launching a large boat with a tractor?

[tommy2]

Having never sailed before, I have spent the last year learning to dinghy sale. I now want to buy a larger boat and importantly something I can grow into. At first I want to do some short trips and gradually expand range. I am looking to buy something like an Albin Vega 27, but what I want to know, is it going to be possible to launch something like that from a slipway with a tractor? I live about a mile away from a small fishing harbour and am seriously thinking of buying an agricultural tractor. The tractor will not just be for the boat, as I have recently bought a house that came with 20 acres of land, so I was thinking a tractor would come in quite handy anyway. But the problem is I don't have pots of money to spend, so would be looking for the cheapest tractor that would do the job. Especially as I only have 20 acres and will use it just to potter about when it is not being used with the boat. Any idea what the minimum spec of tractor I would be looking at to do the job with a boat in terms of horse power etc? Ideally I would like to take the boat in and out of the water regularly, as I have plenty of land to store the boat when not being used. I can even store it in a barn. Is this idea pragmatic and if so any idea what spec of tractor I would need?

 

[westernman]

Sounds like a real faff which you would tire of very quickly.
Also it would of course need to be road legal - so that means the tractor will need to be fairly big and heavy to be able to legally tow the > 2.5 tons of trailer + boat.

 

[jamie N]

Welcome to the forum. Albin Vega's a great boat.
A couple of 'other' things occur to me, is the route from harbour to home clear enough for a trailed load on this scale and would you need to lower the mast, to avoid overhead telephone or power cables?
For horsepower, I'd work on the lines of having a similar power to 'A Land Rover' (which might be a more economic option), with a similar grip to get up the slipway.
I'd also consider 'why' you'll need to take her out of the water, when for a clean down and anode replacement could be done on the trailer, at the harbour?
There are many other individual factors that you'll know far better as well.
I wish you luck.

 

[westernman]

Welcome to the forum. Albin Vega's a great boat.
A couple of 'other' things occur to me, is the route from harbour to home clear enough for a trailed load on this scale and would you need to lower the mast, to avoid overhead telephone or power cables?
For horsepower, I'd work on the lines of having a similar power to 'A Land Rover' (which might be a more economic option), with a similar grip to get up the slipway.
I'd also consider 'why' you'll need to take her out of the water, when for a clean down and anode replacement could be done on the trailer, at the harbour?
There are many other individual factors that you'll know far better as well.
I wish you luck.

I don't think horsepower will be a concern. Even a small tractor has enough very low range gears to pull a considerable load even if the engine is not very powerful.
He does not need to reach 50mph up a 10% incline.

 

[Refueler]

Great idea ... but .................

a) You will quickly get fed up with it.
b) Vega 27 is not a light boat and its a deep keel. Will need proper serious trailer
c) The size of tractor in fact is not such a problem - as those small mini tractors from China / Japan are more than capable due to low gearing. I am not talking about grass cutter tractors. I am talking about the 1/2 size ones ranging from 20 - 60HP - they have front bucket capability as well as even rear trenching digger etc. But question of money.

TBH - there are more suitable boats out there for moving up from dinghy to 'cruiser' .... sorry to Vega owners ...

Launching / Recovery ? So many people make mistake of thinking that towing vehicle needs to a) approach the water, b) needs to be 'Land Rover' style .....

Here's my Alacrity on trailer and being set up to launch :

We were disconnecting my car from trailer and putting a long line from trailer to car. With Jockey wheel set straight - the trailer then runs under its own weight with rope paying out. Boat of course has a long painter so when it floats off - we still have it in 'hand'. The car then pulls the trailer out by the rope.
Recovery - trailer set low on slip .... rope to car ... boat on .... both boat painter and trailer rope are then pulled by car ....

Car never needs to risk saltwater ....

Honest opinion ? Vega 27 ? I would suggest a smaller 'BILGE KEEL boat as more suitable for your move up ... there are some really nice BK' rs out there for budget money. Not being rude - but I assume choice of Vega may be based on the low prices of them but getting a 27ft boat ? There is a reason for that. First time you try to go astern under engine and you'll know !!

 

[Refueler]

I don't think horsepower will be a concern. Even a small tractor has enough very low range gears to pull a considerable load even if the engine is not very powerful.
He does not need to reach 50mph up a 10% incline.

I drag my boats round my garden with my Jonsered Lawn Tractors ... I agree that they will not pull any of my boats up my slip ... but once on level ground - they are not a problem.

For OP with 20 acres and to pull a boat up a slip ? Anything like this would be fine ... :

[Hot Item] 4WD 50HP Orchard Tractor Small Four Wheel Farm Tractor Garden Tractor Walking Tractor Mini Tractor for Agricultural Machinery Machine Es5048g CE

There are second hand similar .... various options incl front loader, rear bucket, grass cutters, etc.

 

[harvey38]

I think the logistics may be an issue, insurance, tax, storage of tractor and trailer whilst sailing etc, as others have suggested, I think the bother of launching and recovery may take the shine off a days sailing.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Buying a boat actually designed for trailer sailing might be a better bet. At least there’ll be a viable means of raising the mast. Less weight would make it easier to manage all round, and of course the shallower the draught, the easier to launch, and the wider the launch/recovery tidal window. Even my 30 ft tri would be easier to manage than the Vega, fine boat though it is. More seriously, my boat is seriously pushing the limit as a tailer sailer, it’s really a road transportable boat. Rum Pirate’s F27 is a trailer sailer, but there’s a fairly wide choice of 25ft monos, many with lifting keels that would be perfect for this.

 

[Daydream believer]

I know where there is a hustler 25.5 for sale- Essex- complete with road trailer . All working. Was being sailed regularly last year. Engine runs well., shaft seal etc just been replaced. Would make a nice project for someone with storage , because will not cost the usual yard fees to keep. Currently on the hard but will be launched soon. PM me if interested Could be V cheap if sold now.
But in any event, I think for the size of boat that you are considering, you need a mooring. You only want to launch & recover a couple of times a year
With your tractor look at a front loading shovel. Then look at how you can extend the arm to make a long crane to hoist the mast. As a sample my father used to put concrete lintols onto the second floor windows of houses he was building by hooking a telegraph pole through the cross bar & the top of the bucket of his digger. With a hook on the end of the pole he had a crane that could lift quite heavy loads. If you could bolt a rig to a front loader you could put the mast up using the tractor.

As an aside
You do not say where you are based. It would help if new forumites completed some basic info.
I know where there is a hustler 25.5 for sale- Essex- complete with road trailer . All working. Was being sailed regularly last year. Engine runs well., shaft seal etc just been replaced. Would make a nice project for someone with storage , because will not cost the usual yard fees to keep. Currently on the hard but will be launched soon. PM me if interested. Could be V cheap if sold now as it would save the owner £3k marina fees & he has already bought another boat.

 

[Refueler]

I think the logistics may be an issue, insurance, tax, storage of tractor and trailer whilst sailing etc, as others have suggested, I think the bother of launching and recovery may take the shine off a days sailing.

Tractors ? They used to have a 5mile allowance for travel from field to field .. and TBH - Police had no interest in Tractors unless unsafe operation. Long time since I drove Tractors in UK ... so maybe that's no longer ??

If the guy has slip and field close to each other - surely none of those issues apply ?

 

[Refueler]

Buying a boat actually designed for trailer sailing might be a better bet. At least there’ll be a viable means of raising the mast. Less weight would make it easier to manage all round, and of course the shallower the draught, the easier to launch, and the wider the launch/recovery tidal window. Even my 30 ft tri would be easier to manage than the Vega, fine boat though it is. More seriously, my boat is seriously pushing the limit as a tailer sailer, it’s really a road transportable boat. Rum Pirate’s F27 is a trailer sailer, but there’s a fairly wide choice of 25ft monos, many with lifting keels that would be perfect for this.

Plenty of trailer sailers out there from 18 to 27ft .... many of them at give away prices as owners moved up ...

Many of them can be towed by normal family car .....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Plenty of trailer sailers out there from 18 to 27ft .... many of them at give away prices as owners moved up ...

Many of them can be towed by normal family car .....

Exactly. It’s a huge market, all sorts of boats have been made for the job over the years. I have owned a few, and trailed and launched them regularly. Like you, I’m well aware of the difficulties that can arise. A normal family car is fine for the shorter road journey for almost all of the trailable boats, big 4x4s are only needed if you want to head to the Med or something. Slipways can be overcome with a winch, rather than trying to drag the boat up with the car. A tractor of course makes light of any of that. It might even have a powered winch as well. The choice of boat rather than the tow vehicle is the critical part. Draught and mast raising being the most critical. I think you’ve been there with all of that Until you’ve tried stepping a big mast, it’s kind of hard to explain the issues, both physical and mental. The terror, the anxiety, the wind gust at the wrong moment! A sound method and mechanism are 100% vital. Fortunately, lots of boats have ways of overcoming it. Just not a Vega.

 

[penfold]

Trailer sailing a boat of that size will just put you off sailing forever; there's a reason most are kept afloat.

 

[Refueler]

Trailer sailing a boat of that size will just put you off sailing forever; there's a reason most are kept afloat.

I was trying to be more diplomatic and not upset the Vega owners !!

But true.

It has a heavy mast not suited to regular stepping / unstepping ..... its a heavy boat ... deep keel .... and that's before we get to the weird prop position !
You can go to Sweden and literally get paid to take one !!

 

[SaltIre]

Tractors ? They used to have a 5mile allowance for travel from field to field .. and TBH - Police had no interest in Tractors unless unsafe operation. Long time since I drove Tractors in UK ... so maybe that's no longer ??

If the guy has slip and field close to each other - surely none of those issues apply ?

The OP could always ask the Police rather than rely on advice from blokes on a forum, some of whom don't live here.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The OP could always ask the Police rather than rely on advice from blokes on a forum, some of whom don't live here.

Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes. Besides, nobody but a traffic officer would actually know. Round here, you see all sorts of technically illegal boat movements, the local boatyard occasionally take their giant boat forklift on the road to the harbour crane. Nobody cares in small habour/fishing communities. And God be praised for that.

 

[Refueler]

The OP could always ask the Police rather than rely on advice from blokes on a forum, some of whom don't live here.

Ha Ha ... as a person who spent most of their life in UK as a UK born and bred .. I'll just put your rudeness aside.

I also before going to sea worked a lot with Farm gear ..... and it was the rule of 5.

As to ask the Police .... I will give one example that shows how little they can know. Be careful who to ask - make sure its a source that has access to the correct info while questioned.

Remember when UK changed Motorcycle age to ride ? I was coming up to 16th b/day and had my Lambretta TV175 ready to roll .... Govt then kicked in the 17 rule.
Only one you could ride at 16 was a 'pedal equipped' moped of max 49cc.

I asked a number of Police about what 'bike' I could ride legally .... and all said that the Honda C50 was 16 legal ... WRONG. Only the PC50 was ... the C50 had no pedals and was capable of greater than the legal speed allowed. FACT
Remember the Yammy FS1 ... for first period was legal - then not - most Police when I asked were not aware of that.

Last but not least .... my travel is unknown to you and not actually of your business. But lets say - my travel would be far more than most people would consider.

 

[Stemar]

Trailer sailing a boat of that size will just put you off sailing forever; there's a reason most are kept afloat.

I'm inclined to agree with this. I've heard many tales of people who were determined to trailer sail, but soon found a mooring because the faff of rigging and launching, then the worse faff (because you're tired after a day on the water) of recovering the boat and lowering the rig was too much.

The main advantage of a trailer sailer is that you can take it home for the winter, so it's easier to work on, plus the possibility of towing to a different sailing area for holidays. You could probably do the first bit with a 27 footer, but obviously not the second.

I'd be inclined to look for a drying mooring, which doesn't have to be hugely expensive - even in the Solent, they can be had for under £600 a year, and a suitable boat, probably a bilge or lifting keel job

 

[Refueler]

Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes. Besides, nobody but a traffic officer would actually know. Round here, you see all sorts of technically illegal boat movements, the local boatyard occasionally take their giant boat forklift on the road to the harbour crane. Nobody cares in small habour/fishing communities. And God be praised for that.

Having experienced the lack of knowledge of Traffic Police to Traffic / Vehicle rules ... even that is iffy.

I was close friends with a Police Driving Instructor - his job was to train the High Speed Pursuit drivers .... and he was extremely critical of the lack of actual rules most Police knew.

 

[SaltIre]

Ha Ha ... as a person who spent most of their life in UK as a UK born and bred .. I'll just put your rudeness aside.

I also before going to sea worked a lot with Farm gear ..... and it was the rule of 5.

As to ask the Police .... I will give one example that shows how little they can know. Be careful who to ask - make sure its a source that has access to the correct info while questioned.

Remember when UK changed Motorcycle age to ride ? I was coming up to 16th b/day and had my Lambretta TV175 ready to roll .... Govt then kicked in the 17 rule.
Only one you could ride at 16 was a 'pedal equipped' moped of max 49cc.

I asked a number of Police about what 'bike' I could ride legally .... and all said that the Honda C50 was 16 legal ... WRONG. Only the PC50 was ... the C50 had no pedals and was capable of greater than the legal speed allowed. FACT
Remember the Yammy FS1 ... for first period was legal - then not - most Police when I asked were not aware of that.

Last but not least .... my travel is unknown to you and not actually of your business. But lets say - my travel would be far more than most people would consider.

No need to have a hissy...