We're building a microsite that will hopefully be a useful resource for information about towing your boat. In order to make sure we don't miss a trick I'm here to ask you what problems you encounter when towing so we can provide useful advice. Input much appreciated, any towing-related thoughts at all!
Problems are snatching in a sea when the towed boat starts to surf down a wave
helm of towed boat not steering to your transom
towing through congested waters - others are not always aware or considerate
Then, if the towed boat is disabled (no power of its own) then there is the problem of getting the towed boat onto a mooring or into a berth....
Oh ... not _THAT_ sort of towing!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
How long a list did you want ?? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
We had a MacGregor 26X so 1.5 tonnes of boat on a single axle trailer, approx 29 feet long (including raised outboard and hitch part of trailer) and over 9 feet high at the highest point of the supported mast.
Trailer tyre puncture on motorway requiring use of 2 ton jack to change wheel
Trailer wheel bearings seized after trailer stood in carpark while we were away for two weeks on boat - discovered many breakdown people can't cope with this, need a specific mobile mechanic with gigantic press in back of van
Handbrake seized on whilst we were away for 3 days - leave it off and use wheel lock to secure trailer
Know how to deal with fish-tailing (and how to load boat/car to try to prevent this happening in the first place)
Salt water and boat trailers don't mix very well. Let trailer bearings cool down for as long as possible after towing before putting the trailer/boat into the water (also applies to launching in lakes or rivers). Rinse / hose down trailer and back of car/rear wheels / brakes as thoroughly as possible after every immersion in the sea.
Practise manoeuvering your trailer in tight spaces, including reversing BEFORE you go anywhere, preferably without the boat on the trailer!
If you get stuck when reversing, don't be afraid to get out of the car, unhitch the boat and manoeuvre the trailer manually into a better position before reattaching it. Better a few minutes hard work than jack knifing the trailer and possibly damaging car and/or boat
Ditto if you don't know the last part of your route to your launching point. Leave the boat and trailer somewhere safe, drive to the launch point to have a good look around, then go back for the boat knowing what you are dealing with.
1. let the bearings cool. too many times have I seen the weekend crown roar up and dump the boat straight into the water, 30 seconds later, the trailor wheels stop going round !
2. Carry a spare wheel for the trailer - they don't all come with one as standard.
Carry a spare wheel for the trailer - they don't all come with one as standard.
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A jack is useful also, many car jacks may be unsuitable to lift the trailer, as they are specifically designed to work with that make of car. When we towed regularly a spare wheel and jack were essential, used in anger at least twice in 10 years.
Another point make sure the spare is correctly inflated. To slickly change the wheel on the trailer, lower the jack and find you have a flat spare is unfortunate. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
It is even worse when you find you have to leave your trailer and drive miles to find an all night garage with a working air line.
Hi Dan. Nearly every tow I've done has been when staffing MBM cruises in company, the most being 5 tows in one cruise! We used a long (50 m absolute minimum to absorb the snatches and effects of swell etc) 24mm (or was it 28mm?) octoplait (which can stretch) rope, double bowlined to a strop on Calm Voyager. The strop was cleated from mid ships to the aft cleat on both sides (to spread the load) and looped loosely across the transom (but not over it).
We would approach the vessel to be towed, asking them to fix a tow strop from their midship's cleat to the bow cleat, with a small 'dangle under the bow an back to the cleats on the other side.
We would throw the end of the tow line which would be tied by another double bowline to the loop. Essential the loop is under the anchor and any pulpit, for obvious reasons!
The crew member in charge of the tow line would slowly let the tow rope out as Calm Voyager gently went ahead so the rope would not entangle in the props.
Thoughts would then be about the max speed through the water, the fact that Calm Voyager may well have a heading very different from the track due to the towing, hoisting the appropriate signals for towing / restricted in ability / broadcasting on Ch 16, etc etc. Other thoughts would be that the towed vessel can be very uncomfortable to be in, so what the crew to remain on board.
When nearing port, reducing the tow to an alongside tow (and knowing how to do it).
Lastly, any action needed to stop the windmilling of the prop(s). That means the skipper needs to know his engines / gearboxs.
My old boat, an Impala, allegedly cut off power to a village, due to taking out overhead lines. It wasn't over the max height for the road, but due to the non-flat topography of the road, the end of the mast must have been rather higher at one point.
Also be very careful with weight. Your boat will accumulate weight, from many small items added, and if the police put you on a weighbridge, you may be surprised.
I only tow dinghies now, but I'm very careful with tying down, after a near miss when I was young!
Also, take a good look at your tyres, I once had a real scare with a trailer blowout, nearly had the car off the road, I was only doing about 25mph luckily!
Buy some spare bearings, they're not hard to change sometimes, if you have a hammer and a few old screwdrivers.
Check all your lights with the trailer board alongside the car, before hanging on the back!
When I get around to it I will paint the mudguards white, as they are wider than the car, and not easy to watch in the mirror at night.
HTH
Towing
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