trailer boating, again

[tcm]

now, barryh raised this, i started off, then decided praps new thread. Barry felt a bit that he felt a bit backstage on the forum cos he trailer boats and didn't spend whole piles of loot. Valid? I hope not. Of course, blatghering about how much loot you have pissed up is interesting but it cerainly shouldn't be a money thing. But it most certainly is a "doing it" thing imho.

I think peeps round here have more talk about if they go on more trips to different places in a boat, fix more bits of boat, and then go on even more trips to some other places. Ok, they also have loads to talk about i they but then sell lots of boats, or even consider buying loads of boats, mentioning no names except learner's.

But, in terms of going places, trailer boats should be able to go just everywhere. Really weird places like denmark for example, crap to base the boat permanetly but ace for a week. Or croatia, frexample, wd cost a fortune for non trailer boat but apparently ace but wd cost dozens of grand in fuel round italy, so, trailer types can do it but not me. And so on even scotland one year and swest the next.

Trailer boating certianly gives the opprtunity to do this...but of course gives the opportunity to NOT do this, and there are several occassions where stuff happens and non-trailer types go off to the boat when if the thing was nicely tucked up in driveway then they would not have a boaty weekend. So, question is, do the trailery types exploit the fact that the could go anywhere. Or, do they exploit the fact that they can do sod all and stay at home or go on ordinary non-boat-dragging holiday?

 

[Guest]

Dunno about other trailer-boaters, but I used to have a little Mariah 23-footer sportsboat, and I dragged that all over UK and Europe. Have been trailer-boating in northern Spain, south-west France, Cote d'Azur, Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, East Anglia and all along the south coast. Have had a lot of fun and been to some fantastic places that I wouldn't have been able to on a bigger boat. Doing the B&B cruising thing is a good way of seeing a variety of places relatively cheaply. The trailering thing can be a bit dull, and with three kids in the back of the car (crawling along at 60mph) it can be a bit trying at times.

But it's nice to be able to look at a pilot book on a Friday, make a few calls, check the weather and the tides, and then go somewhere you've never been before on the Saturday morning.

I guess there is also a temptation not to do that towing thing, particularly if the family aren't enamoured with the boating thing. But then a couple of days wanging around Oban, Mull and Arran in the sun on flat-calm seas, at 50 knots with a big V8 thundering away behind you, is a good way of convincing the family that trailer-boating is brilliant. Or port hopping along the Cote d'Azur in the autumn sunshine. Or sitting on the quay-side in San Sebastian drinking a cafe con leche and looking at your boat bobbing about amongst the fishing boats. Or stopping at Pauillac for a visit to Chateau Latour and a six-course lunch.

Bugger. Wish I still had the Mariah now.

 

[jfm]

Reins upport of trailer boating

Quite right. Not enough time devoted hereabouts to trailer boating. I am a big fan. We have had various ones and recently we got a centre console sports fisher (a la Boston whaler) with Merc 125hp, by the way.

To answer your question, we have not taken adavantage of mobility and been to Denmark or Croatia, but we have dragged it to Ireland which imho is out of reach from Solent unless you have a 6 week holiday or something.

There are two advantages of trailer boating imho, apart from trailerability. First there's an extra bit of kit to tinker with, namely the trailer. This is especially good if you make it yourself, as its a great opportunity to use hydraulic benders and turn up the amps and squeeze out welding rods like toothpaste, and then do lots of grinding and visits to galvanising places etc. And the luxury of not needing better than 1/4inch tolerances all round.

Second, there's lots to go wrong. Someone here had a hitch failure and got overtaken by his own trailer. I remeber discovering how bad the handbrake is on a borrowed Vaux Omega: reversing our boat off the trailer (under engine) I pulled the car into the sea. And stuff like that. There's so much to go wrong with a trailer!

The downside of trailer boating is there is a defect in the space time continuum whereby the same boat can be quite small at sea (limited to 1metre waves/ force4); too small to live in for an extended holiday (like a tiny caravan, or no sleeping at all); but absolutely ginormous and HGV like once on a trailer. BarryH, I bet your Tremlett is a monster when on the trailer, right?

 

[hlb]

I used to have a trailer boat. An Imperial. Unknown to me, they went bust before I bought it.. An American thingy that looked very posh and enormous in the boat show. About 21 ft and 8ft6 inch beam, with a cuddy cabin and Volvo V8 in the back. Did 40 knots.

We had loads of fun in it. Towed it up to Lough Lommond and to Troon, Where I had my first experience of the beauties of Scotlands West Coast.
It was early days for us with the navigation thingy. Used to go all over the place with a chart and fag packet used as a ruler to guess the course by.

We had a little meths Trangy camping cooker. It was a laugh. Tutts cooking a fried breakfast for four with the trangy. It’s a cooker made for hiking. Everything fits into the biggest pan and course only one burner.

Sited on top of the petrol tank, pouring with rain. The canopy and the windows leaking like sieves. So then we upgraded to boat and mobile home or rent a flat. But that got hard work, traipsing back and forwards.
Boat only held 20 gallon of petrol. And little storage space. So every nook and cranny was filled with gallon cans of petrol.

Used to tow it down to Pwhelli quite a lot. Over the Welsh mountains before they built the M Way.. Never forget the time when going over the mountain. Isusu Trooper. Two tons of boat on the back. We came across this massive cue. All following a caravan. So after about half an hour of changing down catching them up. Slowing down, changing down again. Then trying to build speed up again. There was a gap in the oncoming traffic. Everyone stayed firmly behind the caravan. So pulls out and putts foot down. Passes a car and then a truck. Still nothing coming. The trooper is now picking up speed quite nicely. So passes another car and another truck.. The caravan is now within my sights and still nothing coming the other way. By this time the speeds built up to 70 mph. so now wizzing passed the rest of the cue doing 30. We passed the caravan going like a rocket and shot round the bend. Round the bend there’s a police car and a radar gun. Luckily he’d just stopped some unfortunate. Never forget the sight in the mirror of plods hat flying off in the massive 85 MPH wake. Very luckily it was another time when the tractor pulled out of a field in front of us. So lived to tel the tale!! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif


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Haydn

 

[BarryH]

Don't know if I feel a bit backstage on the forum. Your right about the trailing it all over the place. We've taken it abroad every year since we've had it and with 2 little anklebiters as well. Last year was Ireland, to visit the wifes family, on the Shannon and the lakes. Big help her Uncle being top man in the Lough Ree yacht club and a 'face' in the IWAI. Year before that was the Italian lakes and then on to Sicily. Been all over UK. So the doing bit is not a prob.

I use the thing whenever I can, just got back from looking at a job in London. Took the boat this morning and slipped at barnes with a blat down the river and back.

The trailing bit can be a bit of a drag at times. I find using the right tug makes a big difference. The old Range Rover does a sterling service with the pulling and not getting stuck with spinning wheels on the slip/mud/shingle or whatever.

Cost wise, I've never really had any probs with what we spend on the boat. Its probably one of the more expensive of my hobbies, but then the fun I get from it far outweighs the guilt of spending loads in fuel and stuff. I stick with the trailing thing because it gives me the freedom to use it whenever and whereever I like. If we arrive at the slip and the weather forcaster has lied, theres nearly always some where to go. I purposely choose launch sites that are on rivers with sea acess or esturies. Wont launch into the briney if I can help it, its one of my quirks.

As far as the space/size thing goes. Yes it can be a bit restrictive at times and your limited to the conditions that you can go out in, but then that applies to most lesuire boaters anyway. The choice of boat makes a big difference to this. I chose a Tremlett cos I knew they had a good reputation as far a sea keeping goes. A lot of the yank trail boats are designed for big fat americans on big fat american lakes. Not the seas around northern europe. There's been plenty of times that the boat has shrugged of the sea conditions and brought us home safely. Its not that much of an HGV'esque thing to pull around and, quiet frankly, some of the escapades that you see on slips in the summer makes you wonder how people towed their boat there in the first place.

Would I want a bigger boat? All in all I'm more than happy with the one I've got. The wife would like a bigger boat. I've looked around at boats upto around the 25 foot mark. I reckon that I could still launchand recover it single handed with the wife killing the clutch in the Range Rover! I'd still trail it, for sure. Its the only way I'd do it until I'm too old, too weak to manhandle the thing in and out.

I look at all the boats in the marina's that we visit. A hell of a lot of them just don't seem to move. How many £K does that cost the owner and are they getting their monies worth out of the boat. I know I wouldn't.

There's the other side of the boating life. You just seem to meet with nice people doing the trailing thing. The forum gettogether earlier in the year, well last month actually, went off damn well. So well in fact that some idiot said lets do it again this month. There's talk of south Brittany next year along with the IOW thing in or around May time. Most of the boats going on that are trailed! So in short (at bloody last I hear you say) Do I feel left out cos I've got a 'toy' boat. Nope, I reckon I do more boating than the 'big' boys. Go more places, meet more people, and use it 12 months of the year!

 

[AJW]

Well said Barry!

I'm an infrequent poster on this forum although was rather more frequent on the "old" forum back in the dim distant days when TCM was Matts! ("Proudest" achievement being when MBY used to quote bits of the forum to pad out the letters page having comments printed about 3 mths running.) It is all a tad cliquey but I think there is a genuine will to help out those in need. Many of the postings display a certain irrevence that strikes a chord with me at least. I'm a much more frequent poster on the RIB.NET forum some perhaps in that case I am in the clique than being outside it!


Anyway being a Ribster I am most definately a trailboater. Yes the RIB is 25ft long so once on the trailer is a bit of a monster but I actually rather enjoy the towing it around behind the 'Zu bit. Feel at one with the truckers, able to eat Yorkies and swear at flash B****rs in fast cars cutting me up. Prob'ly something deeply psychological there so best draw a veil over it. Have taken this boat and the last one far and wide - Scotland, West Country, South Coast, East Coast etc. Beauty of trailboating is the ease of which youc an explore new cruising grounds. Downside is the arseache of a long tow to get there. Mind you I've done the extended RIB cruising thing as well (round Britain in 10 days last year and upto the Outer Hebrides from Torquay this year and that can get a bit dull when out of sight of land too!)

I save a helluvalot of dosh in marina fees. More than I spend on trailer maintenance etc. Would I like a marina based boat? Not a RIB anyway, too limiting to your local cruising ground. Marina based boat with accomodation? Well thats a slightly different matter, the liveaboard thing has some advantages over B&B cruising. For me though when I get to this stage it'll probably be a yot, being the closet raggie that I am.

All boating is an expensive hobby so inevitably you come across those whose gold plated rocker covers on their engines cost more than my house. But usin' the old rule of judging people by who they are, not what they have, I have to say that I've never felt challenged by that on this board or in real life. Through the ribbing scene I've met and gone boating with allsorts in all sizes of boats. Met interesting ex-yottie types like Mike Garside and experienced Ribsters like Messrs Priddy and Deacon. Been boating with millionaires and peeps who have to sacrifice other things to go boating. Its all about having fun and getting out there and doing it in good company aint it?!

Cheers, AJ

 

[jfm]

Longdistance ribbing

Torquay to Hebrides in RIB. Wow, that's serious ribbing. Respect AJW, respect!

 

[BrendanS]

Now that's grabbed my imagination...Scottish West Coast!

Don't trail my boat, but do have a trailer for it stored in field unused. Gonna hafta get some glorious photos of Scottish coastal scenery, get the trailer serviced, and see if I can persuade SWMBO that it would make a stunning weeks holiday.

I'd do it my sea, but I can't see her enjoying that too much! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[hlb]

Best thing about the west coast of S. Brendan. Is, apart from the Troon area which can get a bit rough if weather is in wrong direction. Theres loads and loads of places to go in sheltered waters and can hop about from island to island with only a few miles between. It can be a bit remote in places. You might find youself using the anchor and dinghy a bit more. But all the pubs are very friendly although you might find some a bit basic. Nearly always music or something on though.

I'd recomend it to anyone. Well that is. Apart from TCM and that Cuteyholic bloke. There just big softies!!

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Haydn

 

[BrendanS]

Remote is wonderful, love w coast Ireland for same reason. I lived on S w coast as a kid and loved it there. As to rough, best trips I've had off south coast of england is when it's blowing 6/7 and no one else is out, just slow down, and great fun as long as tank is full.

What is refueling like? Would have to do multiple trips to petrol station with 20l container, but don't suspect they would be very convenient. Is this a trip better suited to diesel than petrol? Do any of them actually have petrol on waterside?

Friends went to Loch Lomond a while ago, rented cottage on waterfront with a mooring. Had a fantastic time, mid mad cow scare, they were told at launch site by friendly officials...'don't land on any of the islands, not allowed, but if you do we wouldn't know about it anyway' Barbies galour were enjoyed by all on uninhabited island with scenery unmatched.

 

[BarryH]

My most memorable, Lake Como. Lake side villages and towns, Bellagio and Olliveto, Crystal clear water, Snow capped peaks, dodgy manopoly money and the sun. The place is a sun trap big time. Getting there is a bit of a pig though. Mountain passes, 11 mile long tunnels with dotted lines depicting french italian border and the bloody nutcase Italians in fiat 500's. People are friendly, foods bloody excellent. Everyone goes out their way to help. Lost a tyre just inside italy from the Mont Blanc tunnel. Complete stranger, well he would be being Italian, stopped and offered a lift to the nearest tyre place. Thought it prudent to take him up on it seeing as I only had one spare wheel.

Can't wait to get back there, boat or not. Being an Englishman with a Red Duster and a british registered boat caused quiet a stir in the mountains of Italy on the lake dominated by Rivas and the like.

 

[tcm]

Re: castaway

that telly program couple of years back. All the swmbo's loved that. V clean water. Heather. Sand. Rocks. Peace. Solitude.

Right that's enough of that, where's the pub...

 

[hlb]

I was not so impressed by Loch Lomond, may be cos it rained most of the time and most of it a bit to remote for me.

Petrol is not easy anywhere. I mean not easy any where in UK. So maybe no worse in Scotland. We only had a 20 gallon tank so that made it even harder. But Got a taxi on Great Cumbrai?, to the local garage and back. Not the end of the world. If your thinking of going. Get a pilot book first and maybe a chart. Then you can figgure out a route and stopping places with petrol, or close by petrol. Theres quite a few big marinas on the mainland who may have perol these days. You can do quite a bit of tramping about and still be close to one of them.

<font color=blue>
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Haydn

 

[BrendanS]

That is one that I think SWMBO would actually go for..lots of decent hotels to stay in, stunning scenery. She likes boating up to a point, but has admitted that tho' being well travelled, she doesn't know European countries well. Could be an excellent compromise....she gets to see Europe, stay in decent hotels, and I get to go boating!!! wooopeee!!!

 

[AJW]

Not entirely sure but think I may have read/heard/imagined something about banning powered craft or unlicenced powered craft or something like that on Lake Como? Didn't some tourist kill themselves in a rented powerboat a few years ago?
Probly worth checking out before trucking out there! Beautiful place though, bin round it by coach on way to Ski resort.

 

[BrendanS]

Re: castaway

Not my swmbo, 5* only, with facilities to match. I love to rough it, she doesn't. Stunning scenery may make the difference!

 

[AJW]

Scottish West Coast is cruising heaven IMHO. If only weather could be guaranteed!
Mind you on our Hebrides cruise over Jubilee week we had bright sunshine and calm seas cruising the Atlantic side of Outer Hebrides and around the Butt of Lewis whilst darn sarf was lashed by wind and rain!

There is some petrol to be had afloat - Kip and Largs marina on the Firth of Clyde and Puffin Divers just south of Oban. Otherwise its humping around jerrycans which isn't much fun if you need a lot - which you inevitably do! This summers trip was on 9.5m Diesel Scorpion cabin RIB (so not quite so heroic as it sounds). Derv obviously available everywhere including v cheap at fishing harbours. Best deal was last year at Scrabster 11p a litre!! When asked whether quantity discount could be had, chappie replied "och yes, if you take 5000l or more!"

Have also trailed a 21ft Fletcher to Bantry Bay, West Coast of Ireland. Now thats a Bl**** long way to drive!!

 

[BarryH]

Fairly cheapy and quick to get to. I done the trip in just under 2 and a half days. Loads of places to stop over on the way. I didn't even book up hotels etc, didn't know where I'd be and when. I went calais, to geneva back into france into Chamonix then up to the tunnel. Not a bad trip and quiet whizzy whizzy on the motorways. Got pulled by froggy cops twice. Just played ignorant forigner bit first time and stiffy upper lip plum in mouth brit second time. Just lucky spose and got away with it!

The lake is a stunning place, we stayed at a waterfront hotel in Bellagio, with its own moorings, extra cost to room tho. Then In olliveto we stayed at a small family hotel, the room was a converted farm building only no one told the bloody animals and ths soddin' cows have bells on!

Como is the biggest town on the lake, quiet touristy, Good shopping for the wife, ie loads of italian designer type shops, hide yer plastic, they take anything! Loads to do off the boat as well. We went horse riding for a day, then I hired a trailey bike and rode up to the cross on the mountain with John paulo, friends cousin who lives out there.

From there we went down south to Scicily and the Med. Best month I took off work in a long time, but thats another story.

 

[jfm]

Re: Oooh Bantry

That's our patch. We are based Glandore axshully, 10m east of Bantry. Bantry is really S.Coast, rather than West. It's East of Mizen Head, opp Fastnet Rock. It's fabulous cruising territory, and in last few years more waterside restaurants and bars too. The drive with a trailer is a drag, but much better last 3 years as many new roads and dual carriageways.

 

[BrendanS]

Darnn sarf that Jubilee weekend, we nearly towed a 28' in after coastguard asked if anyone off Portland Bill....only us out there, me showing swmbo what it's supposed to be like off there....bleeding flat calm for first time ever.

Then headed back to Solent with club fleet, me organiser, from Weymouth. Ended up with Charlie Bravo (copter from Portland) taking off skipper and wife from one of boats, with paramedics from Muddiford on a rescue rib onboard giving oxygen.

Longest day on boat ever, as we escorted now skipperless boat back to Port Solent, with mate on board as new skipper, lock through, find berth, work out how to put up hood and clean up, put new skipper into old skippers car to take home, then had to head back home to Lymington in rapidly worsening conditions at about 5knts.