Getting your Laser On & Off your Car (SUV) Alone?

Sail4SC

Sail4SC

Member
Anyone have a good method or technique for loading your laser safely alone and without damaging boat and car? I've successfully used a large blue recycling trash can to hold the bow up while I lift the from the transom to get the boat on the car.. very sketchy operation thou. My neighbors are never around when I need them!. Getting the boat off alone is a complete mystery to me. Any thoughts appreciated.
 
That's the method I have used with the Laser except that I put the bow up instead of the stern. A couple of points that you may find useful.
1. Figuring out where you need to have the hull upside down in relation to the vehicle prior to lifting the bow is the key.
2. Depending on your roof rack config, you may or may not need the pvc (or wood) connecting the two cross bars. My cross bars are very close together, so I can rest the bow on both bars.
 
It's been many years, but I remember people having some wheels that mounted to the transom, then you could lift the bow up and slide it up to the roof (there were no SUV's then, however).
It would be real nice if the rear rack was a rolling rack too, maybe a big PVC with foam glued to it?
 
Some people in Australia carry a laser 'right way up' sitting on a triangular planform dolly. While this may not be as good windage-wise as 'deck-down' with the dolly on top of the boat, it does have the effect of 'extending' the pressure points, since it is the dolly's triangular frame that contacts the roof bars.

If the rear SUV bar is far enough back, and if you have a relatively low SUV (or are really tall or have a stock ramp. handrail or sturdy fence or something to stand on behind the SUV) - you might be able to slide it back single handed. If you have a sturdy tree you could rig a rigging board from a branch as an interim step (i.e. a stout piece of 4X2 with ropes thru each end.) Used to use the latter to get my 14 out of a top bay at a boatshed by myself. It all depends on the geometry and how strong you feel. (maybe a sky hook or temporary davit on the rear bumper?)

Other single handed-roof loading bars have sliding secondary bars connected to the load so you can slide it along the primary bars to the side and then down at an angle and off (i.e let it pivot down when clear of the SUV). The load rests to the side of the vehicle until you disconnect the secondary bars and 'roll it over'.. Ones I have seen are modified Thule - but the SUV may be too high for this to work comfortably - and you need maximum width primary bars so the load pivots clear of the vehicle. - once one side of the secondary bars are resting on the ground you have to 'roll- the boat over (so if height is OK this can work if you have the boat on the roof in conventional fashion- upside down with dolly on top)

A really expensive option?? might be one of those hydraulic/electric wheel chair loaders that work off a programmable remote control. Needs to be bolted to the Chasis inside the SUV and the rear door opened to deploy it - but would be a very neat solution (heigt & weight permitting) except it probably costs more than a trailer??

Those multi angle lockable ladders might also give some ideas - and if you could figure out a reliable system - would fold down to a manageable size to throw in the back of an SUV.
 
Any place I go there is usually someone there to help. I wouldn't try that by myself, if you want to do it so you can do it alone, get a trailer.
 
I think Thule and/or Yakima had an outrigger for their roof racks that was supposed to let you do it solo (at least for kayaks. . .). The outrigger is simply a tube that would slide out from the main crosspiece. You could probably improvise something that would do the same job on your existing rack.

You have your boat next to the vehicle, pull out the outrigger and rest the bow on it. You then lift the stern and place it on the back rack. Then you go back and slide the bow in and retract the outrigger. Yakima has directions (page 3) that make it a little clearer.

If you want something really cool looking, check out the Thule Hullavator for kayaks. Maybe it could be adapted to a Laser. Personally, I'm hoping for a large inheritance or winning lottery ticket so I can fulfill my lifelong dream of having a Boat Valet to take care of these things!

-Steve
 
I am haveng trouble getting to view the pictures on the Sunfish site. Perhaps someone with more computer skills than I have would be kind enough to post the links on this site.

Thanks in advance
 
Along the same thread, how do people flip their boat on a trailer by themselves? I ask this with the assumption that you are on a hard surface (eg. pavement) that you would not want to place the boat on.

Sometimes I long for the days of the simplicity of sailing (OK, launching) the Cyclone. Remember those days Peter?
 
If you are in a garage and can rig some slings from the roof, fliping the Laser to work on the bottom is fairly straight forward.

If not, securing the Laser to a Dolly with at the bow and at the side posts with a strap lets you roll the dolly and boat on its side (onto padded rigging board or simmilar) and (Dolly holds it - almost- while you switch sides round the stern) then lower it to upside-down position. Still have to lift-off the dolly etc, to get at the hull to work on it.

Reverse proceedure is the simmilar - but getting the dolly strapped back on is a bit harder-important that it is secure when going verticle.

Sometimes at our club, when the sail is really ragging, we tip the rigged boat (on the dolly) over onto the grass with the hull facing the breeze (to have lunch), rather than de- rigging everything. Tying the bow to the dolly bow post and using a simple webbing strap across the decks at the side post station seems to hold the whole thing together without any drama. After lunch, just raise the boat with the rig and release the tie-downs. Only difference with an un-rigged hull is the transition point (need to change sides) with out the satbility and reach provided by mast grip leverage.
 
Sorosz,
The Yakima version of telescopic internal rail looks good for light loads and is part-way to what I meant. The ones I have seen were a secondary bar above the normal roof rack bars but able to slide out (like the Yakima) to the side and when fully out, able to pivot down - so the load still strapped to this secondary bar is now supported by the bar on the ground at one end and the slide-pivot connecton to the roof bar. The fully secondary bars slide along the primary roof bars and when fully extended can be droped to an angle of probably 30 degrees to the vertical (so the roof primary bars need to be wide enough to give vehicle roof clearance for the secondary loaded bars at this angle as the load is hinged down). Also when loading/unloading you have to support the weight sufficiently so the secondary bars don't gouge the vehicle roof giong up/down.

There must be a simple engineering solution (usually this is a trailer) but in the interim it kind of makes you appreciate more the friendly lift you get at a club.

Interested if others have variations on this theme - some early suggestions included rotating the boat on its transom thru 180 degrees.
 
Sail4SC said:
Anyone have a good method or technique for loading your laser safely alone and without damaging boat and car? I've successfully used a large blue recycling trash can to hold the bow up while I lift the from the transom to get the boat on the car.. very sketchy operation thou. My neighbors are never around when I need them!. Getting the boat off alone is a complete mystery to me. Any thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...

Let's see.
Assuming typical roof racks where there are two "pipes" crossing the top of the vehicle

check for wind...When doing the following, it is easy to lose it in a gust

Put boat near side of vehicle

Flip the boatso it is right next to vehicle

Walk to the bow. Pick up the bow and hand over hand to the balance point in the middle.

Lift

Set one side on edge of racks

work your hands to the far side of the boat

Shove boat to middle of vehicle




For those who are too weenie to pick up 130 lbs...

Find a picknik table por something that is about half as tall as your vehicle.

Park car right in front of table

Place transome on table.

Pick up bow and set on a roof rack

Stand on table. Shove and rock boat back and forth over the cleats and fittings until it is in correct postion.



Have a mast hoist at your club??

I use to pick up the bow with the mast hoist. I would se the bow high enough to act as my "friend at the other end.
I would park the van in the right spot to pick up the stern and set it crookedly on the van and then go help "my friend" position and lower the bow to the vehicle.


Simple system?? carry a six pack of beer in a cooler and offer it to the first big strong person who passes. Most will refuse the beer or only take one or two.
 
gouvernail said:
Simple system?? carry a six pack of beer in a cooler and offer it to the first big strong person who passes. Most will refuse the beer or only take one or two.
Click to expand...
Often the best way to avoid a drop. I used to do the grunt work for my fleets. VW Rabbits and Jettas were the best...simply flip boat on to deck, move bow alongside vehicle about 2' past cross bar...pick up bow and position on bar...pick up boat with hands on outside of transom...tilt one side up to clear deck hardware as you slide forward. (transom dollies are useful when you train by yourself...fully dollies are a hassle by yourself.) Second best way to get it on top: two big guys
 
I can get mine on and off the roof of my chevy tahoe on my own. I use 2" x 4" with padding for the roof rack. I place the boat deck down beside the car w/the bow facing the front of the car. Then I take a folding ladder, (the kind that folds into multiple sections for storage) and fold it like a painters ladder. I fold up a tarp and lay it in the "v-section" of the folded ladder for padding. I pick up the bow and place it on the tarp, (or in the "v") of the ladder. At this point the bow is about 5 feet off the ground. Then I lift the stern up and onto the back roof rack on the SUV. At this point about 50% of the stern section is on the roof rack and the other half is hanging off the edge. The I go to the bow and move it up and over from the ladder to the front roof rack. Then I go back to the stern and slide it over until the boat is centered on the rack. I do this on the side of the racks that extend out over the side of the car by about 6 inches which is the space for the spars to go. When I'm finished I fold up the ladder and put it in the car for the unlaod. Of course having help is much easier, but not alwasy possible. Also, I always find a section of grass to place the boat on. I've never had to do this on a paved surface, but with enough padding I think it would work.
 
gouvernail said:
For those who are too weenie to pick up 130 lbs...
Click to expand...

Hmmm...I never thought of myself as being "weenie." The rest of the other women who can't lift 130 lbs probably don't either, but we all enjoy the irony of it. :D
 
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