Trailer boating (pro's and con's)???

[dignity]

Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

At the moment I live on a Dutch barge, also I have a 33' cruiser for weekends and holidays, has u can imagine moorings and up-keep of 2 boats is getting out of hand! Looking at the possibility of a trailable weekender preferably diesel i.e. skibsplast or Beneteau, or are the new four stroke outboards fairly economical?

Has anybody any comments regards this type of boating, does it work out cheaper, bearing in mind I'll probably have to buy a 4X4 to tow it.

Any remarks would be gratefully received.

Regards

'A pennyless boater'

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[Happy1]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

I have a trailerable boat, with a trailer but keep it in a marina, if that makes sense. In my opinion trailering a boat each weekend would be more costly to me thatn keeping it in a marina.

Con's
My trailer cost £1,800, you then have the purchase of a 4x4, the fuel that that uses, the maintenance of the trailer, the wasted time at slipways, wear and tear on your trailer boat and 4x4, arguments, and finally the concerns of what you would do if you broke down whilst towing e.g. AA, RAC, would they recover the boat? You also have to spend hours washing down the boat and trailer, greasing it up, and once a year perhaps replacing the brakes and having the hubs checked.

Pro's
You are able to visit more places

Conclusion :-
I seem to have got the best of both worlds, I can step onto my boat at the marina and be off in seconds (subject to full safety checks /forums/images/icons/wink.gif). That to me is the way I wish to spend my leisure time. I have however taken my boat on the trailer on a number of occassions to the South coast, it is nice but makes a weekend exhausting, with the travel and cleaning e.t.c. What the trailering does is make you appreciate the stepping off the pontoon directly into the boat /forums/images/icons/wink.gif I could easily spend £80 plus just travelling to the South coast each weekend, without the wear and tear issues, plus the up front cost of the trailer and 4x4, insurance for that e.t.c. that adds up and it does not take long to equal or be more than the marina charges. You really have to decide what you want and work it out, don't try to fool yourself, add in all the costs, it may come as a surprise. I will still continue to use the trailer as I have bought it, but only on the odd occassion, which is nice as you have flexibility.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[dignity]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Thanks for that, I should have added that I only use the cruiser once or twice a month so towing it around shouldn't become a chore!

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[Fingers]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

We tow! I tow the boat down to Wales at the start of the season, and tow her back at the end of the season. In between, she sits on the trailer on a farm in Anglesey, and gets dragged either east - towards Molfre, or west - towards Treardur Bay, depending on the conditions. Its flexible, just a short hop in each direction, but its a real pain the the bum. Launching and recovery can be a pain unless you can find a good slipway. No matter how hard you try, salt water, sand and landrovers dont mix. The boat and trailer need a good clean at the end of each day, when its hot you get road tar splashes on the boat. There is the yearly chore of a total hub overhaul on the trailer, and so on and so forth.

We are looking at getting a berth at Hollyhead Marina. That way, we have the boat in the water when we need it, but have ther trailer to schlep it about on if we so desire.

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[Happy1]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Welcome to the forum Dave,

I am glad I am not the only person who finds the trailering a pain /forums/images/icons/wink.gif However everyone has their own circumstances, e.g. may not be near a marina anyway, may already have a 4x4, may already have a trailer e.t.c. but if you actually add everything up it is frightening how expensive and time consuming it can be. But as I said before I will still do it occassionaly, perhaps when we can make it a long weekend to make it worthwhile, especially when I may as well use my 15 free nights at other MDL marina's /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[lanason]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

I tow Kelisha - would have to be a nice BIG boat in a PLUSH marina to temp me away. Poole last week - Upton upon Severn next ....... choices ......choices .......

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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[MadFrank]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

A lot of your cost is dependant on the sort of "luxury" that you're expecting.

If you're happy to rough it then buy something like an old Norman 20 in decent nick (there are some still around - see weblink below)- it will sleep 2 comfortably inside with 2 occasional under the hood, has a rudimentary toilet closet, a small cooking area. The interior headroom is limited but usable. I trailed one a few years ago quite happily with a Vectra Estate with no issues about weight limits or slow hills.

The boat is great on inland waterways but is classified for sheltered estuary/costal waters if you put a suitable engine on. I believe they were rated up to 80HP although for inland 10 to 20HP is more than adequate.

http://www.normanboats.co.uk/



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[Alistairr]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Adrian,
When will one of your choices be Loch Lomond?
Or my Drive!!!!!


<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hamptonandmcmurray.co.uk>Hampton and McMurray</A>

Petrol Rules..

 

[TomIsitt]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Whether trailer-boating if for you depends on your adventure/pain threshold. Stepping straight onto your boat in a marina is great, but your horizons are limited. A trailer-boat allows you to explore much further afield - in the last 10 years I have trailered a small sportsboat to the Cote d'Azur, Devon, northern Spain, south Wales, western France, western Scotland, north Wales, East Anglia, and Cornwall. I have experienced places that I never would have done if I had a boat in the marina on the south coast.

But, as others have pointed out here, trailering can be a pain...you need to be adaptable, resourceful and have the ability to wing-it when you get punctures, find the slipway is blocked by a skip, lose the lighting board on the M6, etc. If you're the type to get stressed the minute something doesn't go exactly to plan, don't try towing a damn great boat half way round the UK or Europe. But if you can laugh in the face of occasional adversity, the rewards are fantastic. I have great memories of exploring the west coast of Scotland and watching dolphins, of getting a free berth in St Tropez in high summer (because the boat was smaller than most people's tenders), mooring at Pauillac near Bordeaux so that we could stock up with Premier Cru clarets direct from the chateaux, going to Rick Stein's for dinner in Padstow, surfing long Atlantic rollers off Biarritz.

Those are the potential rewards of trailer-boating. Just don't expect it to be easy, and you do need someone with you who is capable of parking a trailer, helming a boat and not worrying about wet feet or broken fingernails.

And yes, the new generation four-stroke outboards are very economical and extraordinarily quiet.

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[Alistairr]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Dolphins of the West coast of Scotland, Where abouts? Are we able to read about these exploits.?

I like the article in this month MBY on the West coast.

Cheers..

Alistair..



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hamptonandmcmurray.co.uk>Hampton and McMurray</A>

Petrol Rules..

 

[TomIsitt]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

It was off the south tip of Kerrera in the Firth of Lorne...we were just investigating the ivy-clad ruined castle on the shore when two dolphins surfaced and investigated us. It was one of those perfect days you sometimes get when it's warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I spent a couple of days exploring Arran, Loch Fyne and Kintyre from Largs, and a couple of days exploring Mull and Loch Linnhe from Dustaffnage. I wrote about it in MBY back in 1998 (I think). Have to say that boating up there was absolutely stunning.

Glad you liked our piece in this month's MBY.

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[lanason]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Do they have slipways on Loch Lomond - and what about the monster scare my kids half to death ........

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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[Alistairr]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Yes, there are several slipways, the main one being at the new Loch Lomond Shores Development and guess what its completely FREE to use. or you could use one at the marinas around the Loch, the slip where we moor has a charge of £8, I think.
Monsters!! The BIGGEST monsters you get on loch Lomond would be the Midges!!!
I think you are think about Loch Ness Who supposedly have a Monster by the name of Angus, Also answers to Nessie!!!!




<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hamptonandmcmurray.co.uk>Hampton and McMurray</A>

Petrol Rules..

 

[lanason]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

Oh yeah it is Loch Ness - silly me -
connections between Scotland (i.e north of Birmingham) / Loch (deep lake to the rest of us) / Monster (designed to keep us English well away) seem to fit well together.....

You never know may venture up - whats the speed limit (and before anyone says it - I know my boat wont do more that about 7knts at the moment - till I fix it that is...)

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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[Alistairr]

Re: Trailer boating (pro\'s and con\'s)???

I'm not sure exactly but its either 55 or 60 MPH.


<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hamptonandmcmurray.co.uk>Hampton and McMurray</A>

Petrol Rules..