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Longest Trailable Boat


magpie patrick

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Okay, simple question, what is the longest boat that can be trailed on a "normal" trailer pulled by a car or van, rather than needing a truck or specialist vehicle?

 

I note that Wilderness Beavers are 23 feet, and I think there is an Atlanta 24 (feet?) but have a vague recollection Sea Otter once produced a 31 foot trailable leviathan.  

 

Subsidiary question - what is the definition I'm looking for, is it pulled on a tow hitch? pulled with a vehicle under a given weight? I would say "ordinary driving licence" but that's less true now

 

The reason I ask is that I'm looking at a restoration scheme where it is very unlikely that there will be a full length boat resident, the canal is isolated and non-standard size anyway. Add to this that as restoration advances winding holes will be needed, but in many cased providing a full size one is problematic and we'd end up with a lot of them, so what size 'ole would be useful? I'm aware there might be a resident trip boat, but that's a different consideration

 

Thank You

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The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. The maximum length for a trailer towed by a vehicle weighing up to 3,500kg is 7 metres.

 

Just be aware of the MAM, the Boat weight, the Trailer weight and the towing vehicle weight.

 

There are some variables for 'indivisible loads' - I use to tow a glider trailer that was almost 9 metres (exc tow-bar)

 

A glider wing or fuselage is considered to be an indivisible load if it cannot practically be divided into two or more sections. A table in Regulation 7 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended, contains the details of the maximum length permitted for various sorts of vehicle and trailer combinations. Item 9 of that table does normally restrict a trailer towed by a vehicle which is not a goods vehicle over 3500 kg GVW to a maximum length of 7m not including the towing hitch arrangements. However regulation 7 (3A) (a) dis-applies the requirements of that table in a number of areas including where a trailer is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of "indivisible loads of exceptional length". In this context "exceptional length" means longer than the regulations would normally permit. This exception would permit a trailer of perhaps 11m length specially constructed to carry indivisible loads such as a glider to be towed by a car or other vehicle which is not a goods vehicle over 3500 kg GVW. Note however that Regulation 7 (5) (b) still limits the length of (i) the towing vehicle to a maximum of 9.2m; and (ii) the length of the towing vehicle and trailer combination to a maximum of 25.9m unless special police notification, escorting and attendant requirements are complied with.

 

It may be worth checking with the Police (who probably will say 7m_ refer them to the above Regulation 7 (3A) (a)

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Thanks Alan, so I can reasonably say that nothing longer than 23 foot is likely to turn up unless it's been craned in. 

 

Edited to add, and that the criterion I was grasping for is "less than 3500kg GVW"

Edited by magpie patrick
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14 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Thanks Alan, so I can reasonably say that nothing longer than 23 foot is likely to turn up unless it's been craned in. 

 

Edited to add, and that the criterion I was grasping for is "less than 3500kg GVW"

Not necessarily.

If a boat is an indivisible load, and the trailer is a 'boat trailer' and the towing vehicle and trailer combined is less than 26m in length, and the towing vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes, it could easily be 'launched' off its trailer by using a slipway.

 

Here is my 33 footer weighing in at 8 tonnes being launched off its trailer.

A 'road-legal' 30 footer would be no problem.

 

 

Joint Venture 1001.jpg

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Not necessarily.

If a boat is an indivisible load, and the trailer is a 'boat trailer' and the towing vehicle and trailer combined is less than 26m in length, and the towing vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes, it could easily be 'launched' off its trailer by using a slipway.

 

Here is my 33 footer weighing in at 8 tonnes being launched off its trailer.

A 'road-legal' 30 footer would be no problem.

 

 

Joint Venture 1001.jpg

That was my suspicion - I'm fairly sure sea otter did a 31 foot trailable boat, and thinking about it someone I know trails rowing eights folded in half which are circa 30 foot. 

 

I don't need to tow them, just design to accommodate them when they get there

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2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Not necessarily.

If a boat is an indivisible load, and the trailer is a 'boat trailer' and the towing vehicle and trailer combined is less than 26m in length, and the towing vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes, it could easily be 'launched' off its trailer by using a slipway.

 

Here is my 33 footer weighing in at 8 tonnes being launched off its trailer.

A 'road-legal' 30 footer would be no problem.

 

 

Joint Venture 1001.jpg

 

 

blimey - those tyres look mighty flat !!

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Sea Otter made trailable boats 26 and 31 feet long. Having a 26 foot one, we have to be careful which slip ways we use. We need one with a long slope into the canal which is not too steep. Otherwise the back of the boat can be under water before it slips off the trailer. While slipways with a "stop" across them don't present too big a problem when launching as the tow vehicle can put the trailer wheel over the stop bar. However slipways with a bar are no use for retrieving as the boat is about a ton and a half heavier when being retrieved (the water ballast can only drain out when the drain hole about half way along the boat is clear of the water). The extra weight means that the tow vehicle may not be able to get the trailer wheels over the bar. 

Haggis 

 

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58 minutes ago, haggis said:

Sea Otter made trailable boats 26 and 31 feet long. Having a 26 foot one, we have to be careful which slip ways we use. We need one with a long slope into the canal which is not too steep. Otherwise the back of the boat can be under water before it slips off the trailer. While slipways with a "stop" across them don't present too big a problem when launching as the tow vehicle can put the trailer wheel over the stop bar. However slipways with a bar are no use for retrieving as the boat is about a ton and a half heavier when being retrieved (the water ballast can only drain out when the drain hole about half way along the boat is clear of the water). The extra weight means that the tow vehicle may not be able to get the trailer wheels over the bar. 

Haggis 

 

Central Boat Haulage apparently managed it with a 32' Sea Otter.  I was surprised when I discovered this picture as this boat is the same as mine and AFAIK even without the ballast it would be over 3 tonnes. 

 

Sea%20Otter%20S32.jpg

 

(I thought this was actually my boat (under previous ownership) when I first saw the photo but the window detail is slightly different.)

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10 minutes ago, haggis said:

I wasn't quite sure what the length of the centre cockpit sea otters was. Iain reckons that our 26 foot one is about 3 tons on the trailer. 

 

haggis

It's surprisingly difficult to get accurate information as to the weight of Sea Otters, but there was a guy who took his 27 footer to a weighbridge and it tipped the scales at 4000kg completely dry. 

 

On my Certificate of Conformity is states the "displacement" as 6500 kg but the LOA as 12.5 metres which is 41 feet.  I don't believe that is the actual "displacement" but it could be about right for the dry weight I reckon, so my 32 footer is somewhere between 3500 and 6500kg - too heavy for the set up in that picture anyway. 

 

The hull shape of Sea Otters makes it difficult to do a rough calculation unlike a box shaped narrowboat where you can get a good idea of displacement just by measuring the draught.  

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Its very likely the weight limit (3500kg towed, including trailer) would be reached before the length limit - for normal-width motor boats. Obviously for rowing boats they weigh much less, but are longer.

 

The length limit for a trailer is normally 7m but there is an exemption for "indivisible loads" and also the load/boat can overhang the trailer. Also the trailer can have a slide-out section so it doesn't exceed the length limit when is not carrying an extra-long boat. For example a lot of rowing boat trailers are 7m when retracted but can slide out to handle longer boats without the load (boat) overhang) being too great. And they can (and do) overhang the front, over the tow hitch and vehicle, too. There are exemptions in law for (racing) rowing boats though, so you can't just apply them to other boats or loads. See https://www.britishrowing.org/upload/files/RowSafe/FurtherGuidance/RowingBoatGuidance.pdf

 

Info is sparse, but it appears that the 27' Sea Otter is 3400kg gross (including trailer); and that the 31' and 32' (and bigger) are definitely over the 3.5t limit.

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Its maybe 'grandfather rights' but on my 'car' licence I am licenced to drive a C1E

 

C1 = vehicle between 3500kg &  7500kg

CIE =  drive a C1 vehicle and a trailer with a combined weight of 12,000KG

 

So I can easily drive a vehicle weighing 6 tonnes & tow a (say) 6,000 kg laden trailer.

 

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You probably have 107 C1E restriction (GVW max 8250kg). http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=97429 Since the towing vehicle would need a GVW > 3500kg to be able to tow >3500kg, then you'd need to find one with GVW 3501kg, the appropriate coupling and trailer brake connections, even then the GVW of the trailer would need to be (plated and not loaded more than) 4749kg to be within the limits of your licence.

 

Your 'average' 7.5 tonner (typically 7490kg GVW, and the bottom of the range of a truck the next step up from vans like the Sprinter/Transit etc) would leave that towing limit at 750kg.

 

Even something like a Merc Sprinter or Ford Transit >3500kg is going to be 4000kg or 4500kg or whatever, so its not leaving much margin for that trailer to be heavier than 3.5t. And there's the issue of the coupling and brakes.

 

Do you know what kind of coupling you need for towing >3500kg?

Edited by Paul C
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8 minutes ago, Paul C said:

Not in the UK you can't!

I can't tow on a ring hitch , or I can't drive/tow a combination weight of 31 tonnes, or are you questioning the brakes ? 

 

Hydraulic brakes are accepted up to 14 tonnes trailer weight, and above that if they provide 25%+ breaking efficiency.

Above 14 tonnes and air brakes are always considered acceptable.

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1 minute ago, Paul C said:

It looks like you're guessing (badly).

As you seem to be unwilling, or unable, to explain why I cannot do what the Government website (and the NFU and my driving licence) says I can do, I have no option but to guess at what you are suggesting.

Maybe you could stop playing games and tell me why I cannot ?

 

Tractor_trailer_weight_legislation_infographic_Main.png

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6 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Not necessarily.

If a boat is an indivisible load, and the trailer is a 'boat trailer' and the towing vehicle and trailer combined is less than 26m in length, and the towing vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes, it could easily be 'launched' off its trailer by using a slipway.

 

Here is my 33 footer weighing in at 8 tonnes being launched off its trailer.

A 'road-legal' 30 footer would be no problem.

 

 

Joint Venture 1001.jpg

No mudguards on that trailer. I was once done £10 and an endorcement for towing a four wheel car trailer with a Land Rover on the M2 by the Kent Cops' One mudguard was missing which sprayed the cops car Catherine wheel style as it over took me in pouring rain.

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15 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

Thanks Alan, so I can reasonably say that nothing longer than 23 foot is likely to turn up unless it's been craned in. 

 

Edited to add, and that the criterion I was grasping for is "less than 3500kg GVW"

Tony Anderson tows boats up to 30ft.

 

Ours is 25ft and has been on his trailer.

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9 hours ago, bizzard said:

No mudguards on that trailer. I was once done £10 and an endorcement for towing a four wheel car trailer with a Land Rover on the M2 by the Kent Cops' One mudguard was missing which sprayed the cops car Catherine wheel style as it over took me in pouring rain.

mudguards are not required if the load extends over the wheels.

of course you can't drive a trailer with no mudguards if there is no load.

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1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

Tony Anderson tows boats up to 30ft.

 

Ours is 25ft and has been on his trailer.

Now that first figure is interesting - a professional "tower" has a limit of 30 feet. 

 

What I'm trying to do is work out the maximum length of boat that is LIKELY to visit an isolated canal about 4 miles long, yes someone might crane a GU Town Class in but that isn't "likely", but it looks like I should think in terms of 30-31 feet. 

 

As an aside, can I have his contact details please? Juno is looking for adventures... :) 

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