I would like to get a heavy duty rack for my full size van to carry my Taipan on. The 12-passenger Chevy van is 18.5 feet long total on a 1-ton chassis. The boat platform weighs less than 200 lbs; the mast about 35 lbs.

Is it feasible for me to carry my boat on top of the van on a heavy duty steel rack such as this one rated to carry 800 lbs:

http://www.rackwarehouse.com/w2165.html

I would bolt a board along each side to support the boat by its beams.

Anyone have experience with this?

Is the boat best carried right side up or upsided down? Frontward or backward?

Is it okay to have the mast hanging off 5 ft in front and back?

Strategies for getting the boat up there?

[My goal is to be able to tow my camp trailer to make it easier to bring the kids to regattas.]