Big boat / Bigger boat.-- Towing / launching limitations

[mansellmansion]

I am about to upgrade my little trailered speed boat to a cruiser with cabin. I was planning on buying something like a Sea Ray 310 Sundancer which is 9.6m by 3.5m but the mooring fees have made me reconsider. So I might scale down in size to a boat that will fit a trailer and store that way. I read somewhere the maximum trailer length that can be towed by a car is 7m but I am sure I have seen bigger boats than that being towed by 4x4s.

Does anyone have experience and advice or legal info that would help please? what is the maximum size boat I can practically / legally tow and launch? I have a decent enough Nissan Navara pick up truck to do the work. Many thanks in advance Jim

 

[trooper]

I am about to upgrade my little trailered speed boat to a cruiser with cabin. I was planning on buying something like a Sea Ray 310 Sundancer which is 9.6m by 3.5m but the mooring fees have made me reconsider. So I might scale down in size to a boat that will fit a trailer and store that way. I read somewhere the maximum trailer length that can be towed by a car is 7m but I am sure I have seen bigger boats than that being towed by 4x4s.

Does anyone have experience and advice or legal info that would help please? what is the maximum size boat I can practically / legally tow and launch? I have a decent enough Nissan Navara pick up truck to do the work. Many thanks in advance Jim

Suggest you take a look on the VOSA website - minefield of rules and regs.

 

[wipe_out]

Its to do with the weight more than the length.. I cant remember the ratios but a car of a certain weight can tow an un-braked trailer of a certain weight and a braked trailer of a certain weight..

Something else to look at is slipway limitations in your area.. We have a 25ft and were looking to trailer instead of berthing in the marina but couldn't find a slipway that would take her.. Biggest I could find was a slipway that would handle up to a 22ft and less weight than ours at ~5500lbs..

 

[Chris_d]

I can't rememeber all the figures but your allowed overhangs, the 7m is the trailer only not the load and doesn't include the drawbar for some obscure reason.

In practice your be looking at 22-25ft of about 2.5tons displacement + the trailer, but towing a boat this size is not a casual undertaking and needs lots of preparation and the right tow vehicle, its very heavy and feels it. Need to use a decent slipway as well forget beach lauching etc...

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Iirc Navara double cab is only rated for 2.6t towing capacity, which inc trailer prolly only equates to about an 8m boat max.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[gjgm]

I am about to upgrade my little trailered speed boat to a cruiser with cabin. I was planning on buying something like a Sea Ray 310 Sundancer which is 9.6m by 3.5m but the mooring fees have made me reconsider. So I might scale down in size to a boat that will fit a trailer and store that way. I read somewhere the maximum trailer length that can be towed by a car is 7m but I am sure I have seen bigger boats than that being towed by 4x4s.

Does anyone have experience and advice or legal info that would help please? what is the maximum size boat I can practically / legally tow and launch? I have a decent enough Nissan Navara pick up truck to do the work. Many thanks in advance Jim

It is a minefield, but gliders get towed and they arent 7m long !
I think the big one I think is the width and permitted width overhang.. it is something like 2.3m and 30cm overhang but PLEASE check (that was just a guide/guess) Length is also something to do with the trailer A frame. If you think of a caravan the A bit is from the towbar to the beginning of the van (ie that A shaped part of the trailer before the sides run parrallel). but on a boat trailer the A part of the trailer goes 1/3 of the way down the boat !
Actually if you phone someone like SBS trailers they can probably explain it. I once called the traffic police and they said.. gawd..boats..we ve no idea how it works.
Width and weight. the rest gets a bit obscure, but maybe you can crack it

 

[landlockedpirate]

Everyone above has got it right. In practice the maximum length of the boat is the least limiting factor, the 7m maximum excludes rear overhangs and draw bar (Think about the legal Glider trailers you can tow). A bigger problem is width, you need to restrict the width to 8'6", this immediately rules out pretty much any sports cruiser over about 26ft.

The maximum weight you can tow on a twin axle trailer with overrun breaks is 3500kg. That means you are looking for a boat with an absolute maximum dry weight of 2500kg to allow capacity for gear, fluids and the trailer its self. This means that your Navara is not up to the job. You will need a Land Rover / Range Rover, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Landcruiser etc. If you want to stick with the Navara, you will need to look at much smaller boats with just a cuddy rather than a cabin, max size around 21ft.

The good news is that there are lots of boats out there that fit your criteria if you have a bigger tow car. Bayliner 265, Regal 242, Sealine S23/24/25, Chaperral 240, Maxum 2400 and loads more. I just happen to have areally nice Maxum for sale with optional trailer if you are interested .

 

[CaptainMike1970]

Have you considered Dry Stack? Most can now do 30+ foot boats or a park and launch where they store, launch and recover for you?

Unless you are super committed towing something that big is a whole heap of hassle that might cause you to go boating less.

 

[Quest]

For what it's worth I'll avoid all the legal stuff and tell you that I quite successfully towed/launched/recovered a 21ft Jeanneau Merry Fisher 625 Legende with a twin axle trailer for 5 yrs or so. As a trail boat it worked really well. I tried a beach recovery one time when the tide was out and this was enough for me to think "I'll never do that again, it always has to be a slipway in future" other than that it was all pretty good (lovely little boat by the way).

Eventually, I decided I wanted a bigger boat and had ordered a new Ford Ranger with a towing limit of 3350kg so went to SIBS looking at options, particularly the Jeannuea MF 755 and the Beneteau 780 with a view to towing/launching/recovering again. For my part I decided that whilst it might be theoretically possible to tow these boats, I didn't think it was practical or sensible, particularly considering some of the roads and venues I knew we would frequent. In short I would counsel being very auctions about opting to tow anything much bigger than say 21 or 22 ft and 2 1/2 tonnes even though it may be legal to do it.

All IMHO of course and I will watch with interest to see what you decide. Enjoy looking at the options, it's all part of the fun, poring over specification sheets late into the night, comparing weights, widths and lengths

Andrew

 

[Quest]

Have you considered Dry Stack? Most can now do 30+ foot boats or a park and launch where they store, launch and recover for you?

Unless you are super committed towing something that big is a whole heap of hassle that might cause you to go boating less.

+1 That's exactly what I did. Now have a Prestige 34 on dry stack, all 6 tonnes of it and someone else launches and recovers it for me

 

[rbcoomer]

For me it would depend on two factors - how far you are from intended cruising ground and how often you intend to use the boat. If the distance is large and you are going to use regularly then by the time you factor in extra fuel, slipway fees, parking, time and hassle then a mooring becomes quite cost effective. For occasional use or short distances then trailing is likely less of an issue - you can dispense with antifoul and mooring/berthing costs as well as the extra 'weathering'. I'm assuming you have somewhere to keep a boat that size, otherwise storage costs may as well go towards mooring? Not sure I'd want to tow a 30' boat too often and I set our limit based on what I thought I could do single handed - on that basis I think I'd certainly keep under 25' - probably 21/22'. Above that and I'd look at least for a swing mooring. Towing at the limit of the vehicle also doesn't leave much margin for error either and if anything goes wrong the odds of it getting expensive increase!

 

[Bill E Bob]

I have an Isuzu pick up rated to tow 3000kg and a Quicksilver 650 weekender. We keep the boat on a park and launch so someone else does the hard work with a tractor most of the time. But we also tow the boat to the west country a couple of times a year, approx 300 miles each way. The boat tows very easily and I can launch recover on my own. I don't think I'd want to go much bigger, this set up must weigh 2500kg, with all the extras and so well within legal limits.
One thing to bear in mind is the trailer maitenance, the brakes need replacing every year with all the dunking!
I keep looking for something that little bit bigger but don't want to loose the towing option.

 

[mansellmansion]

Thanks very much fellas. I have read through your advice / info a couple of times. I am really sure about what I intend to do...for about 30 minutes at a time before I lurch in the other direction. Allow me to spill my head contents

Re towing. I understand the 7m trailer rule with overhang now thanks. Many of the 7.5 / 8m boats I am looking at are 2.5m beam which I agree is ok for towing. I dont have a glue about different boat weights but 2500kg does seem a good guide for maximum.... I will investigate a source of info for weights for brands of that age...as the adverts dont seem to include that info.

I really dont want to give up the Navara. I had looked it up (www.uktow.com) and it was my understanding the towing capacity was 3006 kg which is 3.31t. I have past experience towing a 2t woodchipper behind a 5.5t merc van and I drag a 22' caravan around all the time so ability is not a major issue.

The wife and I have kid and a teenager so dont think a smaller boat with cuddy would keep us happy on missions of any length. I have been looking at 24-26' (7.3-8m) boats. If I decide I cant tow that size I will probably get a mooring rather than go smaller. Portishead marina is £2,176 a year for an 8m and £2,720 for a 10m.

Another big reason for a trailer rather than mooring is that I am based in Bristol and as you know we have a tidal range in the Severn estuary that needs careful planning to deal with, which I am learning to do properly, but there isnt a great deal of time available on the water for relaxed boating around us that doesn't require a longish fuel heavy journey to get to, like Bristol to Cornwall and the south coast or Bristol to North Wales / Ireland. (up for it on long missions but when we only have a few days it may be tiring for the family) So my thinking was I would be able to drive to places like south Devon and Cornwall where we have family, then launch.

But the big but is the unknown....

I'm not short of confidence but because I haven't done this before before I am seriously worried about the whole experience of finding and using slipways, that will take a 26' boat and launching and recovering, will be a total head ache. Not to mention storing the trailer. I reckon it will only take one person telling me about the nightmare they had to put me off the idea of a trailer and nudge me into a mooring. I really cant decide what is best for us right now. I may well be in your hands here...

 

[GrahamHR]

I wonder how this sacrosanct, not to be exceeded 3,500 kg limit came about in the UK. 3,500 kg is OK, 3,501 kg is not. Our American cousins seem to quite happily tow 30 ft + long /5,000 kg boats. Surely our roads could take heavier boat + trailer combos; they already take 40,000 + kg +trucks.

 

[mansellmansion]

Thanks Mark, I am pretty sure I have seen your boat online. I shall have another look. .....can you point me to it as i cant find. thanks

 

[Quest]

'

I'm not short of confidence but because I haven't done this before before I am seriously worried about the whole experience of finding and using slipways, that will take a 26' boat and launching and recovering, will be a total head ache. Not to mention storing the trailer. I reckon it will only take one person telling me about the nightmare they had to put me off the idea of a trailer and nudge me into a mooring. I really cant decide what is best for us right now. I may well be in your hands here...

I agree wholeheartedly! Like you I am a competent tower but towing on the M5, A30 or A38 is not the issue here it's the fact that some slipways are hidden in places with difficult access routes and are just not going to work despite your competence. This was what I concluded having launched out of Ilfracombe, Appledore, Falmouth, Fowey, Exmouth, Poole, Plymouth. Some were ok but most would be hard and some nearly impossible with such a large unit.

If I were in your shoes I would be looking at Portishead or Cardiff myself and I would go bigger than I could otherwise do trailing.

I used to think I was like civil war on legs when thinking all this thro in the past - one minute yes, the next no...

Keep enjoying the whole experience.

Andrew

 

[Beamishken]

we spent two seasons trailering a crownline 242 cruiser which was 3500kg on a weighbridge when it was empty & dry of fuel & water I used to keep the weighbridge ticket in the glovebox of the landcruiser in case I got stopped , even behind the amazon the boat looked BIG & she was only 24' & 8'6 beam but being a four berth she was high
we never had problems launching & always found good slipways usually in marinas who were usually ok with us parking the car & trailer in there yard while we were away in the boat
i'm fairly sure the width restriction is 9'6" as your allowed overhang either side of the trailer as well as front & back I think your pickup will be around 2600kg capacity so takes out most of the 4 berth cruisers if you want to stay legal
when we finally upgraded to a searay 290 sundancer which we bought in the lake district I didn't like the transport quotes back to the north east where we lived at the time so went over with the landcruiser & the crownlines trailer & towed it back late one evening & thankfully never got stopped as I think at 5,500kgs 31'6"loa & 10'2" beam we were braking a few rules!!
we also launched & recoverd the searay in Hartlepool a couple of times as we had a few engine problems to begin with & the lift costs make my eyes water
if you can find a dry berth somewhere that is a good compromise as someone else has the hassle of launch & recovery & you have the benefit of the boat being stored out of the water
when we swapped from the searay to our present boat we went from £1600pa for the dryberth & no lift out costs & only antifouled it once in 5 years to £4200pa + £250 each way for lifts (largs yach haven costs) & annual antifouling & anodes
there is a lot of advantages in keeping a boat on a trailer but you need to plan your trips in advance & make sure the slips are capable of handling the boat
Towings not a problem as long as you take your time & are carefull!
best of luck with your decision

 

[AndieMac]

I wonder how this sacrosanct, not to be exceeded 3,500 kg limit came about in the UK. 3,500 kg is OK, 3,501 kg is not. Our American cousins seem to quite happily tow 30 ft + long /5,000 kg boats. Surely our roads could take heavier boat + trailer combos; they already take 40,000 + kg +trucks.

The Americans appear to like everything on a fairly massive scale, they have always had cheap fuel and large, powerful tow vehicles as a starting point, so naturally the big boats would be part of the scene...as well as a pretty serious 'can do' attitude.

 

[Lakesailor]

Its to do with the weight more than the length.. I cant remember the ratios but a car of a certain weight can tow an un-braked trailer of a certain weight and a braked trailer of a certain weight..

There are no ratios. The manufacturer homologates a vehicle with a certain towing capacity and that is it. The recommendations from the Caravan Club have no legal standing.

I really dont want to give up the Navara. I had looked it up (www.uktow.com) and it was my understanding the towing capacity was 3006 kg which is 3.31t.

Look on your V5. That is what plod refer to. The DVLA.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

I really dont want to give up the Navara. I had looked it up (www.uktow.com) and it was my understanding the towing capacity was 3006 kg which is 3.31t. I have past experience towing a 2t woodchipper behind a 5.5t merc van and I drag a 22' caravan around all the time so ability is not a major issue.

Depends which one you've got. 2.5 king cab is 2.7t; 2.5 double cab is 2.6t, and 3.0v6 is 3.0t. Not sure how 3006kg translates to 3.31t, unless you're mixing metric and imperial? From experience though, this is all just about legality, there's no doubt the Navara can tow more than the ratings suggest (I've got one...).

Cheers
Jimmy