Trailer sailer less than 730 kg?

[pelmetman]

Hello people, I thought I did a post on this subject but it hasn't appeared

We currently have the house on the market with a view to retiring and going traveling around Europe for a few years in our elderly camper.......and I quite fancy the idea of having a trailer sailer on the back of the camper

I've had a couple of boats in the past a Royal 34 and a Pegasus 800..

Our biggest restriction is our Gross train weight which only allows us a 730kg max......currently thinking a West Wight Potter 15 would be OK.....but having been off the scene for a few years wondering if there is anything else I should be looking at

 

[bendyone]

Skipper 17 ?

 

[VicS]

Skipper 17 is a sensible suggestion.

there is a Voyager 14 and trailer advertised HERE

A Sunspot (15ft) would satisfy the weight limit. Designed by AC Howard who also designed the Leisure17
A Seahawk might just come within the limit. Lakesailor will be along shortly!

For ease of launching and recovery i would opt for a lifting keel rather than bilge keels

 

[NealB]

The Oliver Lee designed Hunter 490 is a sensational little sailing boat (yes..I've got one).

 

[TQA]

Wayfarer with boom tent? See here for what is possible clicky

 

[sarabande]

The Dinghy Cruising Association has website discussing various boats and their cruises.

http://dinghycruising.org.uk/tag/boats


EDIT Oops beaten to it by TQA !

 

[ProDave]

It must be some camper to impose that restriction on you? what's it's weight?

 

[dleroc]

Sailfish 18 - 454kg.

 

[Swanrad2]

Lysander

Did some work on a Lysander a number of years ago,mloveley little boat. She was old, cheap, plywood and easy to work on. Liked the boat a lot.

 

[pelmetman]

It must be some camper to impose that restriction on you? what's it's weight?

Thanks for the input chaps...........I like the look of the skipper 17 anybody know what it weighs complete with trailer......

Our camper is a 22 year old Travelhome on a Transit, its a family heirloom that we've had for nearly 21 years.....I know it'll tow much more than 730kg without a problem as I'd been driving around for years unknowingly well overweight...

But as we now go down to Spain for a bit of winter sun and the local plod are getting more interested in foreign vans as a revenue earner I intend to stay strictly legal...

 

[VicS]

Skipper 17 displacement 1000lbs according to my info.

Cannot help with trailer though.

IIRC there is more recent reincarnation of the Skipper 17. Cannot remember what its called though

 

[pelmetman]

Sailfish 18 - 454kg.

Very pretty............454 kg without the trailer I assume?... most of the boats I've looked at tend to just give the boat weight/displacement.......so would an allowance of a 100 kg cover the trailer weight

 

[ProDave]

Our camper is a 22 year old Travelhome on a Transit, its a family heirloom that we've had for nearly 21 years.....I know it'll tow much more than 730kg without a problem as I'd been driving around for years unknowingly well overweight...

I still don't understand the problem.

Is it the manufacturers limit you are concerned about?

Years ago I had a 1972 Mk1 Transit camper van. It used to tow nearly a ton of caravan (slowly because the Tranny only had a 1600cc engine the old V4)

So unless your Tranny has an enormous heavy coachbuilt body, I can't see why it can only tow 730Kg?

 

[pelmetman]

I still don't understand the problem.

Is it the manufacturers limit you are concerned about?

Years ago I had a 1972 Mk1 Transit camper van. It used to tow nearly a ton of caravan (slowly because the Tranny only had a 1600cc engine the old V4)

So unless your Tranny has an enormous heavy coachbuilt body, I can't see why it can only tow 730Kg?

I have a gross train weight of 3500kg......and Maximum van weight of 2770kg which leaves me with 730 kg, and I have read that if stopped by Spanish plod they just add the the plaited weight of the camper too the plaited weight of the trailer and if its over your GTW your'll get a fine regardless of whether you are actually overweight .........Hence my restriction to 730kg...

I'm on a motorhome forum and it appears that because Euro land is in deep dodo the Spanish Police are enforcing rules they have previously turned a Nelsons eye to...

 

[ProDave]

I have a gross train weight of 3500kg......and Maximum van weight of 2770kg which leaves me with 730 kg, and I have read that if stopped by Spanish plod they just add the the plaited weight of the camper too the plaited weight of the trailer and if its over your GTW your'll get a fine regardless of whether you are actually overweight .........Hence my restriction to 730kg...

I'm on a motorhome forum and it appears that because Euro land is in deep dodo the Spanish Police are enforcing rules they have previously turned a Nelsons eye to...

What's the ACTUAL van weight (take it to a weighbridge) that might give you more for the trailer.

 

[pelmetman]

What's the ACTUAL van weight (take it to a weighbridge) that might give you more for the trailer.

Been there Dave..........2800 kg so I'm already overweight..........but with an eye to long terming and the extra clutter we will need I've bought a box trailer which we have weighed with the camper and it gives me another 500 kg of capacity..........I don't intend to tow both at the same time.....but we have family in France and Spain and will dump trailer or boat with them depending on what we intend doing......

In the UK we'll leave it at the MIL's in Weymouth

 

[ProDave]

I'm still surprised the GTW is so low, but I guess the camper body adds a lot of weight to the original chassis cab. Modern transits (some of them) have a GTW in the region of 7 ton which is why I am surprised yours is so low.

So once you have found a lightweight boat, you need a lightweight trailer, so definitely single axle, and since it's under 750Kg you don't want the extra weight of brakes.

As you are going to be close to the limit, you need to get van (decluttered) and boat+trailer onto a weighbridge so you have weight certificates with you.

 

[pelmetman]

As you are going to be close to the limit, you need to get van (decluttered) and boat+trailer onto a weighbridge so you have weight certificates with you.

I suspect as long as my plaited weights are in order.........I'll get away with a few extra kilos......as my camper doesn't look overweight due to air bags....

Is your avatar a Frolic 18 Dave?.......as just googled it at got slipper launches

 

[pvb]

Very pretty............454 kg without the trailer I assume?... most of the boats I've looked at tend to just give the boat weight/displacement.......so would an allowance of a 100 kg cover the trailer weight

I don't think 100kg would be anywhere near enough for a suitable trailer. Most would probably be 250kg upwards.

 

[ProDave]

I suspect as long as my plaited weights are in order.........I'll get away with a few extra kilos......as my camper doesn't look overweight due to air bags....

Is your avatar a Frolic 18 Dave?.......as just googled it at got slipper launches

Yes that's right, May avatar, and some other pictures in my profile are my Frolic 18.

As you have found out, "Frolic 18" covers many vessels (and a lot else on google !!) and the Frolic 18 sailing boat was the least common of them.

It was built in 1983 by Boatbuilder Martin Creasey in Poole. Mine is the lift keel version though they made a bilge keel version as well.

So far I have only found 2 others who have one. I don't know why they were so uncommon. I believe mine is sail number 35 so I guess that says they didn't make many of them.

But don't consider it for what you want (even if you can find one) as the bare boat weighs almost 700Kg so you would need a helium filled carbon fibre trailer.