Moving unfinished canoe

[essaunders]

Ok. This may be a silly question, but here goes: Can I safely move an unfinished canoe?

Specifics: I have a Cedar strip WeeLassie II that I am building at my parents' house. I now have my own space and want to move building operations closer. The boat is fully stripped and glassed inside and out. No gunnels, decks, bulkheads, or thwarts yet installed.
The move is about 40 miles (usually about 1 hr driving).

Can I safely strap this to my roof racks without destroying it? Should I borrow a larger vehicle and move it inside? Should I add one (or more) additional features before moving?

Thanks

[NormMessinger]

Does it really seem that fragile? The two I built were not. You may want to put in a couple of temperary thwarts, screw through the strips where the gunwale will go into the end of a closet rod or some scrap. Rig a harness so you can tie the ends down to the bumper as well as cross strapping over the car top carrier. You should be fine.

[essaunders]

Actually, now that I check, not fragile at all. Guess I'm going to have to get out of 'building mode' where I baby the boat and into the 'use mode' soon....

Still, I may try to attach the gunnels before boat moving day.

[FG]

I'd attach the gunnels. You can c-clamp a thwart in the middle.

[NormMessinger]

Good idea. Attaching the gunwales temperarily would do the trick in no time but I'd be leary of the c-clamp. I've had them vibrate off in such a situation.

[Corso]

If your roofrack permits it attach 4 clamps to the bars so the hull wont "open" when tied to it(2 for each bar at the sides of the canoe, be careful to really tighten them and always tie them to the bars with a line so there is no risk to lose them on the way, or put in danger following cars, a better and totally safe clamp that you will use any time ull carry the canoe on the car is made with two blocks of wood tied by two bolts, a sort of ring that slides around the bars and get tightened where you want). The bare hull wont give you the possibility to tie anything at stem and stern so you better tie that to the roofrack with one loop at each end so it wont slide back and forth, use soft pads or cardboard under the ropes and anywhere necessary, drive slowly and possibly away from the traffic (night maybe).

[essaunders]

Thanks for all the help. My hull is now in my basement and I have officially started work again. Somehow I don't think I'll make the water this year....

I ended up making 3 temporary thwarts out of 2x4s and cutting slots for the hull to rest in. I then tightly, but gently, tied it to the roof racks and had a pleasant drive home.