Two boats on Kitty Hawk trailer

I understand that an adapter is available that lets you carry two boats on a Kitty Hawk. Does anyone have any info about or experience with this? What does it look like? How well does it work?
 
I'll check when I'm home tonight, but pretty sure I used 2x6, just enough clearance, if I were to do it again, I would go with 2x8 or 2x10 if I wanted to stick the mast sections thru. Here's pic from some time ago http://www.laserforum.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=851&d=1156902984

To get the deck slope, just lay the 2x across the deck and measure the distance from the edge of the deck out at the rail up to the board - IIRC, it's about an inch - transfer that distance to the spot where the deck meets the board and draw/cut the angle out to the end of the board.

You'll also need to add some "feet" onto the 2x boards to keep them from flopping over - I used 1/2" plywood, approx 6" wide

Here's an additional thread to read thru
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=2729&highlight=trailer
 
This is my project over the next couple of weeks also.

Right now I store one boat on the (Kitty Hawk) trailer, and the other (my son's) on the Seitech dolly, but stack 'em with pieces of swimming pool floats and life vests for the 10 mile drive to the bay. If my deck-to-deck cradle turns out ok, I'd like to be able to store the boats that way. Also, I store the blades for one of the boats in a (blade) bag, and use the Lock-Pit for the other. I had thought about building the cradle with enough space to allow me to keep using the locker for the bottom boat, but while the weight of the extra hull, properly supported, is probably ok, adding the weight of the locker/boards/spars, is probably exceeding the limits of how much added pressure I want to put on the bottom boat while stored between uses.

If I can get a couple more things checked off of the "honey-do" list that my wife prioritizes, I'll have enough points to spend an evening or two working on "boat-stuff." ;)
 
I have tried several variations to the two boat stack. What works best for me it to clam shell them and just have large foam rollers in-between. It is easier on the boat and can be cinched down very well with just a couple of soft ropes. A foam roller something like these, [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Cando-White-Foam-Rollers-Exercise/dp/B000AY2R7A"]foam rollers[/ame] , works well for me.
Also Nautical America is offering a new double stacker like this that looks really interesting. Look in the latest Laser Sailor magazine or give them a call, (704) 878-6823.
Good luck,
Ralph
 
I have tried several variations to the two boat stack. What works best for me it to clam shell them and just have large foam rollers in-between. It is easier on the boat and can be cinched down very well with just a couple of soft ropes. A foam roller something like these, foam rollers , works well for me.
Also Nautical America is offering a new double stacker like this that looks really interesting. Look in the latest Laser Sailor magazine or give them a call, (704) 878-6823.
Good luck,
Ralph

I'm currently using something very similar to these foam pieces, but I picked up the large swimming pool float "noodles" for the task. I cut them to different lengths and since they have a hole running through the center, I can run rope through them to hold them in place where I want them. Also, I have one piece that I slipped a piece of PVC pipe through the middle... it is soft and the perfect size to slip into both mast tubes to keep the top boat from slipping in any direction, with very little to no impact to the boat.
 
Question -

What keeps the spars in the holes in the APS bulkheads? The holes have to be big enough to slide in the boom with fittings attached, so how do you tie them off to prevent it from flying through your back window?

Thanks in advance -
 
Question -

What keeps the spars in the holes in the APS bulkheads? The holes have to be big enough to slide in the boom with fittings attached, so how do you tie them off to prevent it from flying through your back window?

Thanks in advance -

Shockcord is the usual tie-down, and then the friction it provides against the spars and pressing the spars against the hole keeps them from moving around..

Also, at least for the upper and lower, you can drill the holes such that you can only remove the spars from one direction (ie the mast collar in the upper and the gooseneck in the lower are bigger then the hole). With the boom, you can use the two of the fittings to tie off if you really don' want it to move..
 
Another question on this thread -

What kind of straps are you using to hold the upper boat to the lower, and where do you locate them so they don't slide off the curve and loosen? I usually use web straps with a cinch buckle for roof racks.

Cutting plywood today. I may use steel X braces between the forward and rear bulkheads to help fix the flopping issue.
Thanks -
 
I am very happy with the way ours turned out. Here are a few pictures taken with my cell-phone, so they're not really clear.

They are basically just a pair of plywood boxes cut to fit the deck(s) and holes cut in the middle for the spars. I added plywood "feet" and glued pieces of foam to them where they sit on the deck. Also, this doesn't show on the picture, but the bow piece has a padded foam pipe through it which fits in the mast tube of both boats. This is a swimming pool tube with PVC pipe fitted in it. For the deck pads, I used a foam backpacking sleeping pad (~$5), cut to fit and attached with construction glue (liquid nails). The sides extend beyond the deck and become a 'channel' where the strap buckles sit against the box instead of against the boat. The dolly is not strapped down, but just sits on top with 3 bungee cords to hold it in place. For more than a short trip to the bay, I'd probably add another strap over that to satisfy my paranoia. I painted them with the only exterior paint I had in the cabinet. So it's not really a coincidence that they match the garage door trim.
 

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I found 1 more picture. This was taken before the pads were glued on and the boxes were painted.
 

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Ahh, there are TWO bulkheads at each piece....I could never figure out that tiny APS photo.

I was cutting one 1/2" bulkhead fore and aft, then cutting a dado groove into the vertical 2x4 so that it fits onto the edge of the plywood and holds the rail of the boats. Glued and screwed.

The advantage to this is you have two smaller things to throw in the car. My cross-braced idea will be a bulkier "thing" to set aside while sailing.

Are you guys strapping around the lower hull, or strapping clear to the trailer?
 
Hey guys, I'd like to reboot this thread on stacking two Lasers on a Kitty Hawk trailer.

I can only find one place in the world that sells a set of stacking braces with spar holders, and they are in the merry old U.K.:
Laser Dinghy Stacker For Towing - TridentUK

Anyone know a U.S. supplier of these? Otherwise I'm about to build them out of plywood and high density foam.

If you have any updated photos of your own, I'd love to see them.

Happy sailing to all.

-andy
 

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