Car topping a mirror

   After a few years off sailing I am looking to buy a Mirror dinghy to teach the kids to sail, there is a reasonably priced boat locally but it doesn't have a road base.

Neither car has a tow bar so had planned to get a roof rack and car top, however it appears there are mixed view on the viability/legality of this option. What are peoples thoughts and experiences?

Car is a 2006 Honda CR-V and my wife and I are both early 30's and reasonably fit/strong.

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foaminatthedeck Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 18 May 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 318	Post Options Post Reply Quote foaminatthedeck Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Car topping a mirror Posted: 31 Mar 15 at 8:08pm
	After a few years off sailing I am looking to buy a Mirror dinghy to teach the kids to sail, there is a reasonably priced boat locally but it doesn't have a road base. Neither car has a tow bar so had planned to get a roof rack and car top, however it appears there are mixed view on the viability/legality of this option. What are peoples thoughts and experiences? Car is a 2006 Honda CR-V and my wife and I are both early 30's and reasonably fit/strong.
	Lark 2170

RS400atC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 04 Dec 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3011	Post Options Post Reply Quote RS400atC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 15 at 8:35pm
	People used to car top bigger, heavier boats. In the bad old days, trailers were limited to 40mph, so open meeting regulars often had Fireballs on the roof. Mirrors were often car topped. I guess you need to check the car manufacturer's roof load limit. And that of the roof rack. Does the car have roof rails? TBH, I might bribe someone with a towbar, and a road base, there's bound to be someone in your club who'd do it for the fuel and a few beers? Where are you?

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 15 at 8:38pm
	Many cars have ridiculously low roof weight limits these days. Overweight invalidates insurance so you definitely need to check.

GarethT Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 21 Apr 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 714	Post Options Post Reply Quote GarethT Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 15 at 9:04pm
	If I remember correctly, there was a mirror on a mini roof at the museum in Falmouth.

gordon1277 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 24 Mar 10 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 665	Post Options Post Reply Quote gordon1277 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Apr 15 at 8:22am
	Yes check the roof weight, disadvantage of the CRV would be the height so you will need extra bodies to load and unload. Check the width of your roof rack, you may have to add width to a standard one. It was no problem on a Superb when I sold one last year. Friend of mine put his wifes 200 on the roof of his ford car whilst he towed the 400 to Garda last year.
	Gordon Lossc

mangoman Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 09 Jul 09 Location: norfolk Online Status: Offline Posts: 69	Post Options Post Reply Quote mangoman Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Apr 15 at 10:03am
	I would have thought it fine; I used to car top a laser on my 2CV and then a Fiat Panda; no problems. I recall my brother taking his fireball everywhere on the roof of his Alfa Romeo in the late 1960's.... Equally so when I was a kid I had to cycle the 5 miles from home to the sailing club at the beginning of the season pulling my Mirror along the road on its trolley; would you dare let your kids do that nowadays ? Then again my parents probably didn't even know I was doing it !

PeterG Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Jan 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 822	Post Options Post Reply Quote PeterG Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Apr 15 at 11:23am
	Shouldn't be a problem. How much does a Mirror hull weigh these days? You might want to avoid doing what I did as a kid which was to fail to tighten up the roof rack - we got 1/4 mile up the road and on a steep hill the whole lot slide off, still well tied on - to the rack! Amazingly no real damage, and it was a very quite road.
	Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59

Late starter Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Feb 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 481	Post Options Post Reply Quote Late starter Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Apr 15 at 12:14pm
	Roof racking was very popular back in the day, mind you cars had rain gutters which made fitting a roof rack dead easy. I used to roof rack a Mirror on my mk 1 Ford Escort, and tow another Mirror as well when the family were doing the 70s Mirror circuit. Great little boats etc.

MikeBz Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 21 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 536	Post Options Post Reply Quote MikeBz Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Apr 15 at 12:25pm
	I remember transporting our Mirror on the roof of my Dad's Renault 4...

alstorer Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 02 Aug 07 Location: Cambridge Online Status: Offline Posts: 2899	Post Options Post Reply Quote alstorer Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Apr 15 at 12:27pm
	We used to car top my Mirror when I was a lad, but dad built extensions for the roof rack so it fitted.
	-_ Al