How high is a Princess?

[Gludy]

Maybe an unusual question but I need to know the overall height of a Princess 385 to the flybridge and Princess can only tell me its 14'10" in a cradle but not the height of the cradle!
As it will go on a trailer that is 3ft off the ground, it needs to be below 13 foot to pass under motorway bridges.
I am trying to find out by other means but just thought that someone may know.
Kind regards

 

[peterg]

most motorboat cradles I've seen only lift the keel about a foot or two off the ground so I would guess that the trailer would be higher than that but Princess must get their boats to Earls Court on the same sort of lorry and they must have to go under bridges!

 

[traceyandsteve]

Not sure how much help it is to you, but I know that our 385 is 5.5m high from the water line to the top of the radar (which is on the standard Princess radar arch).

We took her to Holland a month or so back and had a couple of close shaves with bridges, so in the end got the tape measure out just to be sure!

Tracey

 

[hlb]

Your low loader sounds a bit high at 3ft
Get a lower trailor.
Theres 100's of Princess's zooming up and down motorways
get a proper boat transport co and leave them to it.
ER!! you wernt thinking of putting in on the back of your Range Rover were you!!

Haydn

 

[byron]

With the radar arch DOWN my 435 is 11' 6" high from the waterline.

©2001

 

[Gludy]

Thanks for the help to date and no, I do not intend to trail it myself. The boat removal company told me that their low loader was 3 foot off the ground and asked for the height to the top of my flydeck exc radar arch.

From what I have gathered here, it seems that with 16 foot bridges on motorways, even a low loader just 18" off the ground is too high.

Say the height to then flybridge is 11ft6" +3'6" below water line = 15ft - add on 18" for the low loader and you have 16'6" and no flybridge left.

I will contact one more company but it is looking like I am into recruiting a skipper for next weekend to sail her with me from Port Solent to Swansea. with maybe an overnight at Falmouth. Its my fist boat, I have arranged tuition from Swansea to get my costal skipper qualifications and need some experience with me to ensure safety. I do not intend to make my first trip a 500 miler.

If anyone is interested and has the experience please contact me paul@fishtec.co.uk

Unless, off course someone comes up with the definte proof that the overall height of the boat is a max of 12'6" without the radar arch.

I started on this forum a shor time ago asking for advice with a budget up to £50k - I ended up way exceeding that and have now joined you all standing under that shower ripping up £50 notes. I hope its as much fun as you all claim or I will have to consider a class action in reverse ie. me against all of you!

Thanks to you all.
Paul

 

[hlb]

Reont Do It!!

But Swansea is a horid place.
Been there, got that tee shirt and so's Penarth and all Bristol Chanel.
I've been sailing for years but always got a cold swet on up there. Its all massive tides mud banks and no where to go exept a couple of hundred miles back to the South coast.
I drive 300 miles from Lancashire to Plymouth to my Boat.
If it was'nt there it would be keeping Nick company in Scotland
Anywhere in between is crap cept Ireland which is lovely.
Fraid yul just have to flog the boat again!!

Haydn

 

[byron]

Reont Do It!!

I have to agree, which is why you never hear a Taffy say
"there's lovely - look you" when talking about boating in the Bristol Channel.

©2001

 

[Gludy]

Re:Scared of Swansea!!!

Too late.... I have the boat (albeit not in the right) place and I have the place - a berth in Swansea Marina. I have been out of Swansea with friends and they have no problem there BUT they do not go up the channel towards Panarth, where no doubt some dragons seems to lay.

Swansea is well located for Ireland and Devon, Cornwall etc. Is there really such a problem???

I am 50 minutes drive from my boat (When I eventually get it there) and can even pop down for ana evening out in the summer and still be back home - hopefully refreshed for the next day of work to make the £50 notes to rip up on this new interest of mine.

The way it is working out now, it looks as if it will be skippered back with me being taught as we go - around lands end and up into dragon country - about 500 nm, I guess. So what will this baptism be like? Do you all know something I do not know?
There has to be more to this interest than just spending money .... a little bit of adventure for my first time out in the boat - a 500 nm trip..... comments welcome.

 

[Gludy]

The answer emerges?

I am told by one boat transport that a princess 37 with the radar tower and fron windscreen off the flybridge is 15ft 6" above the ground with the keel being some 14inches above the ground.
ASSUMING the 385 is the same height - this makes a 385 some 14ft 4inches off the ground to the the highest point, which is the flybridge compass! So the 3 foot ground clearance trailer is out but it is possible with a lower trailer.

How easy is it to take down and put up again the radar tower?
Is the Princess 385 the same height as a Princess 37?
Will I be saved from rounding lands end in a force 7 - followed by entry into Bristol channel with its hidden dragons?
Answers to the above will enable me to have least have the option of road transport but it seems that after the boat show every trailer is booked solid for weeks.

The nicest surprise for me so far as I immerse myself into this boating world is the incredibly low insurance rates .... of course that is because 98% of boats never leave the Marine ........ what do they know that I don't?????

 

[Gludy]

Re:In Support of Swansea!!!

I have just looked at the chart of the Swansea area and the Bristol Channel - There are very few places, which you can beach a boat with a 3ft draught - even at low tide. Even if you proceed up the channle, which I admit seems more difficult it is not so bad. What is the problem?

I accept that sands can shift etc but coming in/out of Swansea seems straightforward......

Further up the channel ... well yes, you have more shifting sands but is it really that bad. If you allow for tides and take it easy ... what is the problem ... what am I missing .... Am I like the virgin about to be sacrificed on the alter without even knowing why?

Is not part of the fun, a little sense of adventure ... theat drives you to gradually learn more, become more skillful and hence manage things like the Bristol channel upper reaches OK?

I know I must be missing the plot here ... can someone enlighten me please?

 

[hlb]

Re:Well Where do I start!! But

On your way back to Swansea take the time to visit all the harbours West of Lyme Bay. First land fall will be Dartmouth or Salcolmbe. See both if posible after that you'll pass Bigbury and Burgh Island, River Yelm, Plymouth and Fowey to name but a few but a bit inside your course for Falmouth and all about five miles from one good spot to the other.
If weather bound in Falmouth spend some time up the rivers and visit the pubs. (Not all at once or you'll be pissed) After that it all gets a bit more adventurous but course it all depends on the weather, but distances get longer and bolt holes disapear.
Your next stop will be Penzance but dont go there, go to the fishing harbour about 2 miles away (Forgot the name) else you'll be stuck in the lock. Both horible but theres no where else and its got diesel (AsK a Fisherman)
Then its Lands End I'm afraid and no you cant stop at the cafe for lunch. The thing with Lands end is. Which ever way the wind blows you get it in the neck!! But never mind theres Padstow and if you reach it in one pice they will send you a christmas card every year!! But if the seas rough yul just have to turn round and go back to Penzance. Thats if yuv got enough fuel?? Never mind Padstow is a lovely place (Try to get in the lock if not in too much hurry) They call it the glue pot cos once there------ Oh well. Then its 80 miles up the middle. I had fog and drizzle and an engine running ruff last time.
Thing is down in Cornwall and Devon I wont look at a tide timetable for weeks unless i want to go puddle jumping up a river, So being a bit novicey or in my case cant be bothered aint too bad. But up there yer sailing over dry land half the time so yerv got to know exactly whats going on and even if you get back into Swansea harbour but a bit late or early you cant get into the marina. Mind you they do give you a nice buoy in a hole in the mud bank to while a way the time!!
Anyway if you dont sink. Look on the positive side.
You'll be fit to go anywhere very quickly!!
I went up the river Severn and back but thats another story.

PS. Look on the bright side.

ERR then let me know where it is!!

Haydn

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Doomsayers

Oh! the doomsayers strike again, you will have no problems with the trip, watch the weather and the tides carefully! and study your charts. Get somebody GOOD to give you a hand preferably two people, if I wasnt offshore Norway and then returning to Spain I would help you. All this b.......t about dire dangers is just that b.......t, it is a dangerous place, but so is the sea everywhere if you dont watch out, you will have a good time, cruise along the south coats first to build your confidence then go for it. Good luck and fair winds. Colin.

 

[hlb]

Re: Doomsayers

Hell!! I was hopping you were going to say something positive for the poor bugger.

Haydn

 

[hlb]

Re: Doomsayers

And I forgot !!
Its not all that dangerous its just that once out of the harbours up there, you cant go back cos the tide's gone out and the next safe harbours are all 80'ish sort of miles away and you cant generally chug round the coast and look at the scenery without pencils and paper all the time to see what the tide is doing and never mind blurb in Swansea marinas manifesto about being idealy placed for visits to Ireland and the south coast. 100 miles is a bloody long way in a boat and I say that having done thousands. And besides all that its in Wales!!
Now boating in Cornwall is more like a waterbourn pub crawl.
Oh! what about pint in the King of Persia in Fowey and oh yes and some scolops and mussels from the little fish shop for tea. then a half hour trip to Megavisy and another pint then ten minutes round to Charlse Town to look at the big sailing ships. Maybe a wander round to Falmouth, it takes all of an hour. and then if the weather turns nasty a visit to the Pandora then to Mr Newmans Smugglers Inn at Tolvern for cream teas or a pint and 100 sorts of Whiskey, see the masive ships in a tiny river.
Course you can always spend your time in the museum in Swansea Marina.
Naa! just drop the anchor some place around Plymouth and catch the bus back to Wales. You know it makes sense.

Haydn

 

[ArthurWood]

First, you talk to the manufacturer, a boat yard or a professional boat transporter (or all three) and find out if the radar arch can be easily removed/replaced. It is probably not too difficult. Then you see what the height is compared with the height of bridges. Logical, innit? All the larger boats that I've seen on transporters, albeit in the US, have their radar arches removed. If you go the road way, think about having the boat shrink wrapped to keep the road grime off it. B.O.A.T. = Break Out Another Thousand (pounds)

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Doomsayers

You sound a bit of a pisshead! can I come sailing with you sometime?

 

[stefan_r]

Re: The answer emerges?

I had mine brought from Bordeaux:

-remember to make sure your insurance covers the road trip

-max height is around 5m from road to bridge, you can get away with a bit more though...usually!!

-be prepared for twigs and all kinds of other shit to be in the boat on delivery

-grime will also be a problem...few days of scrubbing ahead of you

-remember you will have to pay for craneage onto the trailer and off again...another £200-300??

-Flybridge on/off is probably an out of the water job....

-use a proper company (01752) 33 73 09 Peter Pocock at PAP Transport did mine, professional and experienced

-Flybridge is a bugger to get off, you will probably need the help of a crane to get it on and off

-taking the props off may reduce airdraught and might be easier

-how much is this costing you - and where are you going from/to??

-might be cheaper to book a week off work and go and do your Day Skipper practical as own boat tuition and get the instructor to take you to Swansea!!

Any other questions drop me a line...



mailto: stefan@athito.com

 

[Guest]

Re: Porto solente

It's that lock, designed not to keep water in butthe boats out of harms way in the solent. I have mailed u.

 

[Guest]

Re:This *is* the plot

Ah gludy, whatever you do in boatiness, somebody will always have another idea, a different idea or (sometimes) a better idea.

So it's a v good idea to voice all your boaty plans all the time. Frexample, in Weymouth, I yacked at some chap and just dropped into conversation that we were going up to solent, leaving at around 2pm. Half an hour later he came back up and he had planned a nice course, worried over the tide stream atlas, called weather forecast etc etc and sorted it all out for me that it wd be best to leave at 2.45pm. So all I had to do was check his working. He he.