Towing from Cheshire to Southampton

Malcolm Elvy is based in Ringwood and transports boats. I don't think that he has his own website, etc and gets work via recommendations. He is also a boat owner so appreciates some of the problems a bit more than others.

Company Name: Malcolm Elvy
Tel: 01425470874
Note: Boat Delivery ;
Address: 45, Hightown Gardens
Ringwood, Hampshire
ZIP: BH24 3EG

http://www.yell.com/b/Malcolm+Elvy-Boat+Delivery-Ringwood-BH243EG-4066383/index.html
 
lenseman said:
The Hunter Impala, bare boat, weighs in at 1944lbs and with sails and other equipment onboard will easily top out over 2000lbs, probably 2500lbs (1135kgs).

Add the weight of the trailer and you will then realise you will need at very substantial tow vehicle to move this along the highway if you intend to comply with UK towing regs Gross Train Weight (or Maximum Authorised Weight).

Back engineering the weights for towing and towed, you have the kerb weigh of your towing vehicle and the trailer and contents cannot exceed 85% of this figure.

Knowing roughly the trailer weight as being 1135kgs, then the towing vehicle has to exceed the kerb weight of 1135 x 85/100kgs, your towed vehicle needs to have a kerb weight of greater than 1340kgs! :eek:

You are talking Land Rover 2.2 litre upwards to move this sort of weight. If you are going to hire a vehicle, they don't usually come with towing facilities and if they do, the cost of the rental plus diesel plus the stress of the whole venture is going to be sapping on your health and also financially on your wallet! :confused:
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I think you'll find the boat herself starts at 1950 KG, not LBs, ie 4290 lbs, even worse.

A lot of boat to tow, wide too; in fact I think the width needs checking, seem to remember my boat at 7'7" beam wasn't that far below the limit, or one starts talking about - and paying for - police escorts ???
 
lenseman said:
Ahh, you didn't read all the threads?

See message #12 ;)
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Missed that. I was going to say that my experience with trailers stood in yards for a long time is that lots of things could be wrong with it, bearings, tyres, brakes and structural problems with rust so be careful. Other than that I don't see a problem with towing behind a suitable 4 x 4 or transit van, it wouldn't bother me. I live in Cheshire so suggest that you could do the first stretch from Warrington as far as Stoke on Trent on the regular A50 or perhaps just to Knutsford (M6 J19) before you brave the M6. If you're really stuck and have any doubts about the trailer's integrity I might be able to put my ultrasonic meter on it but I am pretty busy at the moment.
The Impala is a very good boat and races competitively on her rating by the way.
 
lenseman said:
Thanks for that, I took the weight information from the following yacht delivery web-site where it states 1944 lbs . . . .ho-hum. :confused:

http://www.uship.com/uk/delivery/Hunter-Impala/482143711/
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Not wonderful for a delivery site...

It got my attention as my medium - weight 22' weighs 2500 lbs, I suddenly felt very heavy and a lot of build technology must have passed by !

Lakesailor had quoted the correct figure.
 
This OP question sounds a lot like reefing to me: "if you're thinking about reefing..." If there's any question about the equipment or the ability, it makes simple sense to hire a professional to do the move. Saves the cost of wrecking the boat, trailer or tow vehicle, to say nothing about the driving license.

Good luck.
 
Capt. RoN

5 years ago I purchased Jaguar 22 from Lough Neagh with trailer, intended towing it home to Galway. Took the cowards way out and hired a lorry to take it as a part load. When I inspected the trailer prior to launching the following spring it was only fit for the angle grinder and the scrap yard. God knows what would have happened if I had tried to tow it home.
Lorry cost £500. Money very well spent, though I didn't think so at the time.
 
Overwidth tow

yes the beam is going to be a big problem. Laws around here are 2.5 metres (about 8ft 2 inches) max for normal tow. (funny that is the beam of my boat) Up to 10ft width requires a permit and overwidth signs flashing lights etc on the tow vehicle. Up to 12ft width requires an escort vehicle with signs as well as the tow vehicle. Over 12ft requires police escort. Rules may have changed since I had my home made Cat 12ft beam trucked to the water.
A carrier will of course know all the rules and possibly have a seasons permit. If it is anything like our rules he will need at least a sign front and back and flashing lights.
When driving in our north it is common to meet up with half houses on trucks or those huge haul pack trucks on trailers. Always with escort vehicles or police escort. They often have a 1500km trip and amble along at about 80kms per hour. Coming against you the first sign is a police car driving down the middle of the road with lights etc on. You have to pull over off the road for sure.

I think at 9.5 ft beam you will be better off with a professional carrier. (or sail it) good luck with the new boat olewill
 
Seajet said:
So at 9.25' beam for the Impala that's another thing to sort out ( or let someone else sort ).
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Yep, a professional job, unfortunately. It's only just outside abnormal load requirements because of the width (2.9m allowed as an overhang if you're towing with a commercial, trailer still has to be 2.55m). The NTTA are the best source for towing regs.
 
E39mad said:
iirc the width limit for towing is 8'4" for total weight not exceeding 3500kgs
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I think you are correct there - IIRC Landrover 110's (and perhaps also LWB Landcruiser and Patrols) are plated at 3,500kg - the highest of any 'normal' vehicle.

A few years ago I towed a Sadler 25 from Blyth to Nairn (near Inverness) by Landrover. The max safe speed I could manage was 35mph - beyond this the yawing was frightening. It was a very slow trip with stopping every few miles miles to let the impatient and unbelievably intolerant sheeple past. No major problems though - as everyone has said - just take your time.

I would beware of the stated weights for boats - I read that the Sadler had a book weight of something like 1800kg. I told this to the crane driver and when he was hoisting me over another boat into the harbour said "oh no its not - its 2,600kg" - caution advised. With the weight of the very substantial trailer this would have taken me very close to 3,500kg.
 
Like i said in an earlier post, Nick Lancaster, he delivers boats to and from the lakes for a living, is very good and very cheap, why would you even consider towing it yourself he has all the trailers required and you will be pleasently surprised at the price.
 
When i recently bought my Snapdragon (24.5ft) i was originaly going to tow it. Hire of a 4x4 off those people who did the PBO project was out as they dont do their own insurance and dont accept internet insurance. (as a company car driver its a right pain trying to sort out no claims discounts for a short term hire) Looked at hiring a van but the cost of this for 2 days and the fuel put it to nearly £350. Ended up paying 'Rapid Response Services' £550 to lift the whole lot, with trailer, onto their low loader. Very glad i did as the job got done with no discernible effort on my part and the move was fully insured. Like a previous poster i found the trailer only fit for scrap, i reckon renovation of the trailer would easily have added £200 to the cost of doing it myself.
I felt better about the extra £200 i spent when i worked out what proportion this is, relevant to the cost of ownership for the first year.


Steve
 
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I would add to thew concerns raised about the trailer.

I would not want to comit to a long tow with an unknown trailer without a thorough examination.

when I bought our boat, it was only a 25 mile tow home. That was the worst tow I have ever had. The trailer, while basically sound, was set up so wrong with the boat too far back, no noseweight whatsoever and it towed dreadfully.

After a couple of short but scary tows, when we finally got the boat in the water last season I overhauled the trailer. It needed 2 new wheel bearings, 2 new tyres, and I reconfigured it to get the COG further forward to give some noseweight. I also welded plates on the rusted sections of the winch post (the rest of the trailer was sound) It now tows comfortably.

My point is, that work was time consuming and really needed the boat off the trailer to do it, so I would not have easilly been able to do that before towing the boat home. So I was glad I only had a short trip to do.

And did I mention the trailer had no mudguards. On a long tow it's almost inevitable that Mr plod would have noticed that.
 
Towing really has absolutely nothing to do with engine hp or vehicle type.
Its good gearing /bottom end torque-so a series 1 Landrover with little more than 50 bhp could tow anything in the days of no regulations.
Its the weight to weight ratio thats important particularly if you are towing on overrun brakes up to 3000kg legal max.
As you slow the coupling overuns and loads onto back of tow vehicle causing trailer brakes to operate and if you are going down hill with a top heavy trailer at a good speed guarantee you will get trailer snake
Better if you have electrically powered hydraulic brakes.
Having said this it is quite possible and safe to use a small tow vehicle to tow a heavy trailer so long as its got good gearing and torque.(if not road legal)
I enjoy towing as it takes you away from the bumper to bumper fast lane and you find youself in the 50 mph courteous inside lane where without stress you watch the bumper to bumper brigade disappear behind you-yes behind you.
There are various of boat trailer hire firms in the south.
 
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