Trailer Boating? Fun or folly?

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I'm thinking about getting myself a trailerable boat around 20-23' for pottering about on the Thames or maybe the odd coastal expedition in fine weather. I have absolutely no experience of towing a trailer or launching/recovering a boat. To me it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. So, a few questions

Any advice on a tow car? I guess 4WD is better. Am I correct in thinking that the total weight of boat and trailer must not exceeed the towing capacity of the car as quoted by the manufacturer?
What about the trailer? These seem to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, 2 wheels, 4 wheels, 6 wheels. What do I need?
Can I get training on launching/recovering procedures? Is it inevitable that I will get wet and look stupid?
What about slipways? Where do I find info on slipways and will I have to pay to use them? Will I have to queue up on sunny summer weekends?
What about the boat? Is it easier to launch/recover an outdrive/outboard powered boat because you can lift the drive compared to a shaftdrive powered boat?

Any advice appreciated
 
Manufacturers towing weights are not always a good guide, as this is often maximum permissible train weight and has more to do with what the engine can pull.
The generally accepted guidline by all the "towing" organisatioins is that the weight of the trailer should not exceed 80% of the unladen or kerbside weight of the vehicle, and in no circumstances should it exceed 100%.
This is to stop the tail wagging the dog and getting into dangerous and unrecoverable snaking situations.
A good stabiliser is a very good safety accessory to minimise this, but the lighter the trailer in relation to the car the better the tow.
 
The smaller the better for launching and towing. If it becomes a hassel you dont tend to use it. I have a 15 foot boat which I launch at Oxford £30 a year, generally no problems. Get wet up to my knees. Normally use a 4x4 to tow except when the wheel bearing goes! Then a very nice man helps

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A small 7.5HP outboard is all I need, there is not much current by Oxford. There are a number of free slips along the Thames but they tend to be small with little parking. The best is at Doddington Bridge, just south of Oxford, big slip with a field to park in.
 
23' will require a 4 wheel trailer and a big 4x4, as the rig is likely to be in the 2 ton range. The boat most likely will be a small block V8 at that size, so an outdrive on the Thames will wander a bit.

Yes, you will make a prat of yourself (there are laws about this, I believe). Expect at some point to launch the boat with the bung out, or wonder why it won't float off the trailer with the straps still holding it down.
 
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Will I have to queue up on sunny summer weekends?


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This is the crux of the problem in my view. The solution is as ever in the boating world - money. All other alternatives are suitable only for total fanatics or people so laid back they are happy to queue in the sunshine letting others barge past for hours on end............

For this reason I used to keep even a 17ft dory (then a 21ft cuddy) on a pontoon at the nearest marina but trailed away all over the place (Lomond to Plymouth, Ampuriabrava to Treguier and of course Hamble and Poole) launching at marinas and paying up for visitor berths even though I wasn't staying on board (well not in the dory anyway and always had other accomadation for the family with the cuddy too).

Whilst this seemed expensive the value was akin to the difference between a marina berth and a trot mooring for a large craft!

In good weather, especially forecast and bank holidays, you just won't believe the number of craft that will occupy the (any) slips from before dawn to dusk. If you are happy to launch at 0300 and recover after dark you will get space but otherwise book in with a marina and arrange to use their slip etc before you even leave home.

re your other questions - trailer will have to match boats needs, weight is everything (from towing vehicles to ease of launch and recovery, trailer design to number of axles) and inboard / OB simply another factor in that although OBs are a lot easier maintenance / wash through etc. All of the above contribute to the love of OB powered RIBS for trailering.
 
We have a rib on a trailer so have some experience

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Any advice on a tow car? I guess 4WD is better. Am I correct in thinking that the total weight of boat and trailer must not exceeed the towing capacity of the car as quoted by the manufacturer?

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Bigger the better because you need space to store stuff and bigger tow vehicle makes for easier towing. We have used Galaxy/Sharan and now an X Max so 4 wheel drive not essential but there are one or two times a year when I need to borrow one to launch off a beach. Generally we are OK on good slips. Rules re tow weights etc. here [ QUOTE ]
What about the trailer? These seem to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, 2 wheels, 4 wheels, 6 wheels. What do I need?

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Depends on the boat. More weight means more wheels. More wheels means slightly harder to manoeuvre
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Can I get training on launching/recovering procedures? Is it inevitable that I will get wet and look stupid?

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I think launch & recovery is part of powerboat 2 but you could get training in just this aspect. Or invite a team along the first time to shout advice. Wet/Stupid? Wet-inevitably, Stupid-probably
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What about slipways? Where do I find info on slipways and will I have to pay to use them? Will I have to queue up on sunny summer weekends?

[/ QUOTE ] All info at boatlaunch.co.uk
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What about the boat? Is it easier to launch/recover an outdrive/outboard powered boat because you can lift the drive compared to a shaftdrive powered boat?

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By definition the boat will be in shallow water and therefore at risk of touching bottom. On calm waters there is no problem with shafts. All decent ski boats are shafts and the trick is to lower the trailer deep enough and drive straight on. This is not so easy in wind/wave/tide scenarios and so I would have to say best to look at outboard/outdrive options.

Hope some of this helps
 
Depends on type of boat. A 20ft open grp or RIB with a small (around 5hp) outboard would be no problem. But as you mention shaft I guess yr thinking something larger maybe with a cabin?

You need to decide if the boat is really gonna be trailered every time you go out or just get trailered so you have option of close to home or further afield. You may be thinking you don't want to be tied down to one cruising ground.

If you really want the go anywhere anytime (almost at the drop of hat) then yr looking at an open, very light weight 20ft max GRP or RIB. If you think you're gonna trundle a 23ft 2 berth inboard engine cruiser around every weekend and you'll be heading for misery IMHO unless you enjoy stress. You'd more than likely end up leaving it in one area for longer and paying berthing fees. With cost of bigger vehicle (and ins, extra fuel etc) berthing fees will look like the cheaper option very quickly. If you do go that route then you can always get it professionally moved to new area or, heaven forbid, cruise it round.

I think you need to ask yourself again what do I want from the boat. If your primary objective is to be a free spirit, drop of the hat, lets go to x,Y,Z then get a boat that allows you to do that simply and easily and accept the limitations that imposes.

If you really want a bigger more comfortable cruising boat with inboard (maybe other family members don't want the chance of getting caught in rain without a "roof"?) then buy that boat and acept the limitations of movement. Berth it in an area you'd enjoy.

I'll probably get flamed for this but I think we all try to meet al requirements and try to stretch the bounds of what is a compromise at the end of the day.

Hope this helps decide if a trailerable boat is what you want.
 
It's a shame that GC1 was hounded off the forum because he could have given you chapter and verse on this whole issue. Down to the type of trailer, the vehicle to tow it with and the best size boat. He really did go to town and in then probably had the biggest tow boat around. Geoffs now has the boat of course.

In my opinion GC1 went a bit OTT on size - 24ft - but the issue was not the launching but recovery. Wind and tide plus the weight of the boat hauling it back on the trailer were issues.

I very succesfully trailed a Bayliner 2052 cudy with and inboard 4.3 liter Mercruiser - towed it all over Scotland. It was a good size for pottering around and easy to recover.

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Can I get training on launching/recovering procedures?

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Contact us!

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Is it inevitable that I will get wet and look stupid?

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One of the greatest sources of free entertainment watching people recover their boats. And I have a little black book of car registration numbers so that I can avoid buying them after seeing them dumped up to their axles and exhausts pipes through poor recovery techniques. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. I alway recount the story of a big Porche 4x4 that ;launched without thinking - sat at the top of the slipway blowing water out the exhaust for about 5 mins - looked like a boat itself!!

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What about slipways? Where do I find info on slipways and will I have to pay to use them?

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Have a look here

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Will I have to queue up on sunny summer weekends?

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Like anything, planning is the key. Certain slipways can get busy at peak times such as Bank Holiday, but no where near as bad as say trying to lock out of Port Solent on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

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What about the boat? Is it easier to launch/recover an outdrive/outboard powered boat because you can lift the drive compared to a shaft drive powered boat?

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It won't make much difference if it's inboard/stern drive or outboard - both have trailer trim and will lift the leg clear of the slipway. Shaft drive on such boats are rare.

In most cases when you consider a trail boat it will come with a trailer that is set up for it. It's only when you start to get >23 ft that you'll have to consider a trailer separately, but there are very good trailer companies that know their stuff. But you are going to be looking at £4K plus for the trailer once you start going "large"


If you want to chat anything through then PM me your mobile. Good luck!
 
Oh slipways. You can get training but just get a few guys who have done it before to show yu then take them out for a spin on the boat. It is possible single handed but two makes it a lot easier.

In summer you can end up queuing for a long time, that's if you find somewhere to park to wait! There are private slipways and cost/booking ability will depend upon who runs the slipway. Public ones can be free but more likely are charged by local authority. I used to launch my RIB at Lymington and only once did I get collared to pay. I looked for someone the first time but obviously they were hiding from me;-) It's normally a couple of quid.

Some slipways on the tidal Thames are awkward and dry badly because they are meant for rowing craft or dinghys that can be manhandled.

I guess if yr on coast for a weekend you'll want to get a berth. At 5m I had no probs getting a place at Lymington on the day although usually I tried to book a week in advance.
 
Agreed, heavy boats on trailers = hassle IMO. Not so bad with a lightweight RIB that can be easily manhandled, but you still have problems with queues and finding somewhere to store the trailer while you go boating.

There is nothing like rolling up at the marina and stepping on the boat for hassle free (or at least reduced hassle) boating.
 
When we had a trailerable ski boat we used it 2 - 3 times a year. So much hassle. Then, on a jetty it was used 2 - 3 times a week for the whole season. Your choice in the end, but such a waste of precious time hanging around busy slipways and the resultant high blood pressure !
 
by the time you are up at 23-24ft+trailer , its alot of weight. Only the biggest 4*4s can legally move them, and when looking in the car mags, note the figure given is the max for that range, not each variant, so do check. At 18-21ft many more cars can cope. However, getting up and down a steep and slippery slipway is also an issue, unless you want a new clutch and front tyres each week. In fact, cars also just lose all grip and disapear into 15ft of marina.
Towing on the road is fine. Check the towball weight with the bathroom scales, and that weight is ok for the car. Keep speed down, brake really early, swing wide on corners.
2 or 4 wheel will depend on boat weight, but 2 wheel is easier to swing around in the marina car park. Rollers are easier than bunks, but are expensive. Depends how often you dunk the trailer, but servicing on mine is £500 a year in bearings and shoes.
Launch and recover. Well, safety first. To give you a picture, I ve seen trailers come off the cars, boats break off their winch straps, boats on the slipway. Get people out the way. The bottom on the slip is not a playground for 5 year olds to paddle. And dont have everyone in the boat while going down the slip. Unfortunately, one place I use, a boy has been killed.
OK, lecture over. Make sure you can reverse the damn thing. Go and practice somewhere in a car park or field or somewhere, so you at least know how to get the trailer to go left and right. Seriously annoying waiting for 20 mins behind someone on the slip who cant even reverse 20m.
Get the boat ready AWAY from the slip. The slip is for launch and recover, not discovering the lifejackets are in the car 5 minutes away! Have an extra rope/chain as well as the winch, just to be safe. With the boat in the water, still on the winch -so it doesnt float away,start engine, and when running, release strap and drive off. May need a jerk from the car to shake it off sometimes. Make sure the sterndrive is pointing straight back, or you will come off the trailer into the nearest boat/pontonn/pile, which wont do your outdrive or ego much good. Tie up somewhere, and get others aboard.
Will you get wet? Well in summer its shorts and bare feet, in Spring, sailing wellies is enough to keep you dry. No idea why you see folks up to their chest and waders!
Recovery. Make sure you get the wind/tide drift in your head first, so you come in boat parallel to the trailer, but maybe drifting across a direct line onto it, if you get the picture. With trailer rollers, just power the boat onto the trailer, connect winch, and use winch to do the final bit. Lift outdrive, unless you want to lose it! Dont put the back of the trailer too deep, or by the time you have the bow on the trailer, the stern has floating away. Best to have it only deep enough to float a bit, but not so deep it can float off the whole trailer. That depends on current/wind and angle of slip, but if you are a bit shallow, you can reverse tha car abit, or maybe drive/winch the boat. if you are too deep, you have to start all over again, and usually there isnt much room around the bottom of a slip for manouevering about!
Queues? variable, but free slips are much busier than paid/marina ones. How long a wait?Maybe 20 mins each way, 45 on a bank holiday or an idiot on the slip.
Dont know where you will be, but if Chichster way, you are welcome to see how we do it. I'd say we are usually less than 2 minutes, so it CAN be quick!
Its not hard, just a bit of planing and a little knowledge of what to do. Like all boating, its also having some idea of what you will do is there is a small cock-up, rather than trying to think straight during the panic! Also, ask, ask,ask.Any reguler user of a slip will be willing to help, especially if he is behind you in the queue!There maybe a ledge or mud, or who knows what under the water. If he/you is one their own, getting them to move the car back up the slip helps you, and frees up the slip. By the way, you really notice the tide on a slip. Dont leave shoes,cars etc on the slip if tide is coming in. 5 minutes can be too much!
Hope it helps, but feel free to PM if any Q's
 
Blimy !this Forum is good, You've had some cracking advice.
My two pennies worth would be this suggestion.
Pick the smallest craft that You think will fit Your purposes.
My first boat was a 16.5 ft dory with a cuddy which We trailered all over the place.
Had loads of fun day boating with the occasional cramped overnight camp! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Not saying go that small but You can see where I'm coming from.
If most of the time You are going to launch on a daily basis and don't intend to Overnight, try and look at 20 footers max at first. To see if that sort of size will suffice.
A basic galley, shelter from the weather, perhaps a heads. Would be on My hit list.
The beauty of trailer sailing becomes more pleasant if the launching and towing aspects are easy.
Too big means more hassle. Ease of towing and launching need to be Key thoughts.
Just My thoughts!
 
I towed a 23ft Sealine for a few years across the continent with a Vauxhall Monteray 3.1 litre diesel and a 2.8 litre diesel Shogun. Both were well up for the job but I would never do it again. Loads of trailer bearing/brake shoes/brake cable problems even after a good wash down. Very stressful launching and recovery and to cap it all loads of punctures. The wheels they supply are just too small and the tyres get too hot over long distances.
So my conclusion.....folly!
 
And my version is to use a 14' dory (anyone got a 40hp outboard they dont want?) and a decent tent. Use the boat as your camping trailer, they hold loads of stuff, and then find a campsite beside lake or seaside. Result = best of both worlds. We pitch camp and use the boat with the inflatable toys and for waterski-ing all day and you still have a warm dry bed at night. Launch and recovery is easy, trailer fits on the drive at home so you can wash off and no security worries. The bonus is you can leave the south behind and explore the lakes and south west Scotland 'cos its worth the travel for a week and if you do want to boat on the thames, well dont /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. We do this every second weekend from April till the schools go back in September.
As for getting wet its part of the fun, as for looking daft well its only for a short time and I have not yet found anywhere that if you offer to help someone launch,they dont return the favour. Go for it and have a great time. (PS passport needed if you come this far North)
HF
 
Agree all that David. I have trailered 17-19 foot boats for years (that's the max size before it becomes loadsa hassle imho) and I reckon you need a custom 4 wheel trailer with big wheels. 14inch say, with 165 tyres, that kinda thing. And when you launch, never immerse the brakes/bearings. Get a roller coaster trailer with one of those swinging "roller cradles" at the aft end, and take the trailer only as far as will keep the bearings and brakes dry, and let the boat roll off from there. Do not float the boat off. When recovering the boat do the same: do not float the boat on, drag it up the rollers using a big winch.

The above will only work on decent slipways, not flat beaches. So only use slipways that allow this method.

And you have to have sterndrive or outboard, not shaft, to use this method. And obviously you need a roller coaster trailer, not ordinary rollers or carpeted bunks

All imho
 
Spoilsport! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Hey, have a gander at the Who's going to LIBS on Sun/Mon, ish post .
Perhaps You can help. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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