First Launch Question

[sogood]

I will hopefully be splashing my current boat for the first time, in the not too distant future. I have already launched a smaller 16' cabin cruiser from a different, smaller slip than the one I will be using for the new boat. My current daily driver/tow vehicle is a 4.0 litre Jaguar XJ6 automatic, rear wheel drive. I towed the boat home when I bought it, with no issues, using the Jaguar, over a distance of 350kms/ 220 miles. I appreciate that towing and launching are different situations and so that leads me to my question.

​The boat in question is a 25' Wellcraft 250 Sportsman with a Mercruiser 5.7 inboard. After doing the maths regarding towing capacities/weights of my car and the weight of the boat, I have about 350 pounds to spare. And if it helps, I'm happy behind a steering wheel, as I drive tour coaches for a living, having driven every sort of coach, including articulated models, so my reversing abilities with a trailer isn't an issue.

​The slip I intend using is about a 20 minute drive from home, in a very sheltered environment, so I wont have too much in the way of wind or waves to contend with.
​Nor will I have an audience to deal with! I have read numerous posts on the do's and don'ts, the value of a checklist, being familiar with the environment and condition of the slip etc. so all that is pretty well sorted.

​My concern is more to do with the science/physics/ ability to launch my boat with my car. For what it's worth, I have made up a "handbrake" arrangement on my trailer brakes, which allows the brakes to applied manually if needed. The theory being, that when launching, someone can walk alongside or stand on the trailer tongue, which has a ton of space, and can apply the brakes if needed, to help prevent the trailer pulling too much on the car, or even stop it running away entirely. For added safety, this handbrake could be operated remotely, using a line attached to the handbrake handle.

​I've included some pics of the launch ramp, which is ridged concrete and is very wide, not too steep and gets plenty of water so as to avoid any slimy surface. It would be very easy to keep the car wheels on dry concrete at all times.

​I have taken some measurements and on a 3/4 plus tide, I'm confident that the boat would float free of the bunks with the car still clear of any water. My plan would then be, to tie the boat up alongside the slip ( it has fixing points) or on the floating walkway, while I park up. FWIW, I appreciate that retrieving the boat would be another issue, with more to consider, but that's for another post.

So, thoughts on this are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Just discovered I can't upload pics as I keep getting a message saying "Invalid file data". It's a jpeg file, so what am I doing wrong?

 

[oldjeep]

Take some video. Can't imagine a jag towing a 25 ft boat, let alone launching one. I'd make sure you have a tow strap and another vehicle with you to pull you out if you are wrong about where the boat will float off.

 

[redneck joe]

Borrow a truck, especially if this is a twice per season event.


what countryare you in?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Rent a truck

 

[mr 88]

I don't know where you came up with your numbers . I went to NADA and they have a 1990 Sportsman listed at 4400 lbs,DRY weight [ no oils in engine / fuel/batteries/safety equipment/lines/anchor /etc. in boat ] and my guess is the trailer is at least 1,000 lbs. Googeled towing capacity of a 4.0 xj6 jaguar and came up with 3,300 lbs. That puts you at LEAST 2,100 lbs over capacity. Now I don't have specific year of your boat or car but based on these numbers you better put a hitch on one of your Tour Buses if you want the positive results. Wont be your " First Launch " but it will be your last with the Jag !

 

[Old Ironmaker]

That Jag will never safely tow a 25' glass boat. I' guessing the OP is in the UK, they don't have 1/2 ton 4X4's like we have here. I find it hard to believe the boat was already towed over 200 miles with that vehicle. It's not the towing I would be wary of it's the braking. I would never tow my 19' aluminum with that car.

 

[sogood]

So, the general consensus is " don't even think about it" ? OK , so I won't! I will take up the offers I have had from some fellow boater friends, one of whom has a tractor ! Thanks for all the responses. Just confirmed what I suspected. Don't want to end up on YouTube for all the wrong reasons!

 

[82rude]

Yes go the tractor route, your in Ireland and 1/2 ton trucks just don't grow on trees like over here.With the cost of gas per litre most likely couldn't afford to drive a truck all the time id imagine.My brother lives in England and says small cars rule due to high gas costs.

 

[Maranvin]

If u do decide to use ur jag, please video it

 

[82rude]

Gas is approx. 5.97 per gallon over there in us dollars and the small us gallon being used which is 3.78 litres per us gallon vs 4.54 litres for imperial gallon.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Hard to imagine living in a place without pickups, here in north central minnesota you can drive anything you want as long as it is a 4 when drive 4 door pick up.

 

[sogood]

Yes go the tractor route, your in Ireland and 1/2 ton trucks just don't grow on trees like over here.With the cost of gas per litre most likely couldn't afford to drive a truck all the time id imagine.My brother lives in England and says small cars rule due to high gas costs.

It's not just the fuel prices , actually equating to almost $7 per gallon, but the annual road tax. This is based on engine size and costs me ?1,800.00 every year. It's much cheaper in the UK. When you say a 1/2 ton truck, do you mean the actual weight of the truck? Hardly , as my Jag weighs almost 2 tons. Thanks for the input.

 

[oldrem]

It's not just the fuel prices , actually equating to almost $7 per gallon, but the annual road tax. This is based on engine size and costs me €1,800.00 every year. It's much cheaper in the UK. When you say a 1/2 ton truck, do you mean the actual weight of the truck? Hardly , as my Jag weighs almost 2 tons. Thanks for the input.

I had a 1966 Mark X. Kind of miss that car. Weighed over 4k lbs dry. Had twin 12 gal gas tanks and got 23mpg with the 6 cyl 9:1 compression and triple SU carbs. If I floored it doing 65 it would still thrust you back in your seat. But would never have used it to tow anything that big.

 

[82rude]

1/2 TON truck refers to carrying capacity not the weight of the truck.A ford f150 is a 1/2 ton ,f250 3/4 ton. Not sure about the U.S.A but in Canada trucks out sell cars by a wide margin and the f150 is king of truck sales .Biggest selling truck for 40 years in a row and biggest selling vehicle for several lately.90 Percent of our population lives within 90 miles of the U.S border .

 

[sogood]

Thanks for the clarification. While we do have some such big trucks over here, they would be in a minority. Lots of other "lesser" varieties of 4x4 trucks though.

 

[roscoe]

South West Ireland ??? Would that be Newfoundland ? Just kidding.

Ireland is one of the places I've always wanted to visit. Such a wild and beautiful place.

 

[sogood]

I have to agree with you. In my work as a tour coach driver, I actually get paid to travel it's length and breadth, carrying many of your neighbours in the process. Admittedly , there's not a whole lot of length or breadth , but we concentrate on quality as opposed to quantity. If you ever come this way do let me know and I'll take you fishing .

 

[Stumpalump]

In America you would be pulled over pulling a boat like that and would be a danger to yourself and others but.. In your country it may be just fine to travel at 25 kilometers per hour without traffic or cops. It may be flat ground where you live and the ramp may not be very steep. Pulling it up the ramp may doom you but a buddy with a tow strap would work. Here in the US everybody flys in new cars and trucks at 100k per hour. Cars and trucks are sold with high final drive ratios. Is yours a manual transmission? You will burn the clutch but an auto with a lower gear ratio in the rear unlike the US has and you might just barly squeez by using that car at at a speed no higher than a bicycle. You can always test it out in your neighborhood but like I said if your in hilly area then dont kill yourself trying.

 

[porscheguy]

FWIW, the only reason we call trucks 1/2 or 3/4 ton is because old habits die hard. This nomenclature came about in the late 50s or so when a 1/2 ton truck was limited to 1000lbs carrying capacity. Modern trucks can carry much more. A modern 1/2 ton with a crew cab can have 1000lbs inside with another 1000lbs or more in the bed. I?ve seen modern 3/4 and 1 ton trucks carry a load of passengers plus 4K-5k lbs of stuff in the back. The limiting factor on many is the available space and the ability of the bed itself to not burst at the seams.

 

[H20Rat]

The theory being, that when launching, someone can walk alongside or stand on the trailer tongue, which has a ton of space, and can apply the brakes if needed, to help prevent the trailer pulling too much on the car, or even stop it running away entirely. ?

That is a really, really easy way to find yourself 6 feet under. Never get between an in-gear vehicle and a trailer, even if it isn't moving at the moment. Standing on the tongue is just one bump away from finding yourself on the pavement with an out-of-control vehicle using you as a wheel chock.

I'm all for towing over the 'recommended' limit, but that is way too far past. It won't end well.