That boat on the A9 ...

[TheBiscuits]

Charity worker given seven penalty points after his canal boat fell off his trailer and onto the A9.

 

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/1616587/charity-worker-given-seven-penalty-points-after-his-canal-boat-fell-off-his-trailer-and-onto-the-a9/

[Paul C]

So it was overweight after all....

[Alan de Enfield]

16 minutes ago, Paul C said:

So it was overweight after all....

Was there ever any doubt ?

Not many narrowboats would weight under 2.5 tonnes (assuming the trailer weighed somewhere under 1 tonne)

[Naughty Cal]

22 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Was there ever any doubt ?

Not many narrowboats would weight under 2.5 tonnes (assuming the trailer weighed somewhere under 1 tonne)

Indeed. 

 

Our boat is very close to the limit!

[Paul C]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Was there ever any doubt ?

Not many narrowboats would weight under 2.5 tonnes (assuming the trailer weighed somewhere under 1 tonne)

Yes there was doubt, it was an aluminium Sea Otter. Unfortunately at the time it was initially reported, 3 threads started on here and they don't seem to have been merged into one at the time. I found 1/3 of the previous threads but can't find the others. I think the boat was something like 2.8-3 tons so depending on the trailer, would have been very near to the 3.5t limit - which side of it I didn't know then (but the latest reports suggests its over).

[cereal tiller]

3 minutes ago, Paul C said:

Yes there was doubt, it was an aluminium Sea Otter. Unfortunately at the time it was initially reported, 3 threads started on here and they don't seem to have been merged into one at the time. I found 1/3 of the previous threads but can't find the others. I think the boat was something like 2.8-3 tons so depending on the trailer, would have been very near to the 3.5t limit - which side of it I didn't know then (but the latest reports suggests its over).

I wonder if some Ballast water got trapped in the Boat?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Paul C said:

Yes there was doubt, it was an aluminium Sea Otter. Unfortunately at the time it was initially reported, 3 threads started on here and they don't seem to have been merged into one at the time. I found 1/3 of the previous threads but can't find the others. I think the boat was something like 2.8-3 tons so depending on the trailer, would have been very near to the 3.5t limit - which side of it I didn't know then (but the latest reports suggests its over).

My trailer that is designed to carry up to 2.5 tonnes weighs 1 tonne 'empty'.

It was very similar with my boat trailer.

 

Any 'lighter' and it is not strong enough to take the weight 'bouncing' about.

[Tumshie]

He's very lucky he only got 7 points and a £500 fine. 

[jonathanA]

I suspect there are a lot of younger drivers who don’t realise there licence only allows them to tow upto 750kgs. Can’t remember when it changed, no doubt to come in line with the namby pamby Europeans.

[Tumshie]

2 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

I suspect there are a lot of younger drivers who don’t realise there licence only allows them to tow upto 750kgs. Can’t remember when it changed, no doubt to come in line with the namby pamby Europeans.

I got the impression for a while that they thought they couldn't tow anything, not realising they could but only up to a certain weight before they had to take a trailer test. I think now it's been out for a good few years people are more aware. 

[ditchcrawler]

This

[Cheshire cat]

I thought the whole point of the smaller Sea Otters was that you could put them on a trailer and tow them. This begs the question what with?

[Tumshie]

1 minute ago, Cheshire cat said:

I thought the whole point of the smaller Sea Otters was that you could put them on a trailer and tow them. This begs the question what with?

? Fastrac

 

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Cheshire cat said:

I thought the whole point of the smaller Sea Otters was that you could put them on a trailer and tow them. This begs the question what with?

 

I thought this too. Why on earth else would someone pay the insane price of a tiny Sea Otter otherwise?

 

Maybe they just scrape under the max towing weight with empty fuel and water tanks, and without 200kg of domestic stuff in the cupboards e.g. crockery, bedding, food, clothes, coal, etc etc etc....

[cereal tiller]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I thought this too. Why on earth else would someone pay the insane price of a tiny Sea Otter otherwise?

 

Maybe they just scrape under the max towing weight with empty fuel and water tanks, and without 200kg of domestic stuff in the cupboards e.g. crockery, bedding, food, clothes, coal, etc etc etc....

If the Boat had been Craned onto the Trailer as opposed to being winched up onto itthere may have been some residual Ballast Water trapped within the Ballast Chamber which could cause Instability on the road journey.Especially if the Boat Travelled Nose Down.Weed/Mud Ingress into the Ballast Chamber could also trap water?

[MtB]

1 minute ago, cereal tiller said:

If the Boat had been Craned onto the Trailer as opposed to being winched up onto itthere may have been some residual Ballast Water trapped within the Ballast Chamber which could cause Instability on the road journey.Especially if the Boat Travelled Nose Down.Weed/Mud Ingress into the Ballast Chamber could also trap water?

 

Ballast chamber? 

 

Sea Otters have water ballast tanks? This is ringing a bell now. The tanks are supposed to be emptied to squeeze under the towing weight limit IIRV (vaguely.)

[haggis]

Iain towed our 26 foot Sea Otter with a LWB 110 Defender and we travelled as light as possible. Bought food and booze at our destination, used caravan type crockery, stored anything of any weight in the Landy and we didn't need coal as we don't have a fire ? . When we bought Gamebird, that was the only size they made but then they started making 30/31 footers which they also sold as being towable but  we had our doubts. 

It was a very useful boat for us as it enabled us to attend every opening event on the Lowland canals and we took her down south and attended several IWA Festivals . I keep saying we should sell her as we do all our boating on kelpie now but Iain is reluctant to part with her as she carries so much history - the first narrow boat to boat the full length of the Forth and Clyde canal, the first narrow boat to cruise the Crinan canal , she has cruised the length of the Caledonian, she has attended a Festival of the Sea , she was the only narrow boat to take part in the 250 boat cruise up the Clyde for the Commonwealth Flotilla and we have had a lot of fun with her. 

 

Haggis

[Tumshie]

5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Ballast chamber? 

 

Sea Otters have water ballast tanks? This is ringing a bell now. The tanks are supposed to be emptied to squeeze under the towing weight limit IIRV (vaguely.)

I think Haggis and Iain said they tow theirs, I know they've had it on the Caley.

 

Crossed post Just as Haggis replied. ?

Edited November 25, 2018 by Tumshie

[cereal tiller]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Ballast chamber? 

 

Sea Otters have water ballast tanks? This is ringing a bell now. The tanks are supposed to be emptied to squeeze under the towing weight limit IIRV (vaguely.)

I would say Ballast Chamber as opposed to Tanks as it is one compartment with baffles.have not seen the Sea otter one but it is a similar Principle to the Avon Sea Rider Ribs as it is a Displacement craft when static as water is allowed to flood the Ballast Chamber ,this water leaves Via a hole in the Transom when the Boat gains forward Motion.on the sea otter a vent has to be opened when removal of ballast water is Required.was the Vent left shut?

[haggis]

5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Ballast chamber? 

 

Sea Otters have water ballast tanks? This is ringing a bell now. The tanks are supposed to be emptied to squeeze under the towing weight limit IIRV (vaguely.)

Yes there is a ballast tank and when launched she floats high till the tank fills when the level drops about 6 inches. 

Haggis

1 minute ago, cereal tiller said:

I would say Ballast Chamber as opposed to Tanks as it is one compartment with baffles.have not seen the Sea otter one but it is a similar Principle to the Avon Sea Rider Ribs as it is a Displacement craft when static as water is allowed to flood the Ballast Chamber ,this water leaves Via a hole in the Transom when the Boat gains forward Motion.on the sea otter a vent has to be opened when removal of ballast water is Required.was the Vent left shut?

The water will still drain out even if the vent (on the bows) is left shut it will just take longer.  Same with filling with water when launched. If the vent cap is closed, it just takes longer for the ballast chamber to fill. 

haggis

[cereal tiller]

3 minutes ago, haggis said:

Yes there is a ballast tank and when launched she floats high till the tank fills when the level drops about 6 inches. 

Haggis

The water will still drain out even if the vent (on the bows) is left shut it will just take longer.  Same with filling with water when launched. If the vent cap is closed, it just takes longer for the ballast chamber to fill. 

haggis

Thanks ,Understood , I was was wondering what would occur if the Boat where craned onto the Trailer where it rode slightly Nose down.so you are saying the the Vent Cap is not 100% sealed when in the closed position?have never seen the Sea Otter arrangement only the High speed R.I.B. ones.

[haggis]

9 minutes ago, cereal tiller said:

Thanks ,Understood , I was was wondering what would occur if the Boat where craned onto the Trailer where it rode slightly Nose down.so you are saying the the Vent Cap is not 100% sealed when in the closed position?have never seen the Sea Otter arrangement only the High speed R.I.B. ones.

No he vent cap has a small hole in it. I hadn't thought about the boat being craned onto a trailer and being nose down but from memory, the hull slopes slightly towards the stern so any water would probably find its way out. 

The opening in the hull through which the water comes in and out is about half way along the boat but she floats level when the tank is full

haggis

Edited November 25, 2018 by haggis

[cereal tiller]

1 minute ago, haggis said:

No he vent cap has a small hole in it. I hadn't thought about the boat being craned onto a trailer and being nose down but from memory, the hull slopes slightly towards the stern so any water would probably find its way out. 

 

haggis

Thanks ,I wondered how easy it would be for Mud/Slurry/ Weed to get into the Exit Orifice and remain within the Ballast Chamber.

 if there Boat were in a Tidal Estuary or similar.if it then Swilled around on the Highway it could create instability.

The Driver of the Rig seemed Competant and Skilled ,just wondered how the Mishap Occurred.

[Paul C]

I'm confused - I was curious of the weight of a Sea Otter, so I Googled it and it says adults are between 14 and 45kg? I'll keep looking......

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, cereal tiller said:

 

The Driver of the Rig seemed Competant and Skilled ,just wondered how the Mishap Occurred.

 

 

I reckon we was just going too fast and it started fish-tailing. All the waffle about the turbulence of a lorry passing then hitting a potholes was just that. Waffle.