Trailing to the Med.

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luckyjimbo

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I wonder if anyone on the forum, could offer me advice on trailing a 26 foot sportcruiser, to the south of France, and also cruising for about 8 to 10 months in 2004, for example are any licences required ? costs involved ? best places to visit ? all advice would be gratefully recieved !!
Ps Merry Christmas and happy new year to all the forum !!
Regards
James
 
James,

I'm sure that someone will correct me on this, but I thought that French regulations only allowed for about 2.50 metres maximum width.

I have gone to the UK limit with Arctic Fox at just about 3m, but know it would not be legal for France. Not sure about weight for France, in UK I need to tow with near empty tanks and all loose items in the truck. Makes a good excuse to drink all the beer the night before though.

I also need to be careful checking heights of bridges having a total height of 14ft.
Not a problem on Motorways or dual carriageways but sideroads are a different story.

Even though the trailer was specially made for Arctic Fox, about 40 and an absolute maximum of 45 mph is the towing speed, anything above that and the trailer starts to take control of events.


Chris


Arctic_Fox_on_Tow_400x300.jpg
 
Blood and sand Chris, that is a massive outfit to tow on the road. Bet it's a bit hairy downhill. What's it like in a crosswind?

So you say it's just about the legal limit for towing, do you back it down slipways. or rely on cranes for launching and recovery? Seems the trailer would have to go a long way into the water to launch it.
 
Chris
Thanks for the reply and piccie !
Im in the early stages of planing this career break.
The alternative would be to buy a boat down in the med, then sell it before my return, but paying two lots of commision isnt very appealing, coupled with the fact that the boats I have seen in the med are very "used".
Well... not sure how im gonna get there yet, but I cant wait !!
James
 
Re: Trailing

Hmmm.......was going to get a trailer for Phaeton but looking at your piccy I am not sure I will now!!! (pretty much the same boat from my understanding of the Antares although I have outdrive to your shaft).

I also have interpreted the regulations to say that I (we) are too wide to tow in Europe although many mag articles about intreped trailers have boats of this width. In the summer months the roads are stuffed with flatbed lorries and their boating cargo heading south rather than trailers.

James, I have towed a 21ft / 2000kg all up weight a couple of times to the Spanish med and enjoyed it, with no problems (touch wood) but I would seriously recomend you buy down there and then either sell or bring back!
 
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To reply to Colin & Ben,

It actually tows like a dream. One has to recognise that with 3 tonnes there is a lot of mass so quick changes of direction are to be avoided, but at 40 mph it is great to tow. It was not until I took this photograph and looked at it afterwards that I realised why everyone stared as I passed.

SBS purpose built me a superb trailer after I had been badly let down by a firm at Willand/Cullompton in Devon. The latter had been pontificating about building it for months and then when I pushed them for it in May they suddenly backed out. So then I went back cap in hand to SBS and their engineering manager Roy was most helpful and had it built for mid July. The only reason why I did not use SBS in the first place is that they were not set up for Internet and email and working offshore I mistakenly thought it would be better to deal with someone I could email. Well I did get lots of nice emails from the other company's secretary, but nobody built the damned trailer. So at the end of the day, good old fashioned telephone calls and a visit to Wolverhampton with photos and sketches of dimensions produced a superb trailer. I would recommend SBS to anyone, strongly built and finished and a high standard of workmanship, before I purchased I was invited to walk round the factory and (as an engineer) inspect anything they made. So a valuable lesson was learned there, a glittering web page does not guarantee good service, whereas a company with a slightly dated outlook can also produce good old fashioned service and quality.

Regarding launching and recovery I have only used the trailer once to bring her home. She was craned onto the trailer and set up which Dickies also made a very good job of, getting the balance spot on, hence it tows so well.

I towed her the 100 miles back from Bangor to Lancashire in just under 4 hours, including a bit of a jam on the M56 because of the Thelwall Viaduct roadworks. I diverted over Runcorn Bridge and through the middle of St Helens with a little trepidation, but need not have worried. Everyone was very polite and the traffic just parted to let me through - either politness or fear - prefer to think the former.

Then once I got out on the Rainford bypass I stopped for the photo and then realised "Jeez it is a bit big!"

The only hairy part was climbing the long steep Ruallt Mountain slope by Prestatyn. Having had years of experience of towing smaller boats I planned it well. Dropped back from all the other traffic just before the hill started then got down into 3rd holding 3000 rpm for max torque. A third of the way up the hill and all was going beautifully, revs holding and still making about 35mph. Then some prat in one of those flatbed Transit transporters with a car on the back, pulling a trailer with a second car on that, wizzed past me. He must have hit the bottom of the hill at 60 and gradually run out of steam. He tucked right in front of me, presumably missed a gear and then we were both down to 1st gear. I then fumed all the remaining 1.5 miles up the mountain at about 10 mph with headlights and horn abusing this prat. Because of the amount of traffic I could not pull out and overtake him so just had to sit behind whilst his clapped old Transit struggled up the hill emitting large clouds of black smoke which made me cough and even angrier. Once I got to the top I pulled into the layby and let the poor old Ssanny cool for a few minutes and my lungs clear of sulphurous soot. I think that is the worst abuse I have ever given that Merc engine, 10 minutes at 10 mph and nearly 4000 rpm in first. Then it was back to a sedate 40 mph tow again. Down the other side of the mountain I just stayed in 4th and gave the occasional touch of the brakes, the overruns on the trailer keeping it all very smooth and straight. At one point down the mountain, through lack of concentration the rig neared 50 mph, then I could feel the trailer about to take control but more extremely gentle braking got it all under control again.

Whilst it is a big rig, everything is properly designed and in new condition so it tows safely. Having once lost a wheel off a manky secondhand 4 wheel trailer and caused mayhem, but fortunately no accident, on the M6 many years ago. I frightened myself sufficiently to immediately go out and buy a brand new trailer, which I used for my last three boats and now had this larger one built for Arctic Fox. Over the years I have never had the slightest difficulty with towing. In fact I used to tow Polar Fox (Skibsplast 700 DHT) at up to 60 mph with no problems. The major key is understanding what one is towing and appreciating the limitations, and also having equipment in tip top condition, both trailer and tow vehicle.

Next season I will try launching into the canal at Tarleton (I never, ever put trailers into salt water) using the boatyard tractor and hope she floats off, otherwise it will be somewhere else for a decent crane.
This trailer is all bunks and no rollers so it would need to float off.

Chris



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Thats one hell of a rig Chris, I'm impressed, but surely it must weigh more than your Sang Sung's recommended max towing weight?
 
I've towed a 24ft Sealine down to the Med several times. The towing is not really a problem in France 'cos you just sit on the motorway at 55mph and let everything overtake you. Problems for me were:
Numerous punctures due I think to trailor manufacturers designing on the limit. Take spare tyres as well as a spare wheel
You will stop over in aires overnight I imagine. These are notorious thieving grounds. Sleep one in the car and one in the boat.
Book ahead for marina space if you are going in the summer.
Consider leaving your boat in the Med when you get there.
have fun
David
 
James,

you might want to pop into <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ppc.org.uk>http://www.ppc.org.uk</A> and ask about towing there on the message board. Over half the club trail their boats, and many have been continental....there's a wealth of experience there. Might be better posting in the new year tho' as many are off for their hols
 
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