Question: roof rail diameter 16' Cruiser?

DMcD,
If you have kayaks, you probably have a roof rack............or several........for cars. For my 22 Cruiser, I just used old Thule racks with the feet which clamped on rain gutters. No modifications needed, and they are secure. I have transported a kayak, lumber, a prehung entry door and more.
Now, credit where credit is due - I got that idea from this Forum which has answers to most questions. Except maybe rail diameters, which I couldn't find when I discovered the idea of repurposing roof racks.
andy
 
Until someone with a 16 responds (I don't know if the rail diameter is the same), I'll just say that on my 22, the rails are 7/8" diameter.
 
Hey,

I have a 2007 16 ft cruiser and the handrails on the roof are 7/8 inch. I would add, be careful of any weight put in the roof of the 16 as it will compromise your center of gravity and it is "lively" enough as it is.

Good luck and safe boating.
Spuncopper
 
I just have one that fits the gutters of my car, but it doesn't look like it would work on the 16' cruiser.... the roof is more curved and has a head-room hump in the middle. I don't think the posts of the roof rack will be tall enough to keep the cross-bar off the center of the roof.
 
DMcD,

Check out how I made my stainless steel to of rack last year. Full disclosure, I "borrowed" the idea from a few very talented C-Brat craftsmen. The use of Taylormade flag holders was perfect but also very expensive. It looks like your McMaster-Carr solution looks like a great alternative.

20150815_105643.sized.jpg
 
spuncopper":340yvbin said:
Hey,

I have a 2007 16 ft cruiser and the handrails on the roof are 7/8 inch. I would add, be careful of any weight put in the roof of the 16 as it will compromise your center of gravity and it is "lively" enough as it is.

Good luck and safe boating.
Spuncopper
Click to expand...

Amen -- bother -- I have the 16 Angler and in no way would I put anything but light duffle on the roof. These boats become tender very easily.
 
Blueback":3ow516y3 said:
spuncopper":3ow516y3 said:
Hey,

I have a 2007 16 ft cruiser and the handrails on the roof are 7/8 inch. I would add, be careful of any weight put in the roof of the 16 as it will compromise your center of gravity and it is "lively" enough as it is.

Good luck and safe boating.
Spuncopper
Click to expand...

Amen -- bother -- I have the 16 Angler and in no way would I put anything but light duffle on the roof. These boats become tender very easily.
Click to expand...

I'll third that recommendation, mainly because you are a new member and there's the possibility you are a relatively new owner of a 16? If so, I'd recommend getting some time on it in some bigger seas before putting extra weight up on the roof - you could find yourself in trouble fairly quickly if caught out in unexpected weather, as I was just last weekend...can't imagine if there had also been a kayak up on the roof in that stuff!
 
I will "forth" putting nothing on the roof of a CD 16, although I did put a flexible solar panel up there (2 pounds). Also, the scaffold connectors are cheap because they are steel. They would probably last for awhile in fresh water, but as soon as they start to rust they might cause some rust streaking on your gel coat.

There are some activities that are incompatible with cruising in a C Dory 16. Having a kayak on top would be one of them. I always wonder when I see an RV driving down the road, pulling a Jeep, with kayaks, lawn furniture, aluminum boats, and bicycles strapped all the way around, whether they really get enough enjoyment from those all those toys to make it worth the effort. It seems that one toy at a time might be more fun. That being said, I have enjoyed taking my folding bike with me (in the cockpit).

Mark
 
Marco Flamingo":90tb15a2 said:
I will "forth" putting nothing on the roof of a CD 16, although I did put a flexible solar panel up there (2 pounds). Also, the scaffold connectors are cheap because they are steel. They would probably last for awhile in fresh water, but as soon as they start to rust they might cause some rust streaking on your gel coat.

There are some activities that are incompatible with cruising in a C Dory 16. Having a kayak on top would be one of them. I always wonder when I see an RV driving down the road, pulling a Jeep, with kayaks, lawn furniture, aluminum boats, and bicycles strapped all the way around, whether they really get enough enjoyment from those all those toys to make it worth the effort. It seems that one toy at a time might be more fun. That being said, I have enjoyed taking my folding bike with me (in the cockpit).

Mark
Click to expand...
For those that have owned the 16 Dory for some time we all have an experience that has taught us about keeping the CG as low as possible and to not overweight the stern either. My experience was on the Fraser River which, at the time, was calm and my adult son decided to sit up on the cabin roof with his feet on either side of the hatch for select view of river activities. A large tug going up river threw up a considerable wake and I was not concerned as I knew it was easily handled by Blueback. Well it scared the crap out of me, as we rolled over so far I thought he was going overboard - or the vessel was going to turn over. This was a lesson I will never forget. BTW he weighted about 160lbs.
 
I appreciate the advice, but some of it is making me nervous.

We are using our 16' Cruiser on an inland lake. Why should I be overly concerned with CG shift? Is a 50 lb kayak on the roof really going to cause me to capsize?
 
Hey DMcD,

Fifty pounds? Even on an inland lake fifty pounds on the roof of a CD 16 cruiser would make it squirrely. I use mine on Lake Wateree here in SC, an inland lake and I wouldn't put fifty pounds on the roof.

Here's a suggestion for you before you expend the funds on a roof rack. Take a soft sided suit case or duffle bag and pack it with something totaling fifty pounds. Secure it on the roof of your CD 16 and take it out, you'll get a feel on how it will handle.

I would suggest a tow bridal.

Good luck, Spuncopper
 
DMcD,
Consider that the 16 owners are a diverse and experienced group. I doubt that any would feel that at rest in calm waters that the 50 + lbs (rack, Kayak, paddles etc) would cause a capsize. But it does change the dynamics of handling when under any way, even slow speeds. Add in that weather can change rapidly on any inland lake, and when 40 knots of wind, and 2 foot seas, come along--and it does not take much fetch, for that to happen, things can go wrong very quickly. You can argue that you never go out in predicted bad weather. I live where I can see Alabama from my front door, and things go bad very rapidly on Perdido Bay, sort of a small "lake"- where I have made a number of rescues in a boat far more capable than the C Dory 16.

If I was in your "shoes" /boat; I would tow the kayak for some time and see how things go.
 
50 lbs kayak plus whatever weight of roof rack...earlier in thread there was talk about using or adapting a standard car roof rack...I have a small Yakima that was from a civic hatchback and it is definitely no leightweight!

Have you considered inflatable kayaks? I often carry an Advanced Elements deflated in the cockpit of my 16, it's easy and quick to inflate across the back deck, very seaworthy, and fast enough to explore any area I anchor out at, even with tides (it is only 11' so you do have to watch the tides/currents, but they also make longer models, and you wouldn't worry about tides anyway on your lake).
 
Very disheartened. First, I’m getting chided for playing with too many toys at once. We got a C-Dory to serve as a mother ship for our kayak expeditions. Now it appears we just didn’t do enough research. Who knew this boat was so close to its lateral stability limit that a kayak on the roof would put me in danger of capsizing?? Running the numbers I see that a 50 lb kayak on the roof of a 1000 lb boat would raise the CG approximately 3 inches. Is that all it takes?

I see lots of photos on this site of C-Dorys with all kinds of stuff on the roof including kayaks, canoes and rubber dinghies. I guess those are all larger models that are less “tender” (a new vocabulary word for me).

I really don’t think I could tow a kayak without turning it into an sea-anchor – it’s only attach point is the carry handle.
 
Hey DMcD,

Don't get too disheartened and don't take any "chiding" seriously at all, 'dey jus' be funnin' wid yew win dey chide yew.'

Take the boat out and use it and build slowly from there. The CD 16's will take you out and bring you home safely in weather other boats of a similar size (and some larger) would stay in port over.

The CD's with kayaks, Zodiacs, etc. on their roofs are usually going to be the CD 19s and up. Their beam is quite a bit larger than the CD 16s so they're much steadier.

The CD 16 rides like a WWII destroyer at anchor and at slow speeds, in other words she'll rock and roll. Weight on the roof will enhance the rocking and rolling and slow the recovery time from each roll.

What I meant by "tender" is the CD 16 is "touchy/sensitive" to weight changes. I spent one summer moving a battery storage case loaded with dive weights from one place to another to determine where to put a second battery.

Take the boat out and use it. Be safe. Spuncopper
 
Hey again DMcD,

I was thinking about when I moved 60 lbs of dive weights around in a battery storage case and had a thought...

Counterbalance the kayak with an equal amount of weight mounted on the floorboards on the centerline. Another deep cycle marine battery (approx. 60 lbs) near where the porta potty is located.

Is anyone else is following this, what do you think?

Spuncopper
 
Those of us suggesting some caution were just doing so from our experience that the 16' is tender enough without any weight on the roof, but if your lake is small and always calm, maybe it's not even an issue for you...

You might try sending a PM to Brock, aka Catman (member #9 at the top of the Memberlist)...somewhere on this forum is a photo of his 16' Bambina with a small inflatable dinghy on the roof, I'm guessing in the range of 35-45 lbs. He would have first-hand experience as to the effects of that kind of weight and sail area on the roof of a 16. Perhaps it was nothing!

Not to completely hijack the thread, but has anyone ever seen a 1960 Dolphin 16', a 16' flybridge (!) that seats 2? This was a friend's boat from a few years back, a super-rare classic:
http://www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-ga ... ridge.html
Much wider than a CD-16 for sure!
 
Here is a photo of C pup, at Catalina Island 2012 gathering. He has as much "stuff" on a C D 16 as I have seen. I also saw one which was starting from Seattle area, with the goal of getting to SE Alaska. So these little boats certainly can do a lot more than most 16 foot open boats do.

DSC01170.sized.jpg
The beam of the 16 is 6'6", but it is narrower at the waterline, as most semi dories are. The C Dory 22 has Beam of 7'8"--same thing about the waterline beam. We often carry a light weight dinghy--about 55 lbs on the cabin top, There is a slightly noticeable difference in handling.

If I was towing a Kayak, I would put a towing eye on the boat. Although I am not a big fan of towing in rough water, I have often towed kayaks, small and large inflatables up to 13 feet, an Aluminum 12 foot boat, and even a 20 foot walk around Grady White. In each case, I put in a specific tow eye. If you are going to leave the kayak in the water along side the boat you will need attachment points. We are going into the kayak rental business in a State Park, and each of these will have at least two additional strong points installed in the kayak for security and possible tow reasons. You put in a backing block, and drill the holes for screws or bolts thru the hull of the Kayak.

The issue is not just raising the center of gravity--but of changing the characteristics of roll in heavy seas--and though it is not obvious--there are differences dynamically between raising the CG by moving batteries/ and even people in the lower part of the boat, than adding 50 or so pounds on the cabin top. Another issue to approach is getting the Kayak on and off the rack--especially if the boat is not on the beach, and floating in deep water. It certainly can be done, but we use a Davit on most of our C Dories to move even the inflatables to the cabin roof.
Part of this is the weight of a person on the side deck, and then the boat heeling more because of this and the weight of the kayak. It is not going to tip over--but may be a challenge.

No one means to be chiding you--and I believe we collectively feel sorry if our comments came across that way. It is easy to put a couple of foam pads which are made for putting a kayak on a car top, and trying it out--vs putting a rack up there. Walmart carries an"Atwood" foam block set with straps for $20--you might consider giving this a try, before investing in the rack.

Regards,
 
Back
Top