Trailing small sports cruisers.

Solitaire

Solitaire

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 Jun 2001
Messages
6,239
Location
Southampton
Visit site
Much is talked about the trailing of sports boats and the ease of launching. Steve Hill regularly tows his Sealine S24 down to the south coast and launches single handed. Yesterday I arranged to go down and take some video of the first launch for him of the year, and apart from getting the teas in, he did everything himself. Oh, I did pull the trailer out of the water due to the onset of the tide, but everything else was down to Steve.. he also has a very nifty way of releasing the bow of the boat from the trailer, you see him do it but I have better footage which I will post later once I have edited that bit! Well done Steve, and enjoy your week away from the work stress.

There is no music as some don't like it and I also will be using it for training.

 
I would like to see a video of him recovering the boat back onto the trailer.

The one thing that strikes me is how well the boat slipped off the trailer.

My own boat sits on rubber rollers, but the weight of the boat tends to flatten them so they don't roll. So my boat simply won't slip off the trailer like that, you have to immerse the trailer further which means detaching from the car and winching it further down the slipway.

I now pay for crane in and out. I regard the cost of a club crane in/out good value as it saves the time stripping and re greasing the wheel bearings, not to mention avoids getting salt water into the chassis sections etc.
 
ProDave said:
I would like to see a video of him recovering the boat back onto the trailer.

The one thing that strikes me is how well the boat slipped off the trailer.

My own boat sits on rubber rollers, but the weight of the boat tends to flatten them so they don't roll. So my boat simply won't slip off the trailer like that, you have to immerse the trailer further which means detaching from the car and winching it further down the slipway.

I now pay for crane in and out. I regard the cost of a club crane in/out good value as it saves the time stripping and re greasing the wheel bearings, not to mention avoids getting salt water into the chassis sections etc.
Click to expand...

Hope this helps .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVik2fdtxn4 regards Steve..
 
STEVEDUNSTABLE said:
Hope this helps .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVik2fdtxn4 regards Steve..
Click to expand...

That's some good boat handling. I like his technique of leaving the trailer a long way out to line up to, then immersing the trailer further as needed.

It was in for a while before that recovery judging by the green beard.

I should add he had a nice calm day.

The one and only time I have recovered my boat onto the trailer on a slipway, we got the bow on the trailer then the wind took the stern around. It took a lot of faffing about to get a line on the stern passed ashore so someone could pull the stern back in line to get it on the trailer.
 
Last edited:
Nice one, that's how we used to do our boating, ok if you know what conditions the slips are , not all are as acomondating as that one :) got the Tide wrong at Heaching on the east coast once , and ended up a long way out :)
 
I remember talking to Steve on jfm's Squadron 78, Match 2:

Me: This one's a bit big for towing.

Steve: I'd find a way...

:D
 
ProDave said:
Whatever your car can legally tow in terms of weight.

There are prescribed maximum trailer dimensions but even they can be exceeded for a custom made trailer for a "single indivisible load" the best example being the long glider trailers people use.
Click to expand...
There is a width limit, I think something like7'10", but check on the DVSA website. With a Land Rover you can tow up to 6.5 tonnes, but only with powered brakes, and you will need a tachograph fitted. Max 3.5 tonnes without tachograph.
 
rafiki_ said:
There is a width limit, I think something like7'10", but check on the DVSA website. With a Land Rover you can tow up to 6.5 tonnes, but only with powered brakes, and you will need a tachograph fitted. Max 3.5 tonnes without tachograph.
Click to expand...

2.55 metres I think is the trailer width limit, but the "load" (the boat) can overhang that (I hope so, my boats 2.6 metres wide)
 
the trailer rules always confused me somewhat (and i had to do the extra trailer test for my job) never been to the extremes of what are legal but my old landrover is still chugging along anything too large and i use a tractor (admittedly only for short travel)
 
ProDave said:
2.55 metres I think is the trailer width limit, but the "load" (the boat) can overhang that (I hope so, my boats 2.6 metres wide)
Click to expand...

Load can be up to 2.9M - above this is an abnormal load and special rules and/or permissions depending on where/how far etc I believe... A bit like transporting those 'static caravans' that we see a lot of down here in the South West :rolleyes:

P.S. great videos - seen a couple of Steve's launch/recoveries on here/YouTube before and always impressive! :cool:
 
Last edited:
rbcoomer said:
Load can be up to 2.9M - above this is an abnormal load and special rules and/or permissions depending on where/how far etc I believe... A bit like transporting those 'static caravans' that we see a lot of down here in the South West :rolleyes:

P.S. great videos - seen a couple of Steve's launch/recoveries on here/YouTube before and always impressive! :cool:
Click to expand...

That sounds about right. The 10ft wide static caravans can be transported just with the truck, but when transporting the 12ft wide ones they always have an escort vehicle.
 
rafiki_ said:
There is a width limit, I think something like7'10", but check on the DVSA website. With a Land Rover you can tow up to 6.5 tonnes, but only with powered brakes, and you will need a tachograph fitted. Max 3.5 tonnes without tachograph.
Click to expand...

IIRC that is train weight. i.e. my Disco is 2.7 tonne, maximum trainweight is 7 tonne (3500kg vehicle max + 3500kg trailer max), however I am limited by curb side weight of the Disco so 5.4 tonne train weight which means maximum braked trailer and boat weight may not excede 2.7 tonne. A 24 foot boat is about the limit before you start running into problems because trailer length is additionally limited to 7m (taking into account any trailer mode leg setting) excluding coupling and towbar as is width as well at 2.3m

ProDave said:
Whatever your car can legally tow in terms of weight.

There are prescribed maximum trailer dimensions but even they can be exceeded for a custom made trailer for a "single indivisible load" the best example being the long glider trailers people use.
Click to expand...

Glider trailers are unlikely to fall foul as max train length is 18m with a restriction of a 3m overhang.
 
Last edited:
BruceK said:
IIRC that is train weight. i.e. my Disco is 2.7 tonne, maximum trainweight is 7 tonne (3500kg vehicle max + 3500kg trailer max), however I am limited by curb side weight of the Disco so 5.4 tonne train weight which means maximum braked trailer and boat weight may not excede 2.7 tonne. A 24 foot boat is about the limit before you start running into problems because trailer length is additionally limited to 7m (taking into account any trailer mode leg setting) excluding coupling and towbar as is width as well at 2.3m



Glider trailers are unlikely to fall foul as max train length is 18m with a restriction of a 3m overhang.
Click to expand...
I believe trailer length excludes the A frame. This sort of makes sense on a caravan because the A frame is basically the hitch and the bit under the gas locker. On a boat, the A frame is half the trailer , so you don't start to measure til about from mid boat (if I am right!).
We were only prepared to use good steep slipsways. That flat shoreline stuff was a right pain, but we did have an extending hitch pole, for the very rare occasions.
 
I towed this trailer from Gloucester to Calshot, (without boat) it's 10.5 mtrs long and 7' wide, plod looked at me twice but couldn't be sure what the rules were so I got waved on, their problem was the trailer must not exceed 7 mtrs in length not including draw bar, the problem arose when they looked at the trailer nearly half the length is arguably the draw bar as it tapers to the ball hitch. in reality I think it was too much hassle if they got it wrong, plus where they going to park a disco and 10.5 mtr trailer while they find out.

017_zpsqua1meew.jpg
 
Hi All..... just for the record.... a Disco can tow a trailer fitted with "over run" brakes up to a MAX GROSS (inc boat, fuel, "stuff", trailer itself) weight of 3500kg,s or to put another way, everything that drags on the towbar.. this can be increased (as mentioned before) by fitting the Land rover airbrakes kit (not wise for boat trailers) to a GROSS WEIGHT OF 5400KG,s...a tacho IS NOT REQUIRED as long as it CAN BE PROVED that it is "NOT FOR HIRE OR REWARD".....in other words you own the whole lot and are not being payed for moving any of it... I have been "pulled" by VOSA 5/6 times with no problems atall...regards Steve..(for the record, the max my trailer has ever weighed by VOSA was 3290kg,s and they gave me the weighbridge ticket to prove it).......................The main problem with all this stuff is that A LOT of people just don't know/realise how much stopping time and space is required but that is a totally different thread !!!!!!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top