Another scheme I saw written up was to have a trailer hitch sticking out the
back of the car and a length of pipe with a clamp arrangement which attached
to the boat's transom and pivoted on the hitch's ball. You only needed to
lift one end of the boat at a time. It helps if the boat is longer than the
car. (Leaning over the hood to lift the bow is murder on one's back.)

Dad rigged a set of pulleys to the garage rafters to lift boat and cartop
carriers up. The boat lived in the rafters on the carriers between sailing
trips. At the launch site there was usually someone to help.

Roger (I cartopped the Sunfish just once. Then I bought a trailer.)

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"William R. Watt" wrote in message
...
Watch the weight. It's a challenge to build a boat light enough to lift on
and off the roof of a car yet large enough to be of much use. Canoes
and kayaks are popular because they are light. Decide before hand if you
will be doing the lifting yourself or have a helper. That will govern the
size and weight of boat you can practically carry on the roof of a car.
Some people make gin pole hoists so they can lift bigger boats solo.