Car Topper (aluminium boat)

no question in my mind Garry, 12ft alum, V bottom.

Anyone out there got an opinion on the Tykahele ? Weighs 50kg, promo site reckons it takes up to 200kg, etc.

Goto www.tykahele.com and post back here what you think, sure it won't go places a v bottomed tinny will but then if you don't need to go to those places ...... i mean, 50kg, that'll go on my $100 roof racks.

Thanks Des, Paul & Exploroz. Have only been signed up for 2 days and already received 2 very valuable answers. Looked up the Tykahele site and was most impressed. Bit put off by the narrow beam and floor angle as reckon it would be a bit confining after 2-3 hours. The outrigger idea is sensational and could be easily adapted to any ally boat surely.

G'day Garry,
I'm not quite your size but near enough to 17 stone. I've just bought a 3.3m (11'6) Stessyl Edgetracker punt which I put onto of my jack.
I run a new 8hp Yamaha2 stroke and can get it to plane if I lean well forward but I don't worry too much about planning when I'm fishing
the rivers or inland waters - just poke along - its 1.5m wide and very stable and the shape keeps it pretty dry for a V nosed punt.
You might have to be like me- I get my mate to drive the thing whilst I flatten out the front!
Weighs 37kg bare and I bought 3 pair Rhino Rach clamps and built my own stainless steel rack.
Rated for a 10hp and would most probably suit your needs.
Its as big as I can reasonably handle onto the roof anyway I bought it to take with us when we are tripping around in the caravan for
places like Karumba, Myall Lakes, Port Stephens, Stuarts Point/McLeay River, Lake Mulwala, Eildon and most of the South Coast
estuaries. This limits the size a bit but anything bigger becomes a pain in the ar..,oops i mean elbow to readily carry around.
Made up a set of portable wheels similar to Ezitow style that clamp onto the rear with a towball arrangement that
bolts to the double eye sockets at front of boat - cheap portable trailer for very short tow distances for say 100 yards or so but works
well - You'll find the dimensions on Stesyl's website. Quintrex make a good outfit (3.8m Explorer) but I reckon it was too heavy to
car (4wd)- top at around 70 kg. Stessyl also make an Edgetracker at 3.8 m - both 1.5 beam and very similar o the water. Gets down
to what suits you. Boat, Motor and new Dunbier trailer cost me about 5 grand Includes good removable padded seats, carpets,and the standard safety gear
Boat alone was about $1600 bare
Hope that helps cheers - Mudguts

Garry good to see you can still ask questions as ending up in the drink around Boroloola is not my idea of fun. A mate of mine bought a 3.55m Quintrex fish nipper wt 70kg carring capacity inc motor of 355kg. He carries it on the top of a commodore and tows a 16ft caravan with a 15hp motor on the drawbar. I was impressed with the boat's stability so I have bought one as well and I will be carrying it on the top of a dual cab hilux. I will be using a 15hp motor as well as there is no difference in weight between a 10 and 15 hp motor. I have another mate who is in a party who are on the way back from cape york and one in the party has a dual cab Hilux with a boat of about 70 kg on the top so I will be interested how this vehicle fared. I think everything is a compromise as I bought a boat and motor to use at home and so I could take away with me so I decided on the fish nipper and motor. As for the trailer the wheels and towbar attachment will do me for the time being as the boat has its own trailer when at home.
Hope this is of some use.

Garry, just to head in a slightly different direction; I bought a 3.4m (11'6") Zodiac That is licenced to take 5 adults. It would take 3 of you. I run a 15HP and it planes easily with the two of us plus gear. It takes 15 mins to blow up. It folds up to the size of a large suitcase and weighs 34 Kg. The floor blows up really hard, feels like an inflated tyre. If going a distance we carry it folded. we then blow it up and move around with it on the roof rack. An old bloke like me can get it on and off OK. If I'm going somewhere local from home I just put it om my box trailer. They are very safe and comfortable. They have five seperate air compartments and can be operated with any one compartment deflated. Hope this confuses you. Mal Try.