Towing Weight

[David Peck]

In August 2008, I took my newly delivered CC19 to a weighbridge and weighed the combined boat and trailer.

The weight was 1640kgs.

The standard boat, as delivered, included the following extras:
Yankee Sail, spray hood, anchor and bow fitting, mooring cleats, transport cover. There was no engine, anchor chain or normal cruising gear like fenders, boat hooks, Porta Potti, warps etc.

The trailer had a spare wheel and rear jockey wheel fitted.

This information may be of interest to anyone wishing to approximate their towing weight.

Note: This information appeared in message 856 of our old Yahoo forum but may be a useful starting point for the trailer section forum of our new website.

David Peck

[Martin Elliott]

On our return from the 'Semaine Du Golfe', out of interest, I put Thumble (CC26) on the weighbridge. The result for boat and trailer was 1880kg. This includes outboard and comprehensive cruising equipment for a twelve day stay on board - everything except personal clothing. A bit of a worry this - if we include the crew's wardrobe we could be heading into Tacho requirements !

Incidently there were four CC's together in Vannes during this event which provokes the thought that we may soon need a collective noun for such a group - maybe 'a coddle' or 'a coop' or any other thoughts ?

Martin Elliott

[oak]

Martin,I picked up on a YM forum that the authorities were starting to fine owners of towing vehicles /trailers which had a combined weight exceeding 3500kg and who did not have a tachograph, £200 .
the aricle related mainly to breakdown trucks but how would this apply to private motorists as most 2litre cars wigh in at around 2000kg.Add in your boat and .........
I notice ,of course that farmers were exempt with tractors

[Dennis]

Hello Jack

I think that the total GVW of 3500+ Kg only applies to commercial vehicles.

I am a member of the Caravan Club, who keeps its members well informed on such matters, and I have heard nothing about tachos for car/trailer combined GVW is in excess of 3500 Kg. The point I am making is that many car/caravan outfits well exceed that figure, I think we may have heard more about it if there was a problem.

I have just checked my V5C and it gives the "max. permissible mass" for my car as 3230 Kg and the "Technical permissible maximum towable mass of the trailer" as 3500 Kg this gives a maximum GTW (Gross train weight) of 6730 Kg yet I have no tacho.

Hope this helps

Dennis

"Mary Ann"

[oak]

Hello Dennis,
I always understood GTW was weight of car plus trailer, now called MAM I think.
I am looking at a Citroen C5.
GTW 3777 kgs
max trailer 1800kg
wieght of car depending on load 1608 to 2155.
therefore I can load the car to a weight where the GTW will not be exceeded.
I was reading the indespension notes on the subject.

Every one says that private use is excempt from tacho requirements and they are probaly correct but we all dance to the same EU tune and vehicles here with a MAM over 3500 kgs require a tacho ,but you do not have to use it on private jorneys.
how has your weather been.
it has been raining for 2 months I have to launch a dinghy to get over the fields to the boat,perhaps we should move back to sunny Northumberland!

[Dennis]

Hello Jack

You are correct in (almost) everything you say.

It is not always sunny here in Northumberland. I was out sailing yesterday (August Bank Holiday Sunday). I had David Hudson with me, an association member who has a CC19 on order from Bob. He was on a fact finding mission to help him finalise the specification of his boat. We sailed together in the morning in fine weather and a reasonable breeze (up to 6kts on a reach with yankee, jib and full mainsail). We took a pub lunch (the Boat Inn at Leaplish) after which David had to go, so I sailed solo.

The cloud level dropped, the wind dropped, it drizzled constantly from about 15.00. The visibility got so bad I switched the nav. lights on. Eventually I had to give up and motored back the the yacht club at Whickhope.

It is not always like that though, that was only the fourth (or fifth?) time this year (out of seventeen days sailing) that there has been any rain at all. On a couple of occasions (May and June) it has been so hot I have had to resort to sun cream. Interestingly all the days when I have had some rain have been in July and August.

I hope you get some decent sailing in before the end of the season. I will not be on the water again until October as I am to Cornwall for three weeks with caravan.

Cheers

Dennis

CC19 "Mary Ann"

[Sarah]

What unbraked trailer can I tow? You can tow a maximum of 750 Kg with an unbraked trailer but you cannot exceed half the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. You can tow a trailer with a Gross Weight higher than your car’s towing limit as long as you only load it up to that limit. It is illegal to exceed the car’s towing limit.

At last its the actual weight just realised too......kerb weight is vehicle weight90 full fuel tank one british standard fat basta at the helm.

so thats 1410kgsme 90kgs 50l fuelsay 40kgs so i can tow up to the 750kg limit anyway