Etap 23

[Lucky Duck]

Next summer, if you are in the NW UK. Long way from Suffolk though.

Planning on getting to Norway next year.

Will send a PM in little while

Little Grebe,

please take some sort of camcorder; it would be interesting in anything outside of the narrow comfort zone of the tri' I once remarked upon, to cause Angus's shallow attacks on my personality on me and my boat for ever more, not that he has anything to be defensive about...

Used to cruise in company with a Dazcat and a Dragonfly 920, apart from the minor issue that they both disappeared over the horizon once we got near hull speed I never doubted their seaworthyness

 

[davidpbo]

We have already have found marina in Istria/ border with Italy. She will be launched when we come and taken out of the water when we leave ( 30 Eeros each way)
To keep her in dry storage, on her trailer, there is only E 350.00 a year....
I am sure there are cheaper yards around as well.
Just bought the trailer too, four wheels. Now is task to check the brekes and bearings.
And last, I am hoping to tow her with our old mercedes 220 dieasel estate, automatic.
Our Vancouver 27 will remain in Solent.
Good plan, hopefully already there.

My Jeanneau Tonic 23.5 weighs about 2300kgs on its not overly heavily built trailer. Few estates vans etc. are rated to tow more than 2000kgs. I did tow it once when I bought it with a Renault Espace and with as much weight as possible transferred to the tow vehicle it did tow it 100 or so miles. Then I weighed it and it was above what the vehicle could tow legally. If I could tow it with anything other than a large 4x4 I would but I haven't found anything that will give me the spare towing capacity I like to have.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

My Jeanneau Tonic 23.5 weighs about 2300kgs on its not overly heavily built trailer. Few estates vans etc. are rated to tow more than 2000kgs. I did tow it once when I bought it with a Renault Espace and with as much weight as possible transferred to the tow vehicle it did tow it 100 or so miles. Then I weighed it and it was above what the vehicle could tow legally. If I could tow it with anything other than a large 4x4 I would but I haven't found anything that will give me the spare towing capacity I like to have.

My boat all up including its trailer and launching trolley weigh 3200kg, and as you say, there are few vehicles that can legally tow over 2000kg - Land Rover (proper ones), Range Rover, Land Cruiser, Shogun, Patrol - that's about it. There are license restrictions as well now for the recently qualified.

 

[TSB240]

If trailer stored boats ' can be antifouled any time ' how do you paint the bits covered by the trailer steadies then .

You remove the steadies one at a time ?

Sometimes the simple answers are only obvious to those that have experience of trailers and trailer sailing!

 

[TSB240]

We're ignoring the problems of keel access with boat on trailer, and not least where to stow the trailer securely and hopefully inexpensively while the boat is off the trailer then are we ?

Read my post again no I am not ignoring the problem of keel access cleaning,preparation and antifouling.. I was quite happy to have my trailer back home for storage.

 

[TSB240]

I

If you're incapable of working out how to fit your keel given the prompts, fitting a new keel is obviously beyond you; such terms as ' club foot ballast ' just show your ignorance as proven long ago, try learning such terms as centre of gravity, leading edge and end effect...

As this thread has become beset by w******rs with no real experience of lift keel boats or engineering let alone actually fitting keels themselves I shall bid you all goodbye; if any decent person wants the plans etc for lift keeler winter storage - all I ask is Anderson Owner's membership - I will happilly send the plans inc detail photo's.

Interesting how one offering to help gets attacked by pillocks who have sailed and done far less, they obviously - and quite rightly as it turns out - must feel inadequate.

I think you have lost the plot! Nurse.........

 

[AngusMcDoon]

So once you have jacked it up on a pile of loose blocks which are not inline, do you go crawling around underneath or not? Yes or no will do for a boring answer, but a stream of incoherent insults is always a more entertaining read.

 

[TSB240]

I thought the plot was about maintaining and storing a Lift keeler on a trailer. There is one key thing missing Andy..
I think it starts with a T and ends in an R 7 letters.

I hope the practical advice and reasoned argument I have given will be of use to other trailer bound owners.

Your last post is unacceptable and should be deleted

Plot lost QED.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Your last post is unacceptable and should be deleted

Plot lost QED.

Let it stand. I'm immune to Angry Andy's insults. Early in my career I was the commissioning engineer of a control system at Heysham 2 nuclear power station. Next to me an incorrectly temporarily propped 800kg pressure vessel slipped a few inches and crushed a mechanic's hand, which was subsequently amputated. We all have opinions formed from experiences, and that experience formed mine. It's the reason why I take a more "Health and Safety' approach to lifting than most here might, and why the sight of a boat jacked on a wobbly pile of blocks makes my skin crawl. As usual with this kind of thing, everything's fine until the day it isn't.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Not sure of the relevance of roof inspections or pictures of Harriers and airfields with boat jacking and propping, but pictures of classic aircraft are always welcome, so carry on. I would imagine that people's experiences of other ways of accessing a lifting keel boat's underparts, like using a hoist, would be of more interest.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

You were the berk who brought health & safety into it.

This discussion is now closed as too boring for me and no doubt other forumites; go and vent your bile somewhere else.

Well at least put that lovely picture of a Harrier the right way up before you go off again.

 

[FullCircle]

I thought about it but couldn't be bothered for the likes of you.

Seajet you have had 2 reported posts of your quite honestly offensive attitude. I am removing your comments from this thread. Further abuse may result in action by Admin.

 

[Nina Lucia]

Re: Etap 23 tariling to Croatia

Thanks for all good tips and sugestions!
All done, and ready to go!
We have chagenged all bearing, check the brakes, serviced the car. Its a four wheel trailer and Etap 23, and we will tow it with mercedes estat C class, 220 diesel.
fully insured trailer sailor for the road, road recovery for the trailer, boat and the car.
We have left boat empty, to keep the weight down, except yamaha 8 hp outboard. I am a bit nervous driving all the way to Croatia, but we did it trial run from Devon to London and everythink went fine than, so I just hoping this jurney will go perfect.
Any more good advise welcome
I will update ...

I have sailed on and in company with a friends Etap 23. It was very slightly stiffer than our Trapper 240 but both boats were well matched in tough conditions. Sailing wise a good experience with no strong vices and the boat would look after you in the worst conditions.

The interior space was limited because of the hull construction and one should be wary of water mixing in the foam insulation.

If we had not had a reasonable offer on our old boat we intended to do as you are which was to keep her and relocate and store her on our trailer a bit further south in Europe.

We have extensively trailed our boat which was slightly larger and wider (2.8M) on French roads.

No problems with a decent 4*4 or you could possibly rent a van with a tow bar.

You can legally tow a trailer with a maximum load width of 2.9m on all Uk and French roads without need of police escort or wide vehicle signs.

Make sure your tow vehicle is legal for the combined weight of trailer, boat and all the extra gear. We found that the boat design weight is only a guide. I would estimate that the etap 23 and trailer would tip the scales at a minimum 2 tonnes and with any gear including anchors, outboards, gas bottles, dry tanks, you will be looking at towing 2.5 tonnes all up.

We fitted our 4 wheel trailer with brand new high pressure commercial trailer tyres (much higher load rating) firstly because some scrotes nicked the originals but secondly the stiffer side walls eliminated flexing which also totally eliminated any tendency for snaking. We never used a stabaliser bar and were happy to tow at the maximum limit of 60MPH on the motorway.

Make sure you have good wing mirrors on both sides with a good view behind the width of your boat or you will never be able to see to pull out and overtake a truck on a dual carriageway safely.

Go down steep hills only as fast as the towing vehicle would allow you to go up them! Dont rely on your brakes on long descents.

If its hot you may find that the cooling fan on the tow vehicle is not sufficient to keep the temperature down on long ascents. You then turn the heater on!!!!! Try towing through the night or early morning if possible!

Make sure you carry not only a spare wheel but a trolley jack that can lift your trailer and load. Also a spare set of wheel bearings .

I was praised by the Port police for the side and rear markers that I fitted to the boat.(Aldi led bike lights fitted to stanchions) It is not a legal requirement but I felt a lot happier on narrower roads when approaching trucks could identify with the width of our load rather than the width of the towing vehicle.

Steve

 

[Nina Lucia]

Thanks for all good tips and sugestions!
All done, and ready to go!
We have chagenged all bearing, check the brakes, serviced the car. Its a four wheel trailer and Etap 23, and we will tow it with mercedes estat C class, 220 diesel.
fully insured trailer sailor for the road, road recovery for the trailer, boat and the car.
We have left boat empty, to keep the weight down, except yamaha 8 hp outboard. I am a bit nervous driving all the way to Croatia, but we did it trial run from Devon to London and everythink went fine than, so I just hoping this jurney will go perfect.
Any more good advise welcome
I will update ...
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?417254-Etap-23/page6#xwLDlPvXL023mMCB.99