NickL,

If you're going to do that, get a good weather forecast before you drive. You'd be surprised how quicly you can get several hundred pounds of water sloshing around in it in a rainstorm. Alternatively, get a peaked cover to shed the rain.

In addition to the rain, you also need to handle the wind. Driving at 50+ mph you will be slamming a wind of that same speed (or more) into the boat. That pram bow could develop some serious upward lift, whereas if you had it bottom up the bow would be getting forced downward by the wind,

Be safe,

Laszlo

Hey NickL,

Yes, to everything Laszlo said, as usual.  Now, to address your question, I spaced my Yakima roof rack bars the same distance apart as the length of the skids.  This gives a positive stop so that the boat "clicks" into place.  The bars are padded, so no damage to the boat.  Then of course, very healthy straps down to the front and rear of the vehicle.  Sorry no pics.

Phase 2 was supposed to be a 2x4 frame that does much the same thing with the understanding that the fore & aft runners would capture the sides of the skids.  This box would then be installed on top of the roof rack, then the boat would be dropped into position.  The frame would be attached to the vehicle and the boat would be attached to the frame.  I was going to notch the 2x4's so they mated with the roof rack crossbars for additional security.

I was living in Seattle, on Greenlake, then I moved to Surrey/White Rock, BC for six months thanks to the hurricanes, now I'm on Camano Island until we head down to St. Thomas for the winter.

   Thanks for the advice on EP facing up.  I will likely not do that.  I am just researching all options at this time.  Sorry to bother you all but you all been helpful.  Hope to finish the EP by October,   Yeah.  

NickL

>>Sorry to bother you all

Don't be sorry, that's what this forum is for. Nobody's putting a gun to our heads to make us answer :-) We do it because we want to, so you're very welcome to keep asking.

Laszlo