lighting boards

dougal_22 · 19 February 2011, 16:08

hi all

i need a bit of advise in regards to lighting boards
my transom in level with the ends of the bunks
and my trailer board is bellow the bunks but i have
heard that the lighting board must be infront of
the outboard also my tubes extend possibly about
1 ft past the trailer end, so my question is do i
need to move my trailer board in front of the engine

regards
dougal

Hightower · 19 February 2011, 18:12

I don't know what the regulations state, but I've had mine behind the outboard and tubes ever since I've trailered boats and never had a problem with the law. Providing the lights and number plate aren't obscured by the outboard leg I reckon you'll be OK. Don't forget the Prop bag however

PeterM · 19 February 2011, 18:16

What Andy said

I used mine for the first time in years last week ( it even all worked ! ) . Skeg sticks out 3feet from back of boat when tilted for towing , lighting board is maybe in line with the transom .......

I do have a very bright prop bag fitted as I'd hate to think what damage it couild do if hit from behind ( let alone the damage to the boat).

Nasher · 19 February 2011, 20:12

I've done thousands of miles with mine set up as the image below, and despite not being completely legal I've never been stopped.

A police motorcyclist once spent a couple of miles alongside checking the rig out going down the A31 and just waved when he finaly overtook us.

Nasher.

Shaz · 20 February 2011, 22:26

May be having a blonde moment but what's not legal about that picture? The protruberance is clearly marked (prop bag), not obscuring the number plate, and less than 2m long (probably less than a metre), and the board is less than a metre up from the original one.

I thought this was pretty much the best practice ?

GordyP · 22 February 2011, 14:03

Mmm, I always strap the board to the A Frame simply because I reckoned it was most visible there. Should i have it lower than this then?

9D280 · 22 February 2011, 14:17

I'm thinking (and have always done) same as Shaz - namely that the outboard is a protrusion, and so must be marked as such. if it's less than 1M, problem solved.

I have a similar towing setup to Nasher, and have never been stopped.

Also if you are keeping it strictly legal, the tail lights need to be less than a certain height off the road, (1.5 m rings a bell?) although as can be seen from busses & vans, the rear number plate can be pretty much anywhere on the back of the vehicle, as long as it's illuminated.

dougal_22 · 22 February 2011, 18:54

i shall post a picture of my situation and ask for peoples opinions

Nasher · 22 February 2011, 21:17

On my set up the prop bag is well over 1m from the numberplate, and of course it's not just the engine and prop that stick out, but the tube cones as well.

However, the biggest issue is that from directly behind, and in a good arc either side at least part of the numberplate is obscured at all times unless you are laying on the floor.
From behind the wheel of a following car directly behind only the first and last letters of the nunmberplate are visible.

Nasher.

bosun · 22 February 2011, 23:22

I think the ideal situation (which is not what I do incidentally !) would be to have extension bars on the trailer which put the lighting board behind the engine leg,that way the lights are at a similar height to an unladen trailer and you might not actually legally require a prop bag? as the prop is technically inside the circumferance of the trailer.
That's what our newest trailer has got anyway.

Nasher · 22 February 2011, 23:41

Bosun

I have the trailer board on home made adjustable bars which slide in and out of the end of the trailer Chassis(like Indespensions but 1/10th of the cost). I did consider making some very long ones but realised they would be so long that they would bounce up and down quite a bit.

One can be seen in the image below painted Yellow.
I slide them in for launching, but as you can see, even to get the board by the Transom they are quite long.

Agreed, in theory if the board was behind the prop you wouldn't need a bag.

Nasher.

AVONMON · 23 February 2011, 09:22

Hi, I thought the main reason for the bag was for personnel protection particularly pedestrian public, from racing sharp props and skegs. Hi Viz alerting their eyes to the obstical !

Nasher · 23 February 2011, 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVONMON

Hi, I thought the main reason for the bag was for personnel protection particularly pedestrian public, from racing sharp props and skegs. Hi Viz alerting their eyes to the obstical !

In practical terms that's it's main use, but it is also a legal rquirement to have anything sticking out the back of a vehicle or trailer marked.

Nasher

bosun · 23 February 2011, 17:56

Nasher
Agreed .The bigger the boat the less practical extended lightboards are,even the one on our 5m trailer grounds sometimes when reversing up a slope.
Just out of interest are there two more wheel clamps on the other side too?
Where do you holiday, Liverpool?

Nasher · 23 February 2011, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosun

Just out of interest are there two more wheel clamps on the other side too?
Where do you holiday, Liverpool?

Nope, just the two on that side

I used to use just one, lost the keys for it whilst it was off, so went out and brought another one, then found the keys for the first one

I figured that seeing as I had two I'd use them as it would be better than one.

Nasher.

CJL · 24 February 2011, 22:38

Lightboards technically should be attached to the trailer not the load.

If you have the extension bars for your lightboard you avoid having to comply the rules about over hanging loads.

Chris

bosun · 28 February 2011, 22:07

Benefits of being old:-
You can tow pretty much anything on your car licence
You can insure any car you fancy
Old birds look fit,their daughters look extremely fit
'cos you've been grafting for longer than everyone else has been alive you're generally considered to be loaded
When you bought your first house it cost less than the car that your currently driving
You remember when you didn't know how much petrol was
When you talk to a fit young girlie in a bar you ask her mums name in case you're her dad
You quite fancy getting a Harley
etc

bosun · 28 February 2011, 22:08

moderator please feel free to move the above to somewhere more suitable ;-)

Cookee · 01 March 2011, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosun

Benefits of being old:-
You can tow pretty much anything on your car licence
You can insure any car you fancy
Old birds look fit,their daughters look extremely fit
'cos you've been grafting for longer than everyone else has been alive you're generally considered to be loaded
When you bought your first house it cost less than the car that your currently driving
You remember when you didn't know how much petrol was
When you talk to a fit young girlie in a bar you ask her mums name in case you're her dad
You quite fancy getting a Harley
etc

If there was a "Like" button I would have pressed it!

9D280 · 07 March 2011, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJL

Lightboards technically should be attached to the trailer not the load.

Errr thus making every sailing dinghy on a road trailer illegal.....

I can't quote the rules verbatim, but there is a clause that essentially says if it's impractical to fix the lights to the trailer, you can fix them to the load (but they still have to be legal with regard to positioning & what they show).

I'm sure someone will be along soon with the actual wording.