Thanks for the advice. I'm going to get some kayak blocks and front and rear tie downs. For me the real danger occurs when I pull it off the back of the car and tip it down to put the stern on the ground. At that point the whole boat is balanced on the keel and the edge of the hatchback. I can imagine it very easily sliding to right or left and falling to the ground. Any thoughts on how to manage that point of the unloading or am I imagining something that isn't going to happen.I literally opened the forum today to talk about Car-topping my minifish.
I took it out last evening for the first time and it was totally successful-helped by a lot of accessories I acquired over the off-season here in Jersey.
Here's the rundown of what I used:
(car is a Kia Niro)
#1-Roof Racks for the car. I suppose with a mini being pretty light you could probably just put it on the bare roof (with padding) but I think that's probably a terrible idea.
#2-Foam blocks for kayaks-If you get nothing else, get these. I bought this as a set at R.E.I. and it came with four cam straps (see below). Total game changer. Boat is upright and sits nice and high so that it clears the antenna and also leaves a space for the spars. . The foam also protects the hull from any bumps. I really liked this better than when I just strapped it down to the bare rack when I bought the Mini in the fall.
#3 Cam straps. I already had some but as I mentioned above I got some extra as a bonus with the pads. These are so much easier than using rope and truckers hithces.
#4Under hood tow straps-Another game changer and one of those "how the hell did I live without this?" kinda item. tying down the front is super important. I actually find that with the front tied down securlely I don't have the psychological urge to overdo it on tightening the belly straps on the hull. I got the ones that you slam into the hood unlike the poster above. I suppose the others are technically more secure but I think it would take a whole lot of force to pull mine off. It feels like one of those instances where a lot more crap would happen before these things fail.
#5 Spar bag-don't car top without one. So much easier and secure to put your spars and sail in a bag and secure them to the roof than it is with them just rolled onto each other. I seriously underestimated how much better it is to car-top with a bag .
#6 Wheels/dolly-I'm using one of the dollys that mounts to the centerboard tunnel. I know some people say theyre bad but it's what i have now and getting the boat from the car to the water would be pretty impossible without it. I will be checking the inside of the tunnel this summer to see if it looks to be wearing through the glass.
That's it. My wife goes paddleboarding when I go sailing and we are reasonably athletic so I don't have much of a problem getting the boat from the roof to the ground. If I decide to start going solo I will probably invest in one of those side assist loaders so I can do it myself.
The mini is SUCH a good boat. So nimble and so light. I wish they were still being made. As much as I love the original Sunfish, it just seems like the mini is the 'sweet spot" for a lot of people.
...it just seems like the mini is the 'sweet spot" for a lot of people.