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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:16 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:12 pm
Posts: 3
Location: chicago
I am considering picking up an old h16 and I do not currently have a trailer/tow hitch or any product of simple convenience. I was curious about how hard it is to completely dissasemble an old cat and stick it on a roof rack on, perhaps...a VW passat?
Is this idea feasable at all or am I just wasting my time. Any help is greatly appreciated.

bob z


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 Post subject: revisited
PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 5:02 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:12 pm
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Location: chicago
I have done a little research and understand that this is difficult. But how hard is it really to take this thing apart? The two hulls, mast, and tramp should fit nicely on top, correct?
I'm really just wanting to attempt this once to get it home, and then I will get a trailer.
I was curious how hard it is to set this cat up from completely taken apart. And how in the world does everyone have a trailer hitch or a truck? It would be nice to plan ahead, but losing youthful quirks seems just as severe.


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:01 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:45 am
Posts: 759
Location: Clinton Lake Lawrence, KS
Quote:
and stick it on a roof rack


Well Bob,

If you've got access to a roof rack capable of supporting about 350 pounds, why take it apart? Lash a couple of 2x8's to the driver and passenger sides of the rack, lash the mast to the trampoline, and enlist three "friends" to help set on top of the car. You'll need to position her far enough forward so the post protruding down below the front crossbar will not touch your windshield. So a little measuring is in order to determine how long the boards need to be, but I'm guessing eight or 10 foot.

Then it'll be at home where you can look at it. U-Haul or a hitch shop should be able to order a suitable hitch for your veeduble. If you purchase a catamaran trailer, your total weight with the boat will be about 750 lbs. or less.

If you want ot be feasible, order a hitch, find/buy a trailer and then go get your boat. But, I'm kind of like you, I doesn't present as much of a challenge to do it the easy way.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:34 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:43 am
Posts: 779
Location: St. Louis, MO
Bob,

I have an '01 Passat with a roof rack. I also got a hitch from U-haul installed after I bought the car. The problem I noticed with the roof rack is that you are way over the weight limit. The rack will support it if you use the 4"x4" to create a large frame. You will need to have one set (the lower) perpendicular to the roof rack bars and the other set (upper) parallel. The roof rack bars alone will buckle under the weight so you need the lower set of 4x4's to put the weight directly over the mounting feet. The upper set of 4x4's will hold the boat.

But, I found that when I overlaod the rack the mounts will start to slide around the roof. If you go really slow, don't accelerate or brake rapidly and take turns very slowly you will probably be OK. But you are really tempting fate with this set up. Also, you are trusting your helpers to not drop the boat on your car... :?

My suggestion is to get a hitch put on your car. It should only take a few hours, if thta long. U-haul has one tht has worked for me for 5 years. The car can pull it no problem (I pull an H18 now).

I would suggest save the McGyver routine for other things.

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Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:33 am 
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Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2004 8:28 am
Posts: 192
I have VW. In the old days I towed my monohull with my Golf. IIRC the weight limit for stuff on top of a Passat is 75 Kg (something like 140 lb.) Look in the manual. You might be able to do it in two loads if the purpose is to get the thing home. Xbars, sidebars, and tramp should actually fit inside the car once disabled.
Taking the boat apart is super easy. Normal hand skills, wrench and a rubber mallet is all that is needed. Unlace the lacing, remove the tramp, remove the bolts from the corner castings, and remove the corner castings from the pylons and the tramp frame will collapse. Bring a helper - once the last xbar is gone you have a lot of pieces to hold on to.
Assembly is easy too... before you put the thing back together read about shimming the pylons.

Patrick


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:47 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:43 am
Posts: 779
Location: St. Louis, MO
I routinly have two kayaks at 150lbs total adn two mountian bikes on the roof rack of my Passat. Any more than that (if you put geat in the kayaks) I notice the rack feet start to slide around.

If you disassemble the boat and make a wooden frame to lash to the roof rack you could probably do it in one trip.

I still think you will need the trailer hitch anyway, it's only around $150 installed, and you can be ready to tow in a few days after ordering the hitch. Or, there has to be someone you know with a truck that will let you borrow it or help you.

BTW if your Passat is an automatic I strongly suggest getting a tranny cooler installed. The car is not really made for towing. To save your shocks don't put much more than 100lbs tounge weight on your hitch.

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Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:28 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2005 5:47 pm
Posts: 63
Location: Wilmington, NC
it seems to me like you are planning on going to allot of trouble to get that boat home. inginuity is good, but common sense is much more important around boats. I have never been to the chicago area and I am sure it is much different than southeastern North Carolina, but I am also sure that it is still in the United States therefore there is an abundance of SUV's and most new SUV's that I have seen come with a two inch receiver hitch standard. If you have already gone to the trouble of locating a boat I am sure you could also find a trailer and a friend with a trailer hitch to help you get the boat home and i beleive this would be much more efficient than completely disasembeling the boat and figuring out how to get it on top of your go-cart. I was faced with the task of replacing a broken front crossmember on a hobie this summer and was amazed at how difficult the process of disassembeling and reassembeling the boat was. good luck with your boat and enjoy.

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The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 3:21 pm 
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Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 5:39 pm
Posts: 433
Location: West Texas
Yeah; you could probably pick up a used trailer fairly cheap. It'd be far, FAR less work to weld on a trailer hitch to your frame than it would be to go to the trouble of disassembling the boat and loading it on top of your car every time.

Good luck! :)

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Jim

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