Fender roof rack - is it legal

[dylanwinter]

I wanted to take the duck punt to the local lake for a test sail

The Polo has no roof rack - being a sailor I have a garage full of ropes and fenders

so I made one

Is it legal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVE1tKMSj_w

 

[kds]

What will stop it going forward if you brake in an emergency ? It needs diagonal restraints - yes - done it !
Other wise - it seems a "secured load".
Ken

 

[dylanwinter]

Pegs

What will stop it going forward if you brake in an emergency ? It needs diagonal restraints - yes - done it !
Other wise - it seems a "secured load".
Ken

the oar pegs are still in place so the rear rope will stop that from happening

is that the one criteria - the load has to be secure?

I am confident that it is

actually more confident than I am about a roof rack or the bike rack come to that

Dylan

 

[VicS]

I don't know if they are still available or not but there certainly used to be long sausage type things for carrying a dinghy on a car roof without a rack.

I think I would prefer something softer and less inclined to roll than fenders but so long as the load is secure I dont see that it wont be legal. The law wont give a toss if you f**k up the car roof.

 

[ukmctc]

As long as its secure and won't move, doesn't interfere with the drivers ability to see 360, doesn't interfere with the operation of the car in anyway and has the appropriate red rag or sign front and rear for the overhang if needed.
Then go for it.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Maybe if you've some slightly squidgy fenders those would be better than fully inflated?

 

[Searush]

No problems; done similar loads of times - I usually use coats/ blankets or bits of cardboard. Whatever happens to be at hand really. As others have said the law is only interested if you have an "Insecure Load", but there is no definition of that. A snotty PC looking to do you for something/ anything might try to make an issue of it if he can slide it around by hand, but generally they only do you after it falls off - just to add insult to injury! Plus, of course it is impossible to defend the load's security when it is scattered across the highway.

I like to be able to rock the car on its suspension by pushing the load in order to test security.

 

[lustyd]

As long as its secure and won't move, doesn't interfere with the drivers ability to see 360, doesn't interfere with the operation of the car in anyway and has the appropriate red rag or sign front and rear for the overhang if needed.
Then go for it.

It's been a long time since cars had anything close to 360 degree vision - the last 20 years has seen a gradual building up of the bits between windows to improve safety in a roll so a few ropes won't make much difference to your blind spots.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Is it legal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVE1tKMSj_w

As long as you have a secure load and can convince plod its secure.

 

[maxi77]

It's been a long time since cars had anything close to 360 degree vision - the last 20 years has seen a gradual building up of the bits between windows to improve safety in a roll so a few ropes won't make much difference to your blind spots.

Hey my old 1928 Austin 12/4 didn't have anything like 360 vision eithr so it is a lot more tha 20 years, as soon as they put lids on you lost the all round view.

 

[Lakesailor]

As long as you have a secure load and can convince plod its secure.

I sold a boat to a civilian vehicle examiner who worked for the Police. The bloke who looks over your vehicle when the Police have those random road blocks.
He told me that the Police will only prosecute for an insecure load if it has shifted.
The rational is that they won't get a prosecution if it hasn't moved because it can't be shown to be insecure until it has.

 

[davidpbo]

I did hear tell that rope could not be used for securing ladders to vehicles any more. Had to be ratchet straps or similar.

Anyone know if it is true or not?

 

[prv]

I did hear tell that rope could not be used for securing ladders to vehicles any more. Had to be ratchet straps or similar.

Sounds highly unlikely to be law - it's rarely that specific. Much more likely to be some company's internal rules, or perhaps a trade association's advice to its members. Saying that ratchet straps are a good idea because your employees might not be good at knots, or because it's easier to prove in court that the load was secure if purpose-designed kit is used. But that doesn't mean it's automatically illegal not to.

Pete

 

[dylanwinter]

phew

Sounds highly unlikely to be law - it's rarely that specific. Much more likely to be some company's internal rules, or perhaps a trade association's advice to its members. Saying that ratchet straps are a good idea because your employees might not be good at knots, or because it's easier to prove in court that the load was secure if purpose-designed kit is used. But that doesn't mean it's automatically illegal not to.

Pete

that is good

I shall risk it then

I now have a chance to go to the boat over the weekend - weather looks as though the wind will be too strong for the duck

http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=47932

Dylan

just in case anyone wondered what a duck punt is for

http://youtu.be/7chF0JaH9XM

 

[FishyInverness]

Dylan, have you seen the Handirack? Basically the retail version of what you've just made, and they appear to be 100% legal...So I couldn't see yours being too far from that mark...

http://www.handistore.com/index.php/handirack.html?gclid=CJ_3ncy9160CFUQMfAodNUjbkw

 

[prv]

For what it's worth, I regularly lash substantial loads to the roof of my Polo, using a couple of old towels as padding. I brought an entire bathroom floor's worth of 18mm tongue-and-groove waterproof chipboard home that way, not to mention KS's boom, gaff and mizzen mast (not at the same time as the floor!).

In each case, I could give the load a good shoving backwards and forwards at the point with maximum leverage, and see the car rock on its suspension with no movement between car and load.

Pete

 

[sarabande]

Maybe if you've some slightly squidgy fenders those would be better than fully inflated?

I wonder about that, TK. When people shift a tractor on a trailer, they pump up the tyres really hard so that the tractor is held tightly against the chains and doesn't bounce around. The you let the tyres down to the proper pressure on delivery.


Squidgy fenders might enable Dylan's lovingly hand crafted knots to loosen.