Steve,
I have a 1990 Volvo wagon and it works very well for hauling kayaks, but I also have a 26' long Guillemot "Fast Double" and therefore had to beef-up my yakima gutter mount rack system. The same idea would work with shorter cars/boats. The key is to have an old car that you're not concerned about drilling holes mounting a bracket to the front bumper. I built a bracket that comes up off the front bumper with a cradle to carry some of the weight. The front cradle catches the boat about 3' back from the bow, the front roof rack is just behind the front cockpit and the rear rack is just behind the rear cockpit. The boat hangs off the back by about 6'. If you're interested in a picture drop me an email and I'll send you one. Mark