the most that can be had

Discussion in 'Option One' started by wardd, Sep 29, 2010.

  1. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Gee Ike...what is the maximum weight of boat and trailer. For a tow vehicle that's non commercial .
     
  2. wardd
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    wardd Senior Member

    the boat i envision is 30-35 feet by 8'6" by 12' 6" high on trailer
    displacement hull

    750 mile range min at 8 knots

    comfortable for two

    coastal and Caribbean capable

    this is the start point
     
  3. tom28571
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    tom28571 Senior Member

    Actually, the max width on interstates without a special permit is 8.5'.

    I hope that someone will explain someday how an outboard bracket gives more room in a boat. A boat is a long as it will fit in a space from stem to the aft most part, including the motor. Its easy to argue that having the outboard on the transom and extending the boat length to equal that of the proposed bracket will make the boat bigger than its bracket mounted sister. Of course, adding a bracket to an existing boat make for a larger cockpit but the boat must be adaptable to the change without loss of performance and some are not.
     
  4. Ike
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    Ike Senior Member

    I was not talking about an existing boat. I was speaking about what I would do if I was designing the boat. The OB on a bracket acommplishes a couple of things besides getting the engine out of the boat. It moves the props farther aft so they are in cleaner water. Most brackets are adjustable so you can raise and lower the motor to find the most efficent point. It moves the CG of the boat farther aft and so moves the center of force in the planning surface aft, reducing wetted surface. Again this makes the boat more efficient. Of course it is best to design the boat with this in mind. If it were and existing boat with a regular motor well and transom mount you would have to do a careful analysis to see if moving the engine to a bracket would make any improvements.
     
  5. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Attached Files:

  6. Pierre R
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    Pierre R Senior Member

    You want a semi displacement hull because that is the speed you are quoting.

    Something like David Gerr's DR Northwest cruiser. DWL on the DR is 16k but remember that is a loaded displacement. It meets all of your requirements. Trailered 5th wheel is no big deal. It doesn't have a flying bridge but that is a tough requirement at 12'6"

    http://www.gerrmarine.com/power_50.html
     
  7. FAST FRED
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    FAST FRED Senior Member

    While the 8 ft 6 inches limit can be overcome with a permit (for each state)., the 65 LOA rule is hard to beat.

    The boat and trailer from the front bumper to the back of the outboard is measured.

    On a 25-28 ft boat that we might trailer with out 35 ft bus conversion ,(with a custom trailer) outboards would not make sense due to their length being better used for boat.

    My thinking is for a 305 Chevvy , honest 200hp if needed , and low cost .

    At only 100 or so hours a year , 2000 hours of run time would surely do.

    Fuel cost between diesel and gas would easily be made up by lower acquisition cost and far less maint. and expenses.

    Prefer conventional drive to shorten LOA.

    I'm sure there is a plastic cookie out there that would satisfy my needs , just haven't found it yet. Suggestions?

    The use of the vessel is for the inland waterways of the US and Canada , with a run or two up the Inside Passage to Alaska , so it must be OK for a month or more of living aboard , big cockpit not needed.

    FF
     
  8. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    "Prefer conventional drive to shorten LOA. "

    I agree. Inboard installation does take up interior volume but you will get the longest possible trailer waterline. Plus I don't like the looks of a vessel with outboard engines hanging off the back . I prefer a developed transom with shape and style.
    Dont like Gas inboards..
     
  9. Fanie
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    Fanie Fanie

    I'll just get a catamaran of a size and shape I like, ditch the sails and fit an outboard on each hull. Displacement hulls doesn't need high power motors so the 8kn souldn't be a problem. Outboards are also most efficient, easy to get to and you don't have to run both at the same time. Also the simplest system to install and maintain. This ex-sailing catamaran will offer nice space and won't be as heavy.

    The alternative is two small diesels one in each hull.
     
  10. FAST FRED
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    FAST FRED Senior Member

    Most folks will probably be seeing a trailer cruiser as a fast (20-30K) boat.

    This will allow the most distance from launch point in reasonable time.

    AS a basically inshore boat speed can be safety,.

    Most production cats need big HP to run fast , outboards seem to be their choice, a couple of tiny diesels might be great for a large cruising (8K) cat , but might not work for a trailer boat.

    FF
     
  11. philSweet
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    philSweet Senior Member

    Why would anyone choose to trailer such a boat when perfectly good moorings can be had for <$1000; but a trailer would cost about ten times as much? If it can make it to the Bahamas, it can live on a mooring for twenty years and you don't have to move the darn trailer every time you mow the grass. Its safer on a mooring than on I95. Also, the 8.5' beam restriction is a horrible thing to try to live with once you get over about 7000#. I just can't see a case where anything close to the maximum doable design is competitive with an average beamy boat as far as an offshore, Bahamas capable craft is concerned. What is the motivation? What is the nitch? I think it will cost more, deliver less, and be a much bigger headache than a non trailerable boat.
     
  12. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    A trailer boat is great. You can haul it home to your own backyard "shipyard" and keep her in good shape . If you choose to relocate for a more exotic cruise destination you can tow it 1000 miles or whatever. And remember, not everyone is fortunate to live in a nice place like Beaufort, were the water is cheap and protected. Locally, in this port, an in the water berth will set you back 20 grand per year...if you can find one. Of course trailer storage is an issue...and you need a pretty beefy vechcle to tow it...not cheap ....plus when you have a trailer everyone wants to "borrow" it.
     
  13. philSweet
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    philSweet Senior Member

    I agree with you up to, say, 25 feet and 7-8000 pounds. But things start to get darn awkward above that. I live five hours from Beaufort. There is about a hundred miles of coast that I can drive to in five hours. I find picking up a mooring, dinghying in and tossing the dink into my pickup and heading home is far preferable to trailering. Where do you park the tow vehicle and forty foot trailer when you are in the Caribbean for three weeks? Parking for my truck is $50/mo in Beaufort. Anyway, I'm not too concerned about it not suiting my needs; I'm interested in hearing whose needs it does suite. What distances from what waters make sense. I'm assuming this is a fairly low price craft otherwise the cost of a berth relative to the cost of the boat would be trivial. How many people that can afford a 200K boat live somewhere that allows such a thing to be parked in their yard? I've owned trailerable boats since I was 16. I just think they become impracticable long before they become illegal as far as size goes. This from a guy who tows a 37' fifth wheel with four slides. Oh, I'd choose to go over the the 8'6" limit for just about anything over 25' length. You can sneak a few inches for the rubrail if it lies where the wing mirrors on the tow vehicle are. After that, you might as well just go up to about 10'.
     
  14. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Yes indeed , I agree Anything about 25ft gets above the tow range in my mind. I cant imagine what kind of vehicle you would need to tow 8000 pounds. ! Would neither want that beast in my front yard, nor fill up its gas tank.......Definitely Not something I would want to own !!!. It is possible to design a , well thought out, lightweight 25 footer for weekend " camping trips "..
     

  15. Fanie
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    Fanie Fanie

    Another problem with a boat at a mooring is you go to the same place every time. We have different locations we want to go to, and having a boat at each would be nice eh :D

    Another problem besides moorings being bloody expensive in SA is theft. I heard of someone mooring his brand new boat - next day they wanted to go out and the mast was gone :(
     
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