markja Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I have finished my Spindrift 10. It is great fun to sail and I have managed to take it out after work on a small lake near our house several times already. My cartop helper person only helped once though, she decided it is too heavy. So after some trial and error (only a few small scratches) I now have this gadget for getting it in and out of the back of the truck fairly easily by myself. The other nice thing is that the boat can stay right-side up on the dolly with all the gear inside. It makes it harder to forget to bring important pieces of gear (like the mast, which I left behind one time). There is a dolly that fits into the daggerboard slot and a ramp to wheel the dolly and boat up and it stays in place with a block of wood on the ramp. Then I lift the whole thing up and slide into the bed of the truck. It sticks out about 4 feet which is manageable and legal. A trailer would be easier, I guess but I haven't figured where to store it. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Luckett Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Congratulations and thank you for the inspiration and pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Good job on the boat! After I put a hard top on my Tundra, the boat no longer fits in the pickup bed. So I've been on the lookout for a used pwc trailer (hoping to make a better use for it than it's former life), but so far, no joy. There are different sizes and styles, but eventually, I hope to find one that will fit. With judicious use of a welder, I think I'll be able to rig a support for the mast and booms to go along with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 That looks like a great way to launch Mark. For future reference (or in case anyone else is interested) this gizmo works great for singlehanded cartopping: http://www.pbase.com/sailrosita/cartopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markja Posted August 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Garry, I like your gizmo, too. With a small truck I don't have to flip the boat, though. How do you get your boat flipped without scratching it up. The lakes I sail have concrete or asphalt ramps. Hard on the paint job. I am wondering if I could carry it on top of our Honda Civic... I fastened a 1/8" x 1/2" piece of hardware store aluminum along the keel for bumping along the concrete. Works great so far. I suppose salt water would eat up the aluminum. but for $10, I'll just replace it. I took the boat out today to a larger lake. I think the winds were blowing about 20 knots. The Spindrift popped up on a plane pretty easy in that wind. Lots of fun. I have the reefing sail but have found no need to reef yet. I almost let it capsize, but chickened out at the last minute. The automatic bailer finally got tested out, too. I made a wind indicator to mount in a hole on the bow knee. Really helps me figure out the wind shifts. I will try to post a few more pictures if I can get someone to go along with the camera. By the way, thanks to all with advice and help with my boat-building. I am thinking about another boat, but we now have a Spindrift, a canoe and 3 kayaks in the garage...I suppose I will have to part with some before adding another. The Lapwing sure looks interesting. MARK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulpilotrmh Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Mark: Great job on both the boat and your cradle and dolly. Do you have any sketches or more detailed photos of the cradle and dolly? I had been wondering how to best get my S-10 in the truck without banging it up, and like your ideas. Russ Hauser Tavares, FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Hey Russ - we're in the same area. I live in Inverness. I wish I still had my Spindrift. I sold it planning to build a CS 17 but decided I didn't have time for that right now. I'm thinking about finding a cheap used boat just to get out on once in a while. Mark, I had a set of strap-on wheels that I use to transport the dinghy by hand unless there is someone else willing to help me carry it. If you go to the link in the previous post, you can see them in use. Have fun, Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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