I am building my NED in Colorado, but it’s going to live in Maine. It’s a ~2,300 drive.
I have a BMW X5 with Thule racks but they aren’t very wide, I think about 34" . . . so if I car top it I don’t think it’s practical to flip it upside down unless I build some extenders.
Does anyone have practical real world experience car topping a NED at highway speeds? Or is that too crazy and I should just buy a trailer?
If you’re just needing to do a one-time trip with the NE dory car topped, I’m sure you’ll find enough help to get it lifted and can figure out how to get it securely on your rack, with some sort of bar extension as necessary. It will be a lot of windage and quite a bit of weight, so you’ll want to tie securely and adjust driving habits accordingly. Also, if you have a sail rig you’ll have to account for transport of the spars, rudder, etc. too.
However, I’d strongly consider a trailer. The question I’d consider is how the boat will be used, transported and stored in Maine. I have my NE dory on a trailer, and wouldn’t (actually couldn’t) consider using it routinely as a car topper. Would require minimum of two strong/tall people to car top, and I often go alone, and my wife woulnd’t be able to assist with the lifting even if always with me. Also, much more potential for hull damage at the ramp or launch point if you are forever lifting it up and down and rolling it over, especailly if done over rocks or pavement. The boat is very simple to handle on its trailer with one person. Being on a trailer also means I can store it in the back yard, while rolling it around whenever in the way of mowing, or needing extra room for guest parking or whatever. I keep my boat right-side up on the trailer, but I installed a drain hole thru the transom (even though boat never actually gets wet while stored unless cover were to fail/blow off, which only happened once) and have a good set of PEX pipe tubing hoops that are fit up to the (in my case 3) sets of oarlocks to form a “connestoga wagon” framework to place a tarp over the boat. If you plan to store upside down on blocks or sawhorses you (I say) still need to provide some sort of system to keep the tarp from being in contact with the hull. And certainly tarp/cover your boat - cheap and a small effort compared to the wear and tear of just leaving it bottom up out in the weather.
Finally, if you’re looking for a trailer, you might consider checking in with any/all marinas, yacht clubs, municipal parks, etc. where small boats congregate. Wherever they do, there are often small trailers that are abandoned or derelict that can be had for free or cheap. Maybe harder to find these places in Colorado, but I’m sure there are some. Some refurbishment may be necessary, but with just a little effort and money I’ve always found/reconditioned trailers for all of my boats.
Good luck!