First go on my new boat

[Trimix]

I finally picked the boat up yesterday.

With much anticipation, trepidation and excitement we took it from Hayling Island to the Isle of White and back just to try it out. Its even faster than I remembered from the demo. The shove it gives when you open up the twin 175's makes you laugh out loud. The ride was smooth and the boat seemed bigger than at the boat show !

In fact not just a bit bigger, my god its gigantic. Especially out of the water on the trailer.

When we hitched it up to my long wheel base high roof Transit van it actually made the van look small. Towing it was fine, apart from none of the trailer lights working. I spent all Friday night wiring my towbar up, then when we hitched the trailer up on Saturday afternoon we discovered no current, either that or all the bulbs had gone. But I thought sod it, Im not leaving it here and Im since Im driving up the Motorway / A34 Im only going to need to indicate twice

Got home fine, then spent the best part of 45 mins trying to reverse it onto my drive and round the side of my house. The boat is 2.95m wide, the drive is about 3m wide, that will fit right ? - anyway, due to the angle of approach and the narrow drive I cant use the van to push it all the way. So my wife and I then attempted to push the trailer - yup, you can laugh - that didnt work.

Then I had a bright idea, I took the strap from the winch, pulled it back under the boat and attached it with a tow rope to a steel fence post behind the boat and winched it in. It worked - a bit, very slowly. But now I need to turn the boat a bit. So Ive rung up a few mates and asked for help.

Oh well, at least its not sticking out into the road now and its kept the neighbours amused.

[Trimix]

[Trimix]

[Chris Caton]

Looks great, well done

[Barrowboy]

Your boat looks superb and I can sense your excitement but I'm afraid I really can't get my head around your attitude with the trailer board. Knowingly setting off with it defective strikes me as unbelievably foolhardy and displays utter disregard for other people on the road. Get it sorted sharpish. Please.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Trimix

Towing it was fine, apart from none of the trailer lights working. I spent all Friday night wiring my towbar up, then when we hitched the trailer up on Saturday afternoon we discovered no current, either that or all the bulbs had gone. But I thought sod it, Im not leaving it here and Im since Im driving up the Motorway / A34 Im only going to need to indicate twice

You presumably didn't need to brake at all? :ermm : (sorry I just couldn't make my mind up which emoticon best expressed my dispair!)

I'd suggest a bad earth if all the lights are not working as that suggests something common which would be the ground.

The boat is 2.95m wide

have you checked thats legal to tow on the road?

I don't mean to be a kill joy. But you spend all that money on it and then take risks at the last minute.

[Poly]

Towing it was fine, apart from none of the trailer lights working. I spent all Friday night wiring my towbar up, then when we hitched the trailer up on Saturday afternoon we discovered no current, either that or all the bulbs had gone. But I thought sod it, Im not leaving it here and Im since Im driving up the Motorway / A34 Im only going to need to indicate twice

Originally Posted by Barrowboy

but I'm afraid I really can't get my head around your attitude with the trailer board. Knowingly setting off with it defective strikes me as unbelievably foolhardy and displays utter disregard for other people on the road.

I'd have to agree. You may only have needed to indicate turns/lane changes twice but brake lights were surely essential? That is way too valuable a boat to have it ruined by someone running into the back of it. I wouldn't expect your insurer or the police to have much sympathy if it emerged after an accident that you left knowing your lights were defective.

[thomas]

Bet you're glad you posted your experience now!!!

Maximum towing width in the UK is 2.55m so you need to deflate it to tow it, even then if it is wider than the tow vehicle you need to fit tow mirrors - in the eyes of the rossers, once you attach a trailer it becomes part of the vehicle and subject to the same rules - you probably wouldn't take the van out with no lights working.

I expect this wont affect you but unless your vehicle is ok to tow 3.5 tons then the maximum you can tow is 7m (trailer& boat).

Insurance companies will look for any excuse not to pay out, if you had an accident, even if it wasn't your fault, you'd loose the lot.

Enjoy the RIB, shame the bloke who handed it over to you didn't explain some of this.

[Trimix]

Yup, completely foolhardy - your all correct

I dont mind people telling me Im an idiot - its all good advice usually.

So now Im spending the afternoon changing the indicator bulbs - both were blown. So it wasnt my crap wiring as I thought, just two bulbs.

I did read that as long as its less than 3m wide, my van can tow it.

[thomas]

From the horses mouth.....

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/c...d-width-limits

Turns out I've broken the law too, as did others who'd towed my trailer, as I have a very long bar between the hitch and the boat that hep keeps the car dry when launching, puts my trailer well over 7m

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by Trimix

Yup, completely foolhardy - your all correct

I dont mind people telling me Im an idiot - its all good advice usually.

So now Im spending the afternoon changing the indicator bulbs - both were blown. So it wasnt my crap wiring as I thought, just two bulbs.

I did read that as long as its less than 3m wide, my van can tow it.

Get used to it! Once you've done it a few times though you'll find you'll be able to do it in 10 mins rather than taking all afternoon...

[Poly]

Originally Posted by thomas

Maximum towing width in the UK is 2.55m so you need to deflate it to tow it,

no its not - that is the maximum width of the trailer NOT the load. Overhangs either side of up to 305 mm are permitted, provided the total load is not > 2.9m. There are means to go beyond 2.9m but I don't think they would wash if deflating the tube is all it takes and getting a 2.95 m boat through a 3m gap then deflating is probably wise anyway!

I expect this wont affect you but unless your vehicle is ok to tow 3.5 tons then the maximum you can tow is 7m (trailer& boat).

nonsense- The provisions of paragraph (1) [which defines the 7 m rule] do not apply to—

(a)a vehicle combination or trailer which is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length;

[Boats&Outboards]

What a fabulous Rib. Enjoy!

I can see that fence/post to the right of the picture "falling" down in the near future....

www.BoatsandOutboards4Sale.co.uk

[redthunder]

I might be wrong but I think those transits can tow 2700kg?

[thomas]

Fk me, another slap on the wrist from Poly and really thought I had this covered - you should give the DVLA a bollocking for not making their web site clearer and getting unsuspecting forum users into trouble - or have you already?

My trailer is just short of 8m long (without boat) so am I allowed to pull it with my Volvo XC60?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by thomas

My trailer is just short of 8m long (without boat) so am I allowed to pull it with my Volvo XC60?

I believe yes. (1) the 7m rule applies only excluding the draw bar so may well not "legally" be over 7m. (2) it is a trailer which is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length - therefore the length rules does not apply (there are some other total length rules etc - but you'll be fine.

Of course you need to make sure that the weight limits, your license etc all tie in too!

As with all internet based advice you should satisfy yourself it is correct. The DVLA site is usually easier to understand than the C&U regs - but you can find them at legislation.gov.uk

[Landlockedpirate]

Originally Posted by thomas

My trailer is just short of 8m long (without boat) so am I allowed to pull it with my Volvo XC60?

I think weight is going to be your problem with the Volvo. Struggling to find the weight of your Rib, but estimate around 1800-2000kg in cruising trim plus 700kg ish for the trailer. Thats way over the limit for an XC60.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

What a fabulous Rib. Enjoy!

I can see that fence/post to the right of the picture "falling" down in the near future....

BoatsandOutboards4Sale | Hand-picked boats & motors, fully tested, delivered nationwide.

+1

when we bought our rib the gates were too narrow, so a new set of galvanised gates and moving the gate post over sorted that, funnily enough the rib now lives in Nth Wales most of the time, but that just leaves loads more space for the SR4 when that's finished

[thomas]

Originally Posted by Landlockedpirate

I think weight is going to be your problem with the Volvo. Struggling to find the weight of your Rib, but estimate around 1800-2000kg in cruising trim plus 700kg ish for the trailer. Thats way over the limit for an XC60.

I'm good for 2000kg - My RIB isn't 7m, the trailer is - mine is a RIBTEC 655, all up is 678kg plus another 100 for fuel and odds and sods then another 815 for the trailer, takes me just shy of 1500.

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Trimix

Trimix love the look of your new boat, looks fab

My slight concern would be it dose not look at all suitable for diving from, as I thought this was your intention, is it not?

Looks great though