someone should make car-top cargo-pod(s)/micro boat hybrid.

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Squidly-Diddly, Jun 15, 2020.

  1. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    Either a wide one that is stretched a bit.
    https://www.walmart.com/ip/SportRac...-006-172b9ccd51154b&athancid=null&athena=true

    Or two narrow ones to make a Sit-On-Top cat.https://www.walmart.com/ip/SportRac...-cc0-172b9d02d71249&athancid=null&athena=true

    For the wide single hull, the bottom that mounts to the racks could include seals on both sides, so it would provide the option of a concave seating space similar to SOT kayak. I guess you could do same for Cat hulls, and vary how far above the water you'd sit by about 8".

    Doesn't seem like there would be too much design conflict, since the for existing market the Cargo Carrier side of the application is pretty much "you get what you get" and try to make it work and fit your junk as best you can. AFAIK these pods aren't 'dialed in' for any particular application like matching luggage. I see this as better as mass produced and mimicking most of the Cargo-Pods tech, rather than DIY, but I guess a less than optimized prototype would be doable as proof of concept (and seaworthiness).

    My best guess would be a short stubby square stern canoe looking thing, about 7' 6" long, 34" wide and 14" deep with horizontal gunnel maybe clip on "Atlantic Bow". That would be bigger than any existing Cargo Pod but still easy to man-handle. Re-connection to lower half would need to be easy and fool proof. Make it so top half can be randomly dropped onto lower half, then slide on the two horizontal transom planes until it meets a stop and clicks into hinges and hinge pin inserted. Transom able to accept small trolling motor or rudder. Bonus: on the side of hull there would be low-profile molded in ribs about every 1', which would aid stiffness, but also accept plywood shelving when the boat/top shell of pod was stood on its transom and taken indoors and set in a corner on the off season.

    There is a big market for calm water one-man fishing flotation devices (can't really call them boats) such as those inflatable cats with metal frame and seat, but some people don't like inflatables.

    Another config would be similar to nesting dingy but I can't see it working well as a one-man micro-boat unless you've got two very different size pods, since operator's weight will be well forward of backrest.
     
  2. mick_allen
    Joined: Dec 2005
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    mick_allen -

    I use my short or long kayaks as cargo pods all the time. Use either a dedicated cockpit cover or the spray skirt tied off and inverted [the most typical use] and at the end of the trip one has the use of a real and seriously purposeful boat as well as having the utility of all that extra space inside and in a shape that really cuts the wind.
    The most useful and easy to handle are short ww boats as they don't have bulkheads, are quite wide and therefore are easier to jam stuff inside [as well as keeps weight to the centre near the roofracks], but any sprayskirtable and light kayak would be fine. In seakayaks, I mainly use the cockpit region and not the end compartments altho part of the stern compartment near the ckpt would be ok. Used under these circumstances, typically rain and high speed are of minimal concern if well tied off [maybe a little dampness in driving rain at continuous high speeds for many hours, but it's never been an issue that I can remember]. Bow lines cannot be emphasized enough
     
  3. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    I'm thinking of 80/20 ratio of Pod/Boat design priorities, for calm water fishing or in harbor dingy, but mostly for the absolute max size roof top streamlined cargo-pod size. Should also be able haul at least one full sized non-folding bike without taking the wheels off, full enclosed and out of sight.
     
  4. portacruise
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    portacruise Senior Member

  5. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    That Boat Box looks about perfect, except I've wanted bit narrower and longer for fast driving and kayak paddling, and has cost/volume equal to smaller lessor Cargo Pods. Probably lower cost/USABLE volume since a major complaint of smaller pods is big items don't quite fit and don't work well with boxes. Now how to get to USA at reasonable cost. I hear airlines will let you fly with full size kayaks at amazingly reasonable cost so who knows.
     
  6. portacruise
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    portacruise Senior Member

  7. Ike
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    Ike Senior Member

    Back in the 90's someone did exactly that. Unfortunately it never caught on. I spent many hours talking to the man who had designed it. He spent literally over 100,000 dollars on the steel molds (it was pressure molded plastic) so they could be mass produced. This went on for two or three years and he finally went bankrupt. It was a very interesting concept, a clam shell type boat in two halves that could be used as a car top storage unit, taken down, unfolded, put together at the middle to become a boat, and could be rowed, or used with a 2 hp outboard or electric trolling motor. He had designed a unique method to fit the two parts together that did not require clamps or bolts. It had built in flotation so it wouldn't sink or turn turtle. It was ingenious, but probably over engineered and far too expensive to make. There was no way he would ever recover his investment unless it was sold by the thousands and that didn't happen. A shame. Today it would probably be a success with three dee printers, and cheaper methods.
     
  8. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member


  9. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/cartop-carrier-folding-boat-zmaz89mazraw

    Not sure why it folds because it sure looks un-aero-dynamic on that car top, and WTF with tall towers on the roof racks? I guess when its folded it sorta covers cargo.

    Now I'm sorta thinking two long "rocket box" type hulls to make a cat. I think a PLANING cat would be doable and as such would have some real range. Advantages over inflatable fishing cats, besides planing hulls, would be that it can be left on car top and just hosed off to clean, and less fear of sharp objects. Two hulls means easy to manhandle each hull, and still a very light impact on drivabilty/MGPs if you(or wife) are only using one hull for cargo. My experts tell me that unless you got NBA reach, two narrow boxes are much more ergometric to use on a regular basis.
     
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