With even a decent used longboard going for $300+ making sure it stays on top is important. What you describe could possibly work, although pesonally I wouldn't drill through the top. Seattle's a wet place and unless it's perfectly sealed (and stays that way) you're inviting water to collect up top and cause mold. Only takes a little.

Other thought: imagine the amount of lifting force your log will have while traveling 55mph down to the beach! This may not be the best place to save a few dollars - Yakima 1A towers are common and cheap on *bay and you can use galvanized plubming pipe instead of the $$$ yakima cross bar. That just leaves the fake gutters to abuse your bank account (and maybe a used set of locking cores, too).

While you're saving for all those bits you can carry the board inside if no-ones riding in back. I suspend a wooden dowl on the front coat hooks with some old climbing rope. With a little padding on the sides (to keep it from banging back and forth) and a little foam pipe insulation on top it makes a great, quick carrier for boards over 8'. Anything smaller can just rest with it's nose on the floor.

john

> I'm considering strapping a long surfboard to the top of my westfalia
> roof and am wondering about the wisdom of this. I want to avoid the
> $200 or more cost of a Thule of Yakima racks, which I've heard works.