 sj |
||
|
||
BS: a trailer for our rowboat?
|
|
|
Subject: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 07 Sep 15 - 11:23 AM For many years, my Dear Husband (DH) and I have enjoyed taking our 13-foot wooden rowboat on local rivers and lakes. We have used a boat pole and a dolley, and we've carried to boat to the water on top of our car. It's getting to the point where lifting the boat up in the air is too hard and too dangerous. I think it would be nice to buy a small trailer, rent a storage space, and keep the boat on it. However, the DH says that trailers are awful to drive. I wonder if he didn't just have bad equipment or old-fashioned equipment when he tried it. That would have been years ago. Does anybody have any insights on this? We're not talking the Rocky Mountains here, just nice Midwestern landscapes, although we do have steep hills sometimes. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Richard Bridge Date: 07 Sep 15 - 01:06 PM Boat trailers are very light compared to what the British call caravans and USAians call "trailers". Even with a small boat on you hardly know they are there in terms of weight. They are usually longer than what we in the UK call "camping trailers" and lord knows what you USAians call them but they are MUCH smaller than a typical U-haul. Therefore reversing is less "hair-trigger" on the turn. I collected a sailing dinghy from Nottingham (180 miles from me) for a friend and later took it to South Yorkshire (about 300 miles) and it was no hassle at all behind - first time a little Skoda Felicia 1600 estate and - second time Volvo 740 GLT (the facelift twin cam not the shovel-front turbo). So I say "easy-peasy", do it! Unless you drive something stupid like a "Smart Car". |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Richard Bridge Date: 07 Sep 15 - 01:08 PM PS - use European-style ball hitch and towbar, and do not go over a trailer and-boat weight of a European ton (2240 lbs). |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,Ian Date: 07 Sep 15 - 04:00 PM We travelled all over UK with a sailing dinghy on a trailer. It was really easy. On the trailer we had the boat sat on a launching trolley. The launching trolley then went straight onto the back of the road trailer with no lifting of the boat needed.. The road trailer and launching trolley were sold as a single unit. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Bonzo3legs Date: 07 Sep 15 - 04:10 PM That's funny, we call them rowing boats in the UK! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,DaveRo Date: 07 Sep 15 - 04:27 PM I too have trailed a sailing dinghy all over the UK. The only problem is if you forget it's there ... and then reverse the car. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: EBarnacle Date: 07 Sep 15 - 04:51 PM Backing up takes a bit of practice but it's worth it. There are plenty of good aluminum ones available inexpensively. Make sure to get a ball and socket connection and pay to have someone install the electricals for the trailer. That way, there's a chance you won't wipe out the car's electricals. If you go to U-Haul or its equivalent, they can install everything at once. Make sure you buy the correct ball. By the way, anyone care to buy a classic Old Town Otca canoe, 1926, in prime condition? My shoulders are shot and Lady Hillary and I can no longer paddle. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,# Date: 07 Sep 15 - 04:59 PM http://www.etrailer.com/faq-hitch-ball.aspx |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: gnu Date: 07 Sep 15 - 05:17 PM "However, the DH says that trailers are awful to drive." "Backing up takes a bit of practice but it's worth it." To me, it's obvious. DH has a problem with backing up so, as was said, practice makes perfect. BUT! It's far more than that. Oft, a DH would ask someone to guide them in whilst positioning the ball under the receiver. If the guide did not know what s/he is doing, it would become a NIGHTMARE said DH. Seriously. I had a buddy of 40+ years old who would guide me in. Simple job, eh? No. I would follow all of his directions and, time after time, be motioned to go ahead and then back up again for another go. This happened during several hitch-ups. Finally, I said to him, "Fuck off. Go away from me before I run you the fuck over. I will do it myself." I did so by carefully aligning everything visually and moving only a few feet at a time, stopping and getting out to assess my progress. I got to the point where I only had to get out of the weehicle once. If you can successfully guide in your DH within two tries, fine. If not, you can either let him do it alone or get the fuck run over. >;-) Or, get a back-up cam. I hear the remote ones are not very reliable and tend to fail often. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 07 Sep 15 - 06:34 PM "That's funny, we call them rowing boats in the UK!" Our boats don't do any rowing, we have to do it for them. Usually a friend and I row, and the DH sits on the stern with a canoe paddle and does the steering. He has the harder job. ========= Thanks for all the info. Keep it coming. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Gurney Date: 07 Sep 15 - 07:09 PM What everyone said. It's easy going forward, so easy you can forget about it, but reversing takes some practice, particularly down a narrow launching ramp. Guest Ian pointed out the easiest, if rather elaborate idea, a launching trolly, a lightweight frame-with-wheels which rolls up onto the roadable trailer. This only works for lightweight boats, like yours, though. Usual solution to your problem (here) is to modify a small open trailer with an extendible towbar and cut-outs to take the boat hull. for storage, they reverse the slide-in 'gates' and store the boat upside-down on top. Or just have a cover made. Reversing a trailer means that you have to think in terms of moving the towball/hitch from side to side, which means the car's front wheels are on the wrong end of the rig. Some people with heavy boats put another towball on the front of the car. Or just unhitch and manually manoeuvre separately. Always remember that you need a weight of about 40lbs or more on the car's towball, or the trailer will 'wag the dog.' |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: cnd Date: 07 Sep 15 - 09:55 PM Richard Bridge, most "USAians" call what you call "camping trailers" "pop-ups" or "pop-up campers." Or exactly what you called it. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Richard Bridge Date: 08 Sep 15 - 01:24 AM Thank you cnd but no I didn't mean a folding caravan. A "camping trailer" (English English) is a very small box, usually no more than four feet square and often smaller, probably two feet deep or less, with two tiny wheels, usually on 4.00*8 tyres and a short drawbar usually no more than three feet (the bit sticking out from the box) and sometimes less. Many examples here - http://www.idealprice.co.uk/compare.html?q=trailers-camping&ort=Camping-Trailers-Sale&adid=iaCkp56lxJ6inM%2FJkIWklMrOyKOlWdDNoHSToNHL0Zhfh9PDzJ2XpdSI1m6ZlNbViZSalNOfxg%3D%3D&adver=3&gclid=CISr8YDZ5scCFRQTGwod6YUDTw |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,Nominal Date: 08 Sep 15 - 03:29 AM folding trailer As graceful as those Gum trees and stows away nicely too. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Joe Offer Date: 08 Sep 15 - 03:46 AM I see a lot of small boat trailers and other small trailers that sway from side to side at freeway speeds, often making the tow car hard to drive. Bigger trailers seem to be more stable. For that size, I think you'd be better off buying a lightweight aluminum boat you can lift onto the roof of your car. Many moons ago when I was a boating instructor, I had an aluminum rowboat I could lift by myself, and it was very fast in the water. Eventually I got a small motor for it, so I could tow kids in quickly when a storm was approaching. I'd clamp the boats gunwale to gunwale, and head in with two boats on each side of me. -Joe- |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Richard Bridge Date: 08 Sep 15 - 06:55 AM First, there is usually a separate speed limit for trailers, a bit lower than the one for vehicles without trailers. Most of the USA has the double nickel and at 55 no trailer should be unstable. Get the noseweight right, possibly use a stabiliser, use a sensible towcar - there should be no noticeable effect. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 08 Sep 15 - 01:23 PM Thanks for the thoughts on trailer sway, Joe and Richard. Richard, the speed limit has been higher than 55 for many years. The DH built our two wooden boats himself, with a little help from me. Going to aluminum would be almost irreligious. Besides,the boats are already light enough to lift. The problem is not weight, it's footing, balance, rocks underfoot, hip replacement, short friends, bad backs, etc. If, by "lightweight alumininum boat" you mean a canoe, we don't believe in canoes. They are unstable. Also rowing is much easier on the body than paddling. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Gurney Date: 08 Sep 15 - 03:27 PM Joe, that sway is what I mean about the Tail Wagging the Dog. On the other hand, a boat on the roof is something of a highway hazard too, particularly with lighter cars. Leeneia, many lighter boats, and particularly in Oz and NZ, are made from aluminium. Or aluminum, if you prefer. See Nomimal's post for one. They are so light that rowing them against the wind is hard work.I remember once..... the next land was Asia! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: cnd Date: 08 Sep 15 - 06:22 PM Richard, I'm coming up largely blank for what you're talking about. Maybe a small cargo trailer, or more likely a lockable lid trailer. Honestly, I've never seen what you're talking about, nor heard people talk about one. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: EBarnacle Date: 08 Sep 15 - 08:35 PM Leeneia. not to start this thread down a different path but canoes are perfectly safe. It's those who don't know what they are doing who are dangerous. One of the big dangers of any canoe is people who insist on sitting on the "seats" when they have balance issues or the wind or sea are up. Low center of gravity improves stability in any boat. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Richard Bridge Date: 08 Sep 15 - 10:22 PM Maybe the USA simply does no have what the UK calls "camping trailers". But in any event they are not the same as what we call folding caravans or trailer tents. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Richard Bridge Date: 08 Sep 15 - 10:30 PM I stand corrected on the absolute generality of the double nickel - but quite a few states do have a maximum speed limit for towing of 55 - http://www.onlinetowingguide.com/pdfs/StateTowingLaws.pdf And also quite a few US roads are subject to the double nickel anyway - Wikipedia saith " A speed limit of 30 mph in urban areas and 35 mph on unpaved rural roads is enforced. The speed limit for county paved roads is 45 mph. All other 2 lane roads are limited to 55 mph. The interstate limit is 70 mph while other 4 lane highways are limited to 65 mph." |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Stanron Date: 08 Sep 15 - 10:38 PM I like boating of all sorts but have not imbibed for many years due to age and such stuff. I've had sailing boats, rowing boats and canoes and enjoyed them all. Perhaps my most magical moment was canoeing past Glasson dock gates at low tide many years ago. One of my regrets is that most of my boating pleasures were solitary. Leeneia it's good to hear that your boating pleasures are shared. Best wishes. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 09 Sep 15 - 12:54 AM The DH is beginning to think that maybe he could tolerate a trailer of some kind. I've suggested we rent one, and he could try it out. We have had some wonderful experiences - the Everglades, in Mississippi, among the waterlilies in the backwaters of the Mississippi in Wisconsin. In Ireland we rented a boat on a calm, reedy lake and came across a beautiful, white swan. It wasn't afraid at all, simply resumed floating, while the weak, daylit moon passed overhead. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: a trailer for our rowboat? From: Joe Offer Date: 09 Sep 15 - 04:38 PM I used to think a canoe was a great place for a hot date, but then I married a woman who kept dropping her end of the canoe when we'd load it on the cartop. This was very hard on my body - and on the car. I'll keep her, though. She's good for other things... [Herself read this post and gave it her Imprimatur.] |
