Skipper 14

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SimonA

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Does anyone know the weight of a skipper 14 dinghy? I fancy one of these to learn to sail in and just found some old photographs online showing one on the roof of a 1960's car. Can you really carry one on a roof rack? I thought they would be too big for that.
 
Yes just discovered that the original boats weighed 72kg, the later boats are heavier.

Jaguar charge £1200 for a tow bar on an X type estate! I was hoping it would be able to sit on my roof rack if I got one.
 
SimonA said:
Does anyone know the weight of a skipper 14 dinghy? I fancy one of these to learn to sail in and just found some old photographs online showing one on the roof of a 1960's car. Can you really carry one on a roof rack? I thought they would be too big for that.
Click to expand...

Years ago I had a bermudan rigged 14, the hull was very light for a 14 ft boat, though I struggled getting it on top of a car on my own. I normally used a trailer, but did once car-top it. By comparison a Mirror was very easily singlehandedly car-topped. I think my Skipper was a fairly early build one. Surprisingly fast especially singlehanded in a bit of wind (not that surprising if you look at the underwater hull shape instead of the strange deck moulding)
 
Well firstly dont buy your towbar from a Jag agent.

£411 for a Witter towbar incl VAT, electrics and fitting.

Id not fancy lifting a dinghy that heavy onto a roof rack. I used to carry a Mirror and I did once get it on there single handed. Now I struggle with my little tender!
 
Putting a Skipper on a Jag roof is asking to get some nasty scratches in your paintwork.
I had a Skipper 14 and whilst the weight quoted may be correct, if the foam has soaked up some water it will be a bit heavy for hulking about.
Any 14 ft dinghy will be a bit much for one person to heave about.

Maybe I'm getting weak.
 
I have had my Skipper 14 for around ten years. They are a great boat, very versatile, good rear locker for an outboard, sail well, very stable and carry a load of people.

I have put dinghies on roof racks for near 35 years but I would not dream of trying to do so with my Skipper. It is too big and heavy.
 
Get a tow-bar. You won't regret it.

Jaguar car...Skipper dinghy...this is freaky!

In 2003, I bought a Skipper 12, from a lake in East Sussex. The only transport I had was my mate's Jaguar XJ6...without a tow-bar. So, we put the boat on the roof. I mean, right on the roof! No roof-rack! Lots of blankets to protect paint, and a fair mileage of rope to stop her shifting on the motorway. We made it without scratches.

The following week, we went back for the boat's rusty old trailer. Of course, with no tow-bar, it too had to come back into London on the Jag's roof! It stuck up in the air like an anti-tank gun; the whole ensemble resembled a luxury-artillery-limousine.

Granted the 12-footer is lighter, and my mate and I aren't wimps, but I'd never recommend roofing the 14 foot dinghy. Lots of unnecessary work.

P.S., is it the blue-decked fourteen footer, for sale somewhere in Wales? My Jag-owning mate saw it on the net. Brought back memories...
 
£530 for a Witters removable tow bar fitted, still a fair amount of money though to add to the cost of buying a dinghy. Crickey I'm starting to sound like Dylan Winter.

Are there any other sailing dinghies that would go on a roof rack? What I like about the Skipper 14 is that I have never heard of one capsizing, I'm not interested in speed but don't fancy going for a swim.
 
Agreed, you'll probably spend much more on the tow-bar and trailer, than on the dinghy. (Dinghies without trailers tend to be either very small and light, or woefully low in resale value.)

But once you have the tow-hook, your choice is twenty times wider. If you're scared of capsizing, there are plenty of staid boats that'll keep you safe and fairly dry, but their stability usually comes at cost of handy portability.

Have you considered an inflatable catamaran? The Catapult, I think it's called. Weird-looking, but definitely fun.
 
No trouble. Glad we were thinking on the same lines.

I never saw a Catapult deflated - does the frame for the trampoline collapse, too? I guess the mast is a two-parter. I saw one really flying, off Seaview years ago, but I can't account for their rarity. Maybe they're not as hot as they're convenient? Or maybe they're due for a revival...
 
SimonA said:
Does anyone know the weight of a skipper 14 dinghy? I fancy one of these to learn to sail in and just found some old photographs online showing one on the roof of a 1960's car. Can you really carry one on a roof rack? I thought they would be too big for that.[/QUOTE

Are you looking to buy a Skipper 14 then? I know of one with a bermudan rig setup, on a Snipe road trailer, in good condition, with an all over cover and it even has its front canvas canopy and frame included, that will be or is for sale.
If interested, PM me and I will forward the sellers details onto you ( I have some pics of it somewhere if you want to see it)
Click to expand...
 
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