Practical Boat Owner – September 2019

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I do not immerse my trailer.
I now use a local boatyard in Argyll to
lift and launch Free Spirit and recover her
to her trailer. This also guarantees a good
sail to/from her summer mooring at either
end of the season.
Another area that has caused problems
in the past, but probably not so bad in
these days of better regulation, relates to
wheels and tyres. Tyres are rated for load
and speed and it does concern me at
times when I see trailers with small wheels
being taken down the motorway in excess
of the speed limit. I often ask myself
whether or not they were designed for that
speed and/or whether the driver is aware
of the potential dangers.
With a heavy boat behind you must
always concentrate on what is going on
around you. In particular, how quickly can
you stop? Modern vehicles will stop on a
sixpence, but what of a fully laden trailer?
Overrun brakes meet the regulations but
how effective are they, particularly in an
emergency? Thus it’s essential to drive
with due diligence.
Finally, I prefer not to drive at night
when towing the boat. In my rear-view
mirrors and daylight I have a good view of
all aspects of the trailer which I don’t have
in darkness. Thus if anything goes wrong I
can hopefully see the problem before a
major incident occurs.
This was the case two years ago near
the summit of the A66 eastbound when a
trailer wheel collapsed. I was able to stop
when I saw a problem.
In darkness I wouldn’t have seen this
until too late (it later transpired that the
wheel itself – which had been the spare –
was faulty.
Regrettably, Free Spirit is now up for
sale due to ill health (see folkboats.com)
but I’ve had many enjoyable sails on her.
Trailer-sailers come in all shapes and sizes
and create compromises. Whatever the
limitations we all get a lot of fun from them
and just like having the right equipment at
sea it is just as important to have the right
equipment on the road.

1

“Before launching, always let the

trailer cool down after a long

drive,” says RYA Powerboat trainer

Peter White. “The hubs could be hot,

especially if towing through town

where a lot of braking is involved. The

temperature difference when launching

into a cold sea has the effect of

drawing water into the hubs under

pressure, which can compromise the

bearings. However, a literal ‘cooling

down’ period will help increase the

trailer’s life. Park up and prepare the

boat for launching. This avoids putting

hot hubs into cold water.”

2

When faced with a particularly

steep – or very shallow – slipway,

put some distance between the trailer

and the tow vehicle by using an extender.

“On a shallow slipway, you often see

the tow car with its wheels half covered

and even the exhaust submerged

before there is enough depth to float

the boat off,” Peter says.

“By using a rope, the car stays high

and dry while the trailer is walked out

into deep water, the boat launched,

and then the trailer recovered by

securing the rope to the tow ball. On a

steep slipway, the incline makes a big

difference to the power needed and

traction may not be great at low tide

thanks to exposed weed and slime. By

using a long bar or rope, the car can

stay on more level and drier ground,

where it has more grip.”

3

Always flush the hubs out using

fresh water before the tow back.

This removes the salt and reduces

corrosion. There is usually a flushing

port on each wheel.

4

Outboard motors are often trailed

in the raised position, but even

the smallest motors can bounce

alarmingly on potholed roads and

damage the rams or tilt lock.

Experienced powerboaters trim the

engine up, and then wedge a piece of

wood under the leg before partly

trimming down again. The wood takes

the weight off the rams and preserves

the seals. They secure it with a lanyard.

5

To test your lightboard, especially

if single-handing, simply plug it in

and lay it on the ground beside the

driver’s door. Then you can work the

pedals and indicators and visually

check all the bulbs are working.

6

“Trim is very important,” Peter

advises. “A boat being recovered

will probably have a lot less fuel on

board after a day of boating and this

could affect the nose weight. You want

a very slight downwards pressure on

the tow bar, just enough to be able to

manually lift the hitch, so move gear

around to ensure the centre of gravity

is where it should be. Check the

vehicle handbook for the recommended

tow down-weight. An unbalanced boat,

especially stern heavy, will be unstable

and could fishtail at speed.’

7

If the trailer does start to fishtail,

don’t panic. The worst thing you

can do is stand on the brakes. Instead

take your feet off everything and let the

car slow down under its own

momentum. The fishtailing should

gradually reduce until it is safe to

proceed normally again. Stabilisers are

also a good investment.

Here are some tips for towing and launching smaller boats and day sailers. Thanks

to Seafever International Sea School and the Pathfinder Powerboat Club:

PRACTICAL

Towing your boat

allows quicker

access to new

cruising grounds

Jake’s tips for trailing smaller boats