The LARGEST towable boat... weight not an issue... ?

[TitoSoto]

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If the boat weighed, lets say, 1lb, what is the largest boat you would comfortably tow? 40' long? 12' wide?

I am looking to build a lightweight racing folding multihull, probably only 4,500lbs. I will keep it at the marina 90% of the time, but I DO need to move it 4-8x per year.

I've read plenty of discussions and the limit always seems to be weight, 6000+lbs requiring a hefty vehicle.

But, my situation is different...

[UNCIVILIZED]

A HUGE percentage of that equation are the tow vehicle, & the trailer. Followed fairly closely by what type of terrain you're talking about; mountains vs. flat. And the windage & aerodynamics of the boat when it's on the trailer. Because a 12,000lb boat that's well behaved on a trailer, is low drag, & not particularly sensitive to crosswinds will be much easier to tow than a 4,000lb that has the opposite of those qualities.

The other consideration is launching & retrieving the boat. Specifically, if you're going to launch her using the trailer, how far down the launch ramp will the trailer & tow vehicle's wheels need to be in order to get her on & off of the trailer? As for a boat of that length, to get this to work, many launch ramps may not extend far enough into the water in order to keep the trailer's tires on (underwater) pavement. And you could also run into traction problems, especially when hauling her out this way, thanks to the slipperyness of most ramps.

[skipmac]

I am guessing you mean tow with some kind of vehicle on the road, not towing a boat on the water with another boat?

If I guess correctly, it doesn't matter what it weighs, you can't tow a 12' wide boat on public roads without a commercial license, special permits, escort vehicles, etc.

Regarding length, the longest truck I know of has a 52' long trailer so in theory one could tow a 52' long boat without special permits.

[Peregrine1983]

I'm pretty sure 8'6" is the maximum width of a trailer in the US... unless you get into special permits etc for a wider load.

[TitoSoto]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

I'm pretty sure 8'6" is the maximum width of a trailer in the US... unless you get into special permits etc for a wider load.

Having an oversized permit is not a problem at all, as long as chase cars are not involved now that would be a bit much lol.

[Colin A]

8'6" is the max in most states wide load varies by state but over 12' usually means pilot cars and police. Length again varies by state but 45-50' is the normal max most places. There was a guy from Westlawn who designed and built a 40' by 9' sailboat with a retractable keel and aluminum trailer that he could tow to races with a 3/4ton pickup.
towing 42-45' high performance powerboats is a normal occurrence. I have towed a Fountain 42' x8'6" a few times. Does take some planning at intersections.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

I'm pretty sure 8'6" is the maximum width of a trailer in the US... unless you get into special permits etc for a wider load.

In some states your towing rig can be 10' wide, & all you need to do is hang a Wide Load placard on it. No permits, or anything else extra is needed. But this is by no means universal to all states.

[a64pilot]

Weight wise, I used to tow regularly my I think 16,000 lb JD410 backhoe on a triple axle trailer behind a Dually pickup. So weight isn’t even close to being an issue. Truck trailer and backhoe grossed about 30,000 or close to it anyway.
I’d be comfortable with 10’ wide and 40’ long myself, but I have always lived down South where any private individual can pull almost anything and not get into trouble as long as they do so intelligently and do not have an accident.

Most all 5th wheels etc are 8.5’ and I think in some states max width is still 8’. I don’t know which State is what though, easy enough to check

[Gene Neill]

With the right tow vehicle, the right trailer, and the right weather/traffic conditions ... my limit would be whatever the applicable laws allow.

[davidgrove]

I have a 2007 Beneteau 323, with swing keel, twin rudder that I place and haul on a Roadking trailer annually. I use a 1ton Dodge Ram diesel to pull it. Not a dually. Boat and trailer way around 14,000 lbs. If the boat is placed properly on the trailer, it will tow well. If the tongue weight is too light then things can get interesting. Gross combined vehicle weight (tow vehicle and tow unit weight combined) can be an issue for the wrong combination.

The boat was picked because, as pointed out in this thread, it is less than 12' (the point where chase vehicles are required) and with the swing/fixed keel it sits on the trailer at a relatively low level. I do need wide load permits though.

Launch can be done if the ramp is long enough and if you don't mind getting the truck/launch vehicle wet. I have to go deep enough to get the bow floating. Once I have committed to the wet launch, there is no going back up the ramp. It simply is too heavy, and the pads on the trailer will have spun to a location that it is not prudent to bring it back up even if I could.

Retrieval is always done by some form of mechanical lift. (Normal boatyard crane, Construction Crane or large forklift used for dry-stacking of boats). This allows me to have the boat placed on the trailer accurately for proper tongue weight and perfectly centered.

Another factor is how do you get the mast vertical? For my B323, again I have to rely on a mechanical lift.

As far as the largest boat that can get placed on trailer, I think Seaward produced a 44' that might have been haul able; but I know that it currently produces the 32 that also has the added feature of a system to raise the mast without outside assistance. I am too tall for the Seaward 32, so that ruled it out as a possibility for me. A friend of mine has one, and tows it with a 1 ton Ford (gas). He likes it, but I like mine 323 better :>)

David
s/v Temptress
Madison, WI

[LeeV]

Our Corsair 36 tri folds to 9’10” and has a FE, 2500 pounds, tandem, 12" hydraulic disk surge brakes, torsion axles. I bought it in Victoria B.C. and had it shipped here to the Chesapeake Bay. They put the boat on the trailer, loosened the axle assembly, set the boat & trailer on a low boy trailer, and the axle assembly on the gooseneck. No police required, but permits.

[Striker37]

Check out the 5th wheel hydraulic tilt trailer i have for sale in the classifieds.You wont need a ramp to launch and retrieve your boat with this trailer,you can even launch at a beach.

[BernBruce]

Find Takata trucking on facebook, Jose Takata is a friend of ours and trucks boats all over North America for 17 years now. He would have the answer to your question.

[toolbar]

I tow a Farrier F-32RX Trimaran. I feel that neither the weight (2,6 tons including trailer) nor the length (here it's the mast, not the boat, that is the deciding factor, even though most of the mast-overhang is over the car) are a problem.

It is the overwide driving that stresses me out. At least I haven't gotten used to it yet. :-) I am constantly checking the rear view mirrors, to make sure that I stay on track and don't move too far far to any side.

Paul

[alansmith]

If u search u can see boats like the Contour have detachable amas for transport. While the boat is in the water the amas fold... but not like Farrier/ Corsairs. So, u can think of a more beamy main hull or even fuller amas. But then u loose the quick launch of a F27-F31. I have been told... but not experienced with the F36 mast lift. I think u need a crane. I would love a F36.

As others have mentioned u need to understand transport. I have a Chevy dully with Duramax diesel and Allison tranny. I had to haul a Audi Allroad with Uhaul steel trailer over the Grapevine from San Francisco to Los Angeles. On some of the worst grades my speed dropped to about 35-40 mph. So, your local geography can come into play. Also don't discount the havoc that can ensue on ramps. Some are slimy. Some have bullcrap drop offs and your trailers wheels drop off into a hole. Do u really want your rear axle/brakes of your truck dunked in brine? Pulling on flats is duck soup.... steep grades take beefier brakes... electrics on your trailer brakes.. upgraded tranny coolers... upgrades on your radiator cooler... so take all those factors into consideration.

Farrier hit a home run with his design because of ease of launch and retrieval onto trailer. If you r looking for quick launch and ease of trailer ability it seems 31-33 feet is where it changes from quick to crane assists.