small boat for people without trucks/trailer hitch

[deathmatch782]

is there a preferred craft that would be able to be carried on top of a car?

[jwmiller33]

canoe

[croixflats]

12 to 14 ft aluminum basic bench style can be easily done with the right roof rack. Loading it is a different story. The size of your car will determain the size of the boat you can carry.

[goblueM]

i've seen this old gentleman twice down by Red Wing. he's about 80 years old and has the coolest roof rack for a 12 foot jon boat.

its like a normal thule or yakima rack, except he made it. the bars are actually rollers, so he can lift up the top of the boat, set it on the rack, then push the boat onto the car top. rolls right on.

then he just has a locking mechanism on the rollers, and straps her down. real nifty. sorry i didn't do a good job describing it but I thought it was pretty cool

[croixflats]

I had this pipe, which was taller than the roof of the car, with a receiver on it to plug into the car hitch then on the top of the pipe was a bracket you set the transom in then all you had to do was lift the bow higher the roof of the car and walk the boat around and set it on the roof rack. Pretty nifty for a one man loader. You had to be strong enough to lift the upside down boat to the height of the bracket. If I tried that now I think I would throw my back out. I think I still have lying around out there somewhere in the garage

[Brad B]

What type of car do you have. some cars can have hitches added. I had a 2001 chevy cavilier that I added a hitch to. with that I was able to pull my 14 jon boat and my ex father inlaws 16 foot v-hull. My set up allowed me to pull up to 1000 lbs total weight. I was lucky if the boats were more the 300 Lbs total weight each.

[Brad B]

another option would be a kayak.

[Pleasant]

As already said would depend on what kind of car we are talking about.

As a kid back in the 60's, when I first started venturing out on fishing weekends alone, I had a 1964 Chevy Impala and a light weight 14 foot aluminum boat (as I recall it weighted 114 pounds). I had an old 3 horse Johnson. carried the boat on top of the car and the motor in the car trunk. Fished many lakes with that rig, caught a bunch of fish.

[PerchJerker]

I don't know much about kayaks but I think that's the first boat I would look into

[scott b]

I had a square stern canoe with a 4hp. for that exact reason. 10-15mph! Turned on a dime. Been out on main lake tonka with that thing. You can get em brand new for 300.

[deathmatch782]

I have a Saturn Ion. So not a large car. I can get a hitch attached, but that will run $300.

[shorefisher]

Look on that sight that starts with a "C" for cars like yours that are getting parted out. Most do not think of selling the hitch and will sell them cheep. I picked one up sometime ago for 30 bucks another place is junk yard. A lot of them are close in size and with a little work you can make them work if you can not find a match.

[SkunkedAgain]

If you like the look of your car's exterior, stick with a canoe or kayak. They will easily get you out on the water. If you are opposed to paddling, then buy a tiny motor and possibly a square stern canoe (i.e river canoe).

An aluminum boat on the roof of your little Saturn is quite different than a heavy boat on Pleasant's 1964 Impala. 12 and 14 foot boats still weigh a lot for one person to lift. The only way to do it adequately is to rig up some kind of intelligent rack system as described in several ways in responses above. By the time you get to that stage, you might as well have just added a hitch and been done with it. No loading on top and you'll spend about the same amount.

IMO - unless you get a different vehicle or are willing to spring for a hitch, stick with the canoe or kayak.

[pushbutton]

I had a square stern canoe with a 4hp. for that exact reason. 10-15mph! Turned on a dime. Been out on main lake tonka with that thing. You can get em brand new for 300.

where?

[Northlander]

Square stern canoe would be my response but I dont think I have ever seen a new one for $300.

[JBMasterAngler]

My dad's square stern canoe is the only one I've ever seen! We've used 3 and 4 HP motors, as well as various electric motors on it. We've taken it everywhere from tiny little creeks to mille lacs to lake superior.

[247outdoors]

Try checking out the 'Porta-boat'. You could fold it and put it in your car. Very sturdy and sink free!

[Supercrew]

What kind of car? 5 gallon pail and a stick.....