Longest Trailable Boat

[TheBiscuits]

7 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

err .... no ... I sold the boat and built an electric one on a fishing launch hull; now moved on to a home designed purpose built one shortly to be launched when the sun comes out again.   Minnkota outboard power.   

 

 

Oddly disappointed ... that steam launch replica with solar roof would have been awesome.

 

MrsBiscuit wouldn't let me buy or build one, but I'd love to see one ...

[peterboat]

5 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

err .... no ... I sold the boat and built an electric one on a fishing launch hull; now moved on to a home designed purpose built one shortly to be launched when the sun comes out again.   Minnkota outboard power.   

 

 

I thought you was using an outboard, I assumed that you had changed to the one in the picture, mind thats a nice boat as well,

[Murflynn]

14 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Oddly disappointed ... that steam launch replica with solar roof would have been awesome.

 

Frolics were sold as standard with electric, option steam, or for real charlatans - diesel.   Mine had been electric, it had previously been bought by a Russian oligarch as a plaything on his country house estate, having been converted to diesel.  Most of those on the Thames are electric, many are for daily hire from their Henley base where they are charged up overnight.  

[peterboat]

10 hours ago, Murflynn said:

Frolics were sold as standard with electric, option steam, or for real charlatans - diesel.   Mine had been electric, it had previously been bought by a Russian oligarch as a plaything on his country house estate, having been converted to diesel.  Most of those on the Thames are electric, many are for daily hire from their Henley base where they are charged up overnight.  

A real shame that spoiled by a clattery diesel

[WotEver]

21 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

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

Coincidentally yesterday I was chatting to a guy who displays a full size replica Spitfire (Supermarine, not Triumph) to shows using a Landy as the tow car. The wings are removable (obviously) but the trailer length is around 10.5m excluding tow hitch. MGW of vehicle and loaded trailer is around the 3.5t limit. He spent a long time with the authorities to obtain a permit to travel but succeeded eventually. He’s limited to motorways or major A roads for the bulk of any journey, plus a 50mph limit, so he can travel whenever he wants, wherever he wants, but must contact local police at his destination prior to departure. 

[cuthound]

When i worked for BT they had a couple of Land Rover Defenders with a conversion to allow them to tow air braked trailers. It increases the maximum trailervweight from 3500kg to 4500kg IIRC. 

[TheBiscuits]

27 minutes ago, cuthound said:

When i worked for BT they had a couple of Land Rover Defenders with a conversion to allow them to tow air braked trailers. It increases the maximum trailervweight from 3500kg to 4500kg IIRC. 

That's what Tony had on his land cruiser, so I suspect he has the same on the ram.

 

Tachograph fitted too of course.

[Iain_S]

7 hours ago, cuthound said:

When i worked for BT they had a couple of Land Rover Defenders with a conversion to allow them to tow air braked trailers. It increases the maximum trailervweight from 3500kg to 4500kg IIRC. 

Provision for 4 bolt ring hitch, plus addition of a compressor and air lines to run air brakes. Has to be done by manufacturer, as it involves a new VIN plate. 

[DHutch]

On 08/06/2019 at 16:34, Tumshie said:

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car

Maximum width

The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. [was 2.3 before 2010]

Maximum length

If your vehicle’s maximum authorised mass (MAM) is 3,500kg or less, you cannot tow a trailer that’s longer than 7 metres.

If your vehicle’s MAM is more than 3,500kg then the maximum lengths are:

12 metres for the trailer towed by the vehicle

18 metres for the vehicle and trailer combined

3.05 metres for how far the load can overhang the back of the trailer (whatever the length of the trailer is)

Maximum lengths do not include the A-frame (the frame that connects your car to the trailer).

 

7+3.05m is 10.05m or 32.9ft which most take as about the limit.

 

But there is potentially some to have the boat overlap the a-frame a little, and or to play the indivisible load game as per gliders, but you have likely run out of weight anyway if talking about a boat, especially if suitable for canal use.

 

Back when trailer width was 2.3m I understand you could add 0.3m overhang each side which took you to 2.9m or 9.5ft which about fits with some other countries too.

If you applied that to the new 2.55m width trailer limit you would get to 3.15m or 10.3ft but I can see very little record of this being used in the UK.

 

Weight is easier and there is plenty of information on that elsewhere online.

 

 

Daniel

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, DHutch said:

Weight is easier and there is plenty of information on that elsewhere online.

 

 

I don't think Tumshie has been on the forum for over 4 years.

[magpie patrick]

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I don't think Tumshie has been on the forum for over 4 years.

True, but I was thinking of this thread the other day, and it being resurrected has saved me looking for it!

[nicknorman]

8 hours ago, DHutch said:

Maximum width

The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. [was 2.3 before 2010]

Maximum length

If your vehicle’s maximum authorised mass (MAM) is 3,500kg or less, you cannot tow a trailer that’s longer than 7 metres.

Daniel

 

This is incorrect, but an often-quoted piece of mis-information. Which is just as well because my glider trailer is 11.5 metres long (10 metres long if you are going to exclude the tow hitch). You are (effectively) quoting from a para in the legislation. The very next para says (paraphrasing) says "unless the trailer is for an indivisible load". Obviously my glider's wings are an "indivisible load" as would be a boat.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Obviously my glider's wings are an "indivisible load" as would be a boat.

 

I was about to comment in the same vein,

 

My Skylark 3C had an 18 mt wingspan which meant that each wing (+ wing root) was about 9.5mts, so the trailer was just over 10mts, excluding the draw bar.

"An indivisible load"

 

 

[jim mitchell]

Don't confuse trailer width with load width , loads can overhang the sides of trailers (with marker boards)  just think of mobile homes / portacabins when being moved  and even wider with police escorts etc etc  - the 2.55 was accepted (i believe) as being the earlier width but allowed for the insulation on refrigerated trailers while retaining the same internal dimensions for pallets etc.

 

Yes I also have grandfather rights and a full class 1  but without fully connected brakes Hydraulic or air I would not drive anything on the roads where the trailer and its load  was more than 1.25 times the towing vehicle mass unless for a very short distance (between a couple of farm gates for instance and with a good reason (eg being about the only practical way of recovering something safely). 

 

As for the OPs post the other consideration is what the access road / s will allow safely  -  it could be a good deal simpler just to state that the refurbished  section has a maximum length limit of say 24 ft ? 5 tons ? (any figures can be chosen) for access and launching  post suitable signs on the approach roads and a disclaimer then refurbish the canal to accommodate those limits and clearly any one longer / wider/ heavier that gets stuck is on their own !

 

 

[DHutch]

On 04/09/2024 at 20:44, nicknorman said:

 

This is incorrect, but an often-quoted piece of mis-information. Which is just as well because my glider trailer is 11.5 metres long (10 metres long if you are going to exclude the tow hitch). You are (effectively) quoting from a para in the legislation. The very next para says (paraphrasing) says "unless the trailer is for an indivisible load". Obviously my glider's wings are an "indivisible load" as would be a boat.

I did refer to indivisible loads, but said, in most applications you'll top out on weight for a boat before getting anywhere near as long a glider.

[nicknorman]

2 minutes ago, DHutch said:

I did refer to indivisible loads, but said, in most applications you'll top out on weight for a boat before getting anywhere near as long a glider.

You did. But it was not explained and rather lost in your seemingly categoric length limitations. Weight might be an issue, it depends on the type of boat.

[Alan de Enfield]

A 25 foot RIB (+ the dimensions of  a 300hp outboard engine + 2mts for the draw bar) weighs just under 2.5 tonnes so is easily towable by a Shogun, Discovery, Transit 350 Van etc

 

Our 23 foot Horsetrailer (with living) weighed 2 tons empty and with a couple of horses + equipment was 3.5 tonnes. We towed it with a Mercedes ML270