Turns out the gate on that trailer was not removable!
I spent the morning building a set of homebrew racks which should easily carry the Laser atop the Volvo. I'll update this thread with pictures (and the boat!) once I get the chance.
Off we go!
Quite frankly, that sounds like a better option that trying to secure it in that trailer.
Beach was just a stop along the way... The boat will be used on Lake Norman in the Charlotte NC area. In the mid 20s this morning with water temperatures hovering right around 50 degrees... That said, I don't think I will be able to resist the temptation and will likely throw on my wetsuit and some winter clothes, and give it a go. I still need to purchase some lines for the boat before that happens, as well as do some other maintenance.
As for the rack... I did have a strap in the rear, as well as three others across the hull, but nothing to tie the rack to the roof, so to speak. I placed grippy draw liner material around the base of each rack 'foot', and pulled down decently tight. The weight of the boat and the force of the straps kept it from budging, as there was some serious friction between the two surfaces. I can't easily generate the forces involved in a panic stop, but we had one incident (hard stop and swerve around a retread in the highway) and still the boat didn't move an inch. In a worst case scenario, the boat could come loose, but wouldnt be able to free itself or slide off the roof, even if the racks disappeared out from under it. In the future, I'd probably find some way to restrain it or go for a rain rail rack. This was more of a temporary time sensitive solution as opposed to a long term frequent hauling sort of deal. The boat will stay on the lake from here on out, most likely.
I'm surprised there wasn't a used Laser available in the area. I know there are lots sitting on trailers at the club that never move.