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chuyen
06-05-2009, 12:08 AM
Hi All,

A mate of mine is looking at getting a glass boat, something between 5 and 6 meters. Just wondering how many people tow their glass boats over long distances (eg 1000klm round trip) and how often would you do it? Have read somewhere that this is not good for the gel coat.

Cheers,

Chuyen

TimiBoy
06-05-2009, 05:18 AM
I pulled the boat about 600 k's, once, but that was when I bought it.

I'll be taking it to Agnes this year, and certainly plan when the Finance Ministry has the space to go further.

It's only bad because of stones. Either put stone guards on the trailer, or put a good cover on the boat.

When I hauled her to Hervey Bay last year, I didn't get one stone chip - I think it has a lot to do with the quality of roads you drive on. Apart from that, I don't think there's much to be concerned about.

Others may differ...

Cheers,

Tim

GBC
06-05-2009, 05:42 AM
Maybe if you were towing it without a trailer it may chip the gelcoat?

F'glass is a strong building medium - don't worry.

It would take a very poorly set up trailer to cause any damage.

Mtx
06-05-2009, 06:46 AM
I have a 615 glass boat and personally would not tow it regularly on that distance. Not due to damage, just that it is a lot of weight to tow and really is a pain. I would not enjoy towing that weight on a regular basis and really could not be bothered doing it.

Ally Jack
06-05-2009, 08:54 AM
No problems with the boat, but put a cover on the boat to protect it.

Having the trailer carrying the boat set up correctly is more important. By that I mean is the axle/s correctly positioned to carry the weight as well as keeping enough on the tow vehicle, brakes working correctly, good bearings etc etc

I towed my Seafarer Vagabond from Lake Maquaire back to Gladstone when I brought it, about 1600k's with no problems. The fuel usage was up there but I was towing 2-2.3t so it wasn't unexpected.

Ally Jack

kokomo
06-05-2009, 09:23 AM
i dont like covers on boats... they flog around and damage the gelcoat and also the expensive covers..

trailer guards is the winner in my opinion in conjunction with if you see new boats they are wrapped in plastic buy a roll of industrial plastic wrapping and use that..

fly_1
06-05-2009, 09:57 AM
Have towed my kevlacat plenty of times long distances. As long as you travel a bit slower, and give the trucks a bit more space, I have avoided stone chips on all my trips. Besides, fibreglass is pretty good anyway, and if it does get a chip or two, they are easily fixed. Most guys will do more damage to the gellcoat at boat ramps etc when driving onto the beach and hitting the odd rock or two that always seems to be just under the sand !!:D The biggest drama you will have, depending on the size of course, is the increase in fuel useage the car/4wd pulling it will have.
My advise, take it away, and use it, as to many people buy these nice big toys, and never get out and about to see the great coast we have, and the dinner thats waiting to be caught at some of these great places.
Trent

walruss
06-05-2009, 10:28 AM
I have towed my current boat long distances quite a bit. the longest trip being just over 10,000 k's. Just got back from the last trip of 2,500 k's.

Its not that hard really. Same as towing anything. Make the appropriate allowances re speed, braking etc, and its easy - mine weighs 2.5 tonne loaded. With car nearly 5.5 tonne all up.

We still manage good point to point times covering around 900k's in about 10.5 hrs (highway of course, and thru Sydney.)

Re fuel. I have a t/d Cruiser. I normally get about 11lp/100k. Towing I averaged about 17/18. A lot cheaper than having it freighted. Less than a tank fo fuel each way.

Re covers. Wouldn't be without the towing cover. Keeps everything dry, relatively clean, can't blow out, and most of all keeps the contents away from prying eyes when you stop o'nite. Mine covers from the bottom of the windscreen to the transom. Has not caused any damage to the boat.

As for chips in gelcoat. you can get them driving the 2k to ramp if you are so lucky to be that close..

Russ

welder
06-05-2009, 10:57 AM
Make sure your trailer is in top shape and throw some mud flaps on the truck.
Take your time driving and plan ahead .

catfishkid
06-05-2009, 11:47 AM
See tims first post and I bought mine in the same town as tim nand towed it back to brisbane,no problems at all.Just take you time as there is a fair bit of weight in a 6M glass boat to drag along.As others have said biggest issue is extra fuel consumption which is to be expected.
Another tip I have been given is to not pull the tiedown strap super tight as it can cause the rollers to bight into your hull.

Cheers Craig

guruwing
06-05-2009, 12:18 PM
i tow my half cab mustang all round tassie to fish not yet had a mark on it,yes it becomes a pain at times only due to traffic but we bought them to use where we want to fish so dont be put off by the long hull its worth it when we get there
i worry more getting it on and off trailer thats where i bump gel coat

Apollo
06-05-2009, 02:29 PM
Although it has mostly been trailable yachts and sailboats, I have clocked up in excess of 80000km towing boats (longest trip was Sydney to Perth & return and Newcastle to Cairns and return)- all fibreglass and never an issue. Important bits are a correctly setup and maintained trailer, adequate tie downs, driver attitude.

We have used custom made hull covers, but a cool little trip is to wipe down the hull and topside with undiluted mld detergent before you leave and let it dry, Coat again and let dry. When you get to the other end, bugs, grime, tar marks, etc just wash straight off. Can get funny if it rains though - bubbles!

Steve

spears
06-05-2009, 05:09 PM
Seen all sorts sitting on the side of the road jacked up doing repairs from boats to caravans.Always something to do with springs,bearings or wheels.
This is why the long distance travelers buy big alloy hulls.
Lighter to tow and power.

The other thing is traveling on those major high speed roads and having 2 semi’s a bus plus 20 other cars stuck behind you all thinking if I only had a gun.Then every so often you’ll need to pull over to let them pass..What a pain.

MikeyS
06-05-2009, 05:42 PM
I would tow my 5.75m boat 600k's plus on 4 or so round trips a year, no drama. Towed it about 1200k's bringing it home when I first bought it. As long as you're anal about bearing and brake maintenance and don't try to drive as if you're not towing, it's not a problem at all. Having an adequately powered tow vehicle, especially a diesel auto, which isn't stressed the whole trip helps.

And making sure that wind resistance is minimised helps too. Dropping the bimini and having a travel cover from the top of the windscreen to the transom keeps it nice and compact. I can never understand why some people tow distances with the bimini up. They are only really designed for boat speed, not highway speeds, and it just increases your wind resistance and hence fuel consumption.

I know from experience that towing a tinnie fast down dirt roads spits up a lot of gravel, but I'd never do that with my glass boat. If I were towing on dirt for any distance a stone deflector on the trailer would be the go. Never had any problem on thousands of k's of bitumen.

It is one of the beauties of having a trailerable boat that you can take it a long way away. How long, and how much fuel would you use to transport, say a 28ft cruiser 1000 k's away for a week? The bigger the boat, the harder it gets. Unless of course you just pay your skipper to do it!
Cheers

walruss
06-05-2009, 09:26 PM
Spears, you obviously you speak from experience in towing a heavy boat.

Stuck on the side of the road generally would mean a lack of preparation. As said I have towed many thousands of k's with no problem.

Spears, as for buying alloy over glass. Just need to get a real tow vehicle.

And as for "having 2 semi’s a bus plus 20 other cars stuck behind you all thinking if I only had a gun.Then every so often you’ll need to pull over to let them pass..What a pain."

If that's the case you need to learn how to drive, or get a vehicle capable of towing the boat in question. Personally I have only experienced this problem from being the one behind in the O/T position.

Russ

spears
07-05-2009, 01:30 AM
I don’t think you read it properly walruss.I said I’ve seen it.
Worst I’ve had is a flat tyre.
Once out in the middle of nowhere I seen two blokes walking through wheat fields looking for the trailer wheel.
One main road has two deep gouges in the bitumen where trailers have lost wheels and when the axle drops the two U bolts drag for a while.
Another one where the boat fell of the trailer sitting on the side of the road at the intesection,but I don’t know what happened there.

When you think about the weight and the heat transmitted for hours on end.Then having wheels and bearing that gets submerged.Not a positive formula.
With one small flaw with seawater getting into the bearing it can only end up as a problem.
The other one is stiff clogged up springs that get brittle and snap hitting a pot hole.

I know I sound all doom and gloom but I’ll tell ya it’s a pain out in the middle of nowhere doing roadside repairs.It’s bad enough with just a car but having 2 tons plus behind it,be it a land cruiser or a F250 towing.
When there’s over 4 tons all up or more your going to sit on 100kls PH for hundreds of miles.

The reality is..it’s a lot to tow long distance.
For some it won’t matter as they have money pouring out of their pockets and if anything did happen they just make a mobile call and get things fixed.
But for the average joe blow a days country outing can become a nightmare.

It’s up to the individual what they do and how they go about it.End of story
I’m only saying what I’ve seen, what about all those things that can go wrong that people don’t think about .Over the years i sized down for long trips.

Goldfinch
07-05-2009, 05:08 PM
I have a Haines Hunter 6.25m Glass Boat and in the past year I have towed from Newcastle to Brisbane (950km's) on terrible roads, from Brisbane to Bundaberg (800km's return) and Brisbane to Yamba (600km's return) twice. Also travel 200km's round trip to boat ramp at least twice a month. Have had more damage occur to my boat at boat ramps and on the ocean than on the road. Travel at 90kmh max and use the best roads that you can and keep up the maintenance on the trailer. That's where the problems normally occur. Gelcoat is pretty tough stuff and easy to repair.

Cheers
Dave

finding_time
07-05-2009, 06:01 PM
Spears, you obviously you speak from experience in towing a heavy boat.

Stuck on the side of the road generally would mean a lack of preparation. As said I have towed many thousands of k's with no problem.

Spears, as for buying alloy over glass. Just need to get a real tow vehicle.

And as for "having 2 semi’s a bus plus 20 other cars stuck behind you all thinking if I only had a gun.Then every so often you’ll need to pull over to let them pass..What a pain."

If that's the case you need to learn how to drive, or get a vehicle capable of towing the boat in question. Personally I have only experienced this problem from being the one behind in the O/T position.

Russ



Russ

i'm with you 100%!!!! If you do the preparation for the trip you'll have no issues! Make sure the trailer is well maintained, repack and check the bearings and brakes before a long trip and it will be trouble free! If your vehicle struggles with the weight , upgrade it or get another that suites the task better! I've brought a boat back from Adelaide in a tad over 20 hrs and many many other long trips. As others have said glass is a very very strong material and a long trip presents no issues to it provided it on a well set up rig!!!

Ian

ps. I carry a good tool kit and spare bearings on all trips! And where possible travel at night to help others on the road and the cooler air helps the diesel;)

PPs Spears,What is your issue on how others spend THEIR money?

Spaniard_King
07-05-2009, 08:19 PM
For me towing 2.8T you have to be totally prepaired. I carry a complete spare hub with bearing ready to go along with another 2 sets of bearings( cant be that unlucky for 4 to fail) along with spare bearing budy's and caps also a full tool kit to adress any issues with the trailer.

Preperation is everything when towing weight on the highway. Get complacent and you WILL get bitten!

stevej
07-05-2009, 08:50 PM
went to NZ in january, went for a cruise to raglan popular fishing spot

cruising along come round a bend to see a wheel and hub hurtling up the road at us in our lane, misses us bya few meters

continue another couple of hundred metres theres a 6m fiberglass boat being towed by a vk commodore i pull over they had already lost one wheel to a flat so kept going after putting the flat tyre in the boat

result us nearly getting killed by a wheel and hub snapping off at 80odd kays a hour

kiwis almost like victorians only 30 years behind us

ToXiCFiSH79
07-05-2009, 09:04 PM
For me towing 2.8T you have to be totally prepaired. I carry a complete spare hub with bearing ready to go along with another 2 sets of bearings( cant be that unlucky for 4 to fail) along with spare bearing budy's and caps also a full tool kit to adress any issues with the trailer.

Preperation is everything when towing weight on the highway. Get complacent and you WILL get bitten!

I would carry all those extra hubs and bearings, but i wouldn't know what to do with them... :-[

White Pointer
07-05-2009, 09:39 PM
Maybe if you were towing it without a trailer it may chip the gelcoat?

F'glass is a strong building medium - don't worry.

It would take a very poorly set up trailer to cause any damage.

G'day,

Agree. A good trailer properly set up is critical. Glass boats on rollers and lots of them - aluminium boats on skids with support over about a third of the hull.

After that good mudflaps on the car and leading and trailing mudguards on the trailer. Finally, keep well back from the car in front, especially grey nomads, caravans and trucks and buses.

Then you have done all you can reasonably do.

Regards,

White Pointer

chuyen
12-05-2009, 11:38 PM
Thanks for all the comments, great tips and good to know gel coat is pretty tough.

Cheers,

Chuyen