorter drive now at a little over an hour, I'm not worried as much about the top cover issue.

Now I'm starting to have second thoughts about not picking it up from APS. I would be saving several hundred dollars in sales tax, along with not having to separately order, assemble and register the trailer, APS is taking care of all of that. Having never trailered a laser before, especially over distance, should I be worried about the 6.5 hour drive up to Rochester or is it worth the cash and time difference. I'm already going to be driving through Annapolis so that's not the issue, just the boat travel distance.

-Brian

I think I read a ad for 2010 regatta boats complete for $3946 in Ct. in the spring 2011 laser sailor. Thats pretty cheap. But the overall question is what will and not be considered a legal laser? Did this dispute occur in 2010 or 2011?

BrianOES said:

Now I'm starting to have second thoughts about not picking it up from APS. I would be saving several hundred dollars in sales tax, along with not having to separately order, assemble and register the trailer, APS is taking care of all of that. Having never trailered a laser before, especially over distance, should I be worried about the 6.5 hour drive up to Rochester or is it worth the cash and time difference. I'm already going to be driving through Annapolis so that's not the issue, just the boat travel distance.

-Brian

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Only you can really decide what is worth it and what isn't. IMHO, the bottom cover will do a fine job protecting the bottom.

I would bring up your issues with the local/closer dealer, it's a buyer's market and they might just want to do what it takes to make the sale.

Now I am going to go way off track, sorta. Please do not take this as a repremand. Only a comment..

In my state we pay state income tax. At the end of the year, if we buy something out of state, we have a place to enter the price, and pay the state sales tax at that time. If we don't pay it, and they figgure it out, then they come after us in the form of an audit. Sometimes an audit is something that you *really* don't want.

In the case of a boat, you might (??) have to register it. If so, they might ask about where you bought it. This might lead to other uncomfortable questions. They have computers now, and a few of the folks are good at using them. They data mine with the best of the geeks.

So you may not have income tax ( you're blessed, if so ) or they may not care in your state. But here in NC, they are pretty adamant about it, and audit/prosecute at the drop of a hat. The sad thing is that they really don't have anything better to do.

I love APS. They are great folks. Found stuff for me over the years that is simply not available within 100 miles of the house. But in this case, you might be way ahead barganing with the local to get the best price with tax and then you can sail without worrying about a pencil pusher ruining your day.

203, I tend to agree with you. I'm close to getting one of the local dealers to cut me a break on some of the cost to help cover the sales tax difference from buying out of state. 49208 was right, it is a buyers market and I think buying it more local will save me a big headache and give me some peace of mind. I will be getting the covers from APS though, they seem to have a pretty good product.

-Brian

2 California to Miami round trips, 1 California to Montreal RT, 1 California to Buffalo RT. Many west coast excursions and others amounting to over 40,000 miles in all weathers with a new laser on a Kitty Hawk. Never a nick. Storm top and Auqatic bottom cover, (borrow the one you need). Wore out two sets of tires. Put bearing buddies to keep the bearings greased. 85 mph western Texas (sometimes faster) no problems.

Hooray for fantastic news - I found (and purchased) a 2006 Standard rig with a Trailex and Seitech just today, and I'll be driving it home from there. I got a great deal and will be paying for that yacht club initiation fee with the price difference between new and what I paid...Thanks for everyone with their patience and my rambling.

-Brian

do you sail out of the ryc

Hunter, I do indeed. You're in the Rochester area? Shoot me an email at bmacmillin_at_gmail*d0t*com if so!

-Brian