Transporting and outboard

[rhhmunro]

Hi all, I'm a newbie, good to be here. I'm in the market for a SIB, probably a Honwave 3.8 or 4 paired with a 15 -20 HP 4 stroke. We live about 400 yards from Chichester harbour so some launching wheels or a trolley will do for everyday use but I was wondering about longer distance trips. We go to Cornwall a few times a year and I'm wondering whether I need to get a road trailer. I'd rather stick it on the car roof as I don't have a towbar and I've been quoted around £800 to fit one to my Golf GTD Estate. That, and the cost of a trailer will add up to a lot of extra bucks. Looking around the forum, I see putting a SIB on the roof is standard practice but I'm wondering how handle the outboard. Could I just put it in the boot?

TIA for advice!

Rob

[Fenlander]

Hi Rob and welcome to the forum. For the past three estate cars we've owned we've travelled a packed SIB up to 3.8m in the estate loadspace together with the outboard, transom wheels, 25l tank and all our other "day out" kit. This is with the back seats still in use. When going on holiday from 2016 onwards we fit a roofbox so we can manage our luggage for two weeks away.

It's a tight pack but we have it down to a fine art and for me far preferable to using a trailer.

The pic below shows our most extreme pack. A 3.4 SIB and a 3.8 SIB in the car with a 15hp OB, two sets of transom wheels, 25l tank + 12l tank, all the boating kit, four lifejackets, wet weather gear and holiday luggage for two weeks... plus another 3.8 SIB on the roof!

David

[Fenlander]

And here is a more normal pack of a 3.6m Zodiac, 15hp Mariner and all the boating kit. The personal luggage for a week away has already been taken out. We pack all that in soft bags so it can more easily pack around the harder boat bits.

Car is a 2009 Citroen C5 tourer which is a bit of a lifestyle estate rather than a monster load carrier so I reckon your Golf would be at least as big.

One of the most important things in all this is getting really good at repacking the SIB into its bag at minimum dimensions.

[rhhmunro]

Thanks for the speedy and very helpful reply David! The outboard seems to fit in very nicely - just have persuade the wife to pack one less suitcase!

R

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by rhhmunro

Thanks for the speedy and very helpful reply David! The outboard seems to fit in very nicely - just have persuade the wife to pack one less suitcase!

R

Best of luck with the suit case I've been trying for 43 years

[Starovich]

we used to fit a 3.8 honwave (inflatable floor) and 20hp outboard in a vw Polo often , and occasionally with camping gear for a week.

[rhhmunro]

Very true! 😉 Any tips on preparing the engine? I can imagine petrol fumes might be an issue if I'm not careful.

[chipko]

No special preparation just lay on side as stated by manufacturer and try to keep powerhead above lower leg.

[Fenlander]

Never really noticed a smell from any OB but tanks (vent open or closed, contents full or empty) seem to smell when left in the car overnight.