Stainless steel launching trolley for my trailer sailer

peterhull

Active member
Joined
20 Jun 2005
Messages
1,042
Location
Taunton, Somerset
Visit site
In the 70s I towed my first Stella from Burnham to Grays several times behind my Bedford Midi van then late 90s, on the same trailer, ,I trailed my second Stella from Cheshire to Grays behind my Disco V8 then to Burnham then back & forth to St lawrence . Keep below 50mph & all OK
mmm the Stella was a wooden Holman design wasn;t ? That is a heavy cruiser!! The disco of course will two 3.5 tones I think so within its towing limits I guess.
 

peterhull

Active member
Joined
20 Jun 2005
Messages
1,042
Location
Taunton, Somerset
Visit site
Respect!
I had my Impala trailered about 20 miles and I was bloody terrified.
The best place fora boat is in the sea.
The second best place is within a stone's throw of the sea.
Taking yachts inland is basically potty.
Yes I tend to agree but I live on the Bristol Channel, West Somerset. Watchet marina is being mismanaged full of mud and quite frankly unusable. I have sailed on the Bristol Channel and with the right tides and weather it is OK but all the harbours are drying ( as well as Watchet Marina!!). It is challenging and I do like the deep water harbours of the South Coast so I traile the boat there every summer for a couple of weeks for sailing hol.
 

DownWest

Well-known member
Joined
25 Dec 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
S.W. France
Visit site
Interesting stuff !! Blimey that was very adventurous. I used to own a 27ft Albin Vega. I never put it on a trailer but I do know of some who did..
Longest single tow was a Fairey Atalanta (26ft) from St. Tropez to Poole harbour in '69. The tow vehicle was an Austin Champ. Lucky I wasn't paying for the petrol at 9mpg! Oh, and I built the trailer too. :)

Edit: Forgot... I picked up a 24ft cruiser that my father was working on when he passed away suddenly. Hull and deck/cabin only, so not so heavy., and trailed it from Norfolk back to the Algarve where I then lived. Again, built the trailer and towed it with a Montego Estate. 2500km. Very easy. Far more than the above one, which really was an adventure.
 
Last edited:

peterhull

Active member
Joined
20 Jun 2005
Messages
1,042
Location
Taunton, Somerset
Visit site
Longest single tow was a Fairey Atalanta (26ft) from St. Tropez to Poole harbour in '69. The tow vehicle was an Austin Champ. Lucky I wasn't paying for the petrol at 9mpg! Oh, and I built the trailer too. :)

Edit: Forgot... I picked up a 24ft cruiser that my father was working on when he passed away suddenly. Hull and deck/cabin only, so not so heavy., and trailed it from Norfolk back to the Algarve where I then lived. Again, built the trailer and towed it with a Montego Estate. 2500km. Very easy. Far more than the above one, which really was an adventure.
Blimey!! Impressive My neighbour still has an Austin Champ, a jeep , I seem to remember they had huge Rolls Royce Engines, is that right.
 

DownWest

Well-known member
Joined
25 Dec 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
S.W. France
Visit site
Blimey!! Impressive My neighbour still has an Austin Champ, a jeep , I seem to remember they had huge Rolls Royce Engines, is that right.
That is what I understood, a 4lt RR engine, they certainly had great pulling power and with the screen down would do over 90mph. All independant suspension and rack and pinion steering, could chuck it around corners at speed. Somewhat later, I found the RR bit was a myth. The production ones had a much smaller engines, but still pokey compared to a L-R. One oddity was the gears. five speed box, with a F-N-R lever. In theory, faster backwards than forwards. No low ratio, but 1st was low enough for hill starts. They had a rep for stripping the rear diff, so the co-driver would engage the front axle for every start, than as the driver went to 2nd, take it out again. We reckoned that would ease the load on the diff. My mother 'volenteered' me for that one. Chatting to a woman at a party, seems she had the boat in Sardinia, but no way of getting it back. Mother.' Oh, I am sure my son can help you out....' I was 21 and it sounded fun. Mad!
 

peterhull

Active member
Joined
20 Jun 2005
Messages
1,042
Location
Taunton, Somerset
Visit site
That is what I understood, a 4lt RR engine, they certainly had great pulling power and with the screen down would do over 90mph. All independant suspension and rack and pinion steering, could chuck it around corners at speed. Somewhat later, I found the RR bit was a myth. The production ones had a much smaller engines, but still pokey compared to a L-R. One oddity was the gears. five speed box, with a F-N-R lever. In theory, faster backwards than forwards. No low ratio, but 1st was low enough for hill starts. They had a rep for stripping the rear diff, so the co-driver would engage the front axle for every start, than as the driver went to 2nd, take it out again. We reckoned that would ease the load on the diff. My mother 'volenteered' me for that one. Chatting to a woman at a party, seems she had the boat in Sardinia, but no way of getting it back. Mother.' Oh, I am sure my son can help you out....' I was 21 and it sounded fun. Mad!
mmmm mothers tend to be ambitious for the sons!!
 
Top