penfold
Well-Known Member
If there's weed it can be treated to remove it, there are chemicals available to remove it that are advertised as green; if there's sand it can be swept off where the tractor will go.
launching a large boat with a tractor?
- Thread starter tommy2
- Start date
afterpegassus
Well-Known Member
A few years ago Highland Council used to treat all their slipways. Being owners and charging for use, they couldn't have them in a dangerous condition.
I seem to remember they were spread with lime as the tide retreated.
It's a while since I've seen this happen.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
It is just possible to get a Vega and trailer within the 3500kg limit for road trailing limit. Its dry displacement is 2300kgs, but in "cruising" trim 3000kgs would be normal. A road trailer to that spec would cost new as much as a reasonable Vega!. It is not the towing that is the problem, but launching it on a slip into the sea. First with a road trailer you need at least 2m of water to float it - so you need to work out when the slip has enough water to do this. Then you have to consider the wind and any sea swell. If there is no wall or pier alongside how are you going to control the boat once it floats? What about boarding once it is afloat? Then what about recovery - what are you going to do with the boat while you go to get the trailer down the slip, and then how are you going to get the boat securely on the trailer?
As you can see from the website you posted, they used a travel hoist to launch the boat - it really is difficult to get a boat of this size off its trailer and into the water without a travel hoist or a crane. never mind the damage you do to an expensive road trailer by dunking it into salt water! It is possible however to design and make a simple "yard" trolley for beginning and end of season hauling and short distance movement. The trolley would have a channel along the bottom to take the keel and support arms to guide the boat in and stop it falling over. Many people do this in your sort of situation, but it requires a lot of planning to get decent weather and tides to do it safely. No reason why you can't use this type of trolley for the short distance from the slip to the farm, even with the mast up provided the boat is well secured to the trolley.
However this is totally impractical for frequent launching just to go for a sail. As others have said you will get far more use out of the boat if it is kept afloat in a sheltered harbour where you just arrive, cast off and go sailing. I bet if you looked at the number of weekend days that it its quiet enough weather and tides are right to launch and recover safely you would only need the fingers of one hand.
As I see it, you have 2 choices. First buy a boat that is designed for regular trailer sailing, recognizing that it will probably be an open boat or small cuddy and shallow draft perhaps with a drop keel or centreboard and under 20' long. This would give you the opportunity for more regular and frequent sailing launching from the slip and perfectly adequate for a weekend/overnight. Second if you want an offshore capable cruiser then recognise it has to be kept afloat in the season, but you can save winter storage costs by recovering onto a trolley using the slip and towed to your farm using your tractor.
KREW2
Well-Known Member
Lots of much larger boats have been transported by road, but you need the right gear, which they have. Also their mast is unstepped. If it is going to be treated as a trailer sailor with multiple launches this would have to be done every launch and retrieve. Unless he plans on only one sail a year I think he will soon tire of it.
Farmer Piles
Well-Known Member
I have nothing against Valtra, they are a very good make. Built in Finland and originally with forestry in mind so very rugged. I was just throwing in a couple of "frinstances". Still think that you will never regret having one with a fore-end loader. They will have been worked harder due to the shuttling to and fro and the wear and tear on the front end, but a massive boon if you have land. 70 to 100 hp would be than enough for 20 acres, in fact a 47hp MF135 would do it all. A classic tractor that punches well above it's weight and size. But must be the 3 cylinder engine.
No real big right a wrong except don't get any of the Italian makes. Personally I would go as my previous post - Case, David Brown, Ford, New Holland, MF, Valtra, John Deere - all good kit.
Farmer Piles
Well-Known Member
One other point with tractors is to see what all the local farmers drive in the area. It will be partly due to the quality of the machine but also how good the local dealership is. No good having a quality make if the local mechanics or dealerships are unfamiliar with the make and parts are hard to come by.
We have two Case tractors, partly because they are a good machine and partly because the local dealership is great for backup. By contrast the local MF dealership is rubbish and the main reason that we haven't got Masseys although they are a good machine.
We have two Case tractors, partly because they are a good machine and partly because the local dealership is great for backup. By contrast the local MF dealership is rubbish and the main reason that we haven't got Masseys although they are a good machine.
tommy2
Active Member
The smaller land owners / crofts tend to run classic stuff like MF135. The ones that make a living from farming mainly have super expensive new stuff. I am not bad with a spanner myself, so as long as I can get parts I am not too worried. I go and see family in the South of England regularly, so can always pick parts up then, however If I can't easily find parts for a machine that would be a problem.
KREW2
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd stumbled onto the farmers weekly forum.
KevinV
Well-Known Member
Exactly how we ended up with a Zetor for our smallholding (17 acres) years ago - simple but very effective bit of kit. Nothing on it you couldn't fix with basic tools. If I were buying again I'd get a micro tractor (probably a vintage kubota) for the smallholding, much more manoeuvrable in the paddocks.
Farmer Piles
Well-Known Member
Quite right about Zetors, despite them being from the Eastern Bloc in the Cold War era. Simple robust machines. The OP has 20 acres so a reasonable area, depends how much he wants to do on the land but a micro tractor may be a bit limiting
KevinV
Well-Known Member
Agreed - it depends how the land is subdivided - we had hayfields where the Zetor was great, and pony paddocks, veg patch, etc where it was awkwardly big.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
My ??? was in response to a post that was ******
rgarside
Well-Known Member
You are right that the main challenge is the grip, rather than power or torque [as the gearing will normally go low enough for that not to be a problem]. The main factor for grip is the tractor weight, and the 50% coefficient of friction ties up with test results using a load cell on a wet, slightly weedy, concrete ramp.
penberth3
Well-Known Member
Blimey, we've got load cells now!
Shuggy
Well-Known Member
I've got a Siroma Chinese tractor for our shambolic smallholding but if I had the money and the prospect of a boat and some launching action I'd buy a f*cking huge tractor and entertain myself for hours with it. I'd also drive it to the shops and generally be a pain - I thoroughly endorse the OP's plan. Rural Scotland is generally very forgiving of these antics. Get away with it while you can! Just don't do what Barcaldine Marine did to my friend's boat and drive it into a shed with the mast still stepped. It can get very ugly quite quickly...
Refueler
Well-Known Member
I had a Belarus Tractor / Excavator ... I have to admit - it was some of the best fun ever ! It was way too big for the job I had for it ... but talk about Boys Toys !!
Sold it and now few years later wish I hadn't ... with the remodelling of the grounds near the river - it would have work now ...
I later bought this : (the excavator !)
Now waiting delivery of the 600mm bucket to replace the 200mm trencher.
Idea is to get my pal who build pontoons to create a pontoon to carry it for cleaning up waterways / channels .....
Refueler
Well-Known Member
The talk about grip .......... yes - a Tractor in fact on hard solid is less grippy than one may think ... as the V tread tyres are designed to BITE into mud etc. So the solution is to either make sure the V tread tyres are of the SOFT compound or to change to the 'lawn' type tyres where they look more like car tyres ... to increase the area of contact.
No need for maths on this .... even with V tyres - if it slips - they'll soon bite through crap on the slipway.
No need for maths on this .... even with V tyres - if it slips - they'll soon bite through crap on the slipway.
tommy2
Active Member
Are these types to trolley readily available on the market, or is it a custom design thing? Any idea what sort of price you would be looking at for a trolley for a Vega?
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Custom made. Many different types, usually 4 wheel sometimes with steerable front wheels and drawbar. Would guess less cost than a road trailer.
Kelpie
Well-Known Member
I'm a bit late to this thread and have skipped a chunk of our, but wanted to mention that I did own a Vega and was fortunate to find a perfect condition secondhand road trailer for it.
I had all sorts of ideas about trailing it to Peterhead for a Norway cruise, but in practise I used it a grand total of twice, both times hiring a crane to launch and recover. I couldn't quite bring myself to immerse the brand new trailer in the sea. I'm certain that keeping the trailer in good condition more than paid for the crane hire (you only need a HIAB for a Vega and if you can team up with other boats at the same time it doesn't cost much at all).
One winter I kept the boat in a field near my house, which was pretty handy. If I'd kept the boat longer I would have eventually broken even.
I had all sorts of ideas about trailing it to Peterhead for a Norway cruise, but in practise I used it a grand total of twice, both times hiring a crane to launch and recover. I couldn't quite bring myself to immerse the brand new trailer in the sea. I'm certain that keeping the trailer in good condition more than paid for the crane hire (you only need a HIAB for a Vega and if you can team up with other boats at the same time it doesn't cost much at all).
One winter I kept the boat in a field near my house, which was pretty handy. If I'd kept the boat longer I would have eventually broken even.
