This was reported on the BBC news pages (See link) and I believe that sadly the lady has since died. A freak accident but it was an insecure load. It certainly pays to double check everything and I always tow for about 5-10mins, stop and check again before completing the journey. Towing from Aberdeen it's always a long journey and I check at every stop I make - about 2 hours in case something has loosened/a rope has rubbed/or the boat shifted on the trailer somehow. I have given up using the lightweight ratchet straps and now use the lorry driver style with the big handle and the very thick straps as I found the the thin ones just chafed. You can pick them up for about £10 secondhand locally. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 437355.stm |
The link doesn't seem to work - try this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7437355.stm |
I know the guy who was towing the boat having sailed against him a number of times. He's a very experienced sailor, well known on the fireball and gp circuits, certainly not a newcomer to towing. It's a not clear whether it was a fault with the trailer, mast support or the way it was attached and he is understandably distraught about it. |
Maybe this is a good opportunity to share good practice and ideas about towing. In particular I worry about the tension on the tie-down board which I'm sure I tie too tight and have ended up with marks on the hull. But I don't like it any looser. |
I tie my painter to the trailer....and once it snapped. Saw the bow rise up in my rear-view mirror and had to pull over sharpish. |
couple of things i always do..... I only use strap downs to keep things tensioned, Always use a couple of short wire loops with carbine clips to attach the forestay bracket to the mast support on the trailer - if the straps work loose - i wont lose the boat... |
Here are two products I have found useful. The soft sponge stuff is great for tidying up shrouds etc along the mast and of course no sticky residue or damage to the mast. I afind they are fine for fastening the mast to the mast bracket - good for the wooden mast on Secret Water as they are soft and it save flaffing around with bits of sponge and cloth. I reuse them and the certainly they don't loosen in travel. The releasable cable ties are great too as they are realy substantial and won't break. I use one of these to fasten the mast to the transom horse and at the end of the journey it's a press and release. I have an orange drybag thet goes over the base of the mast and shrouds/forestay/gooseneck area - a good warning signal and also collects anything that might fall off the mast/shrouds etc on the journey. When I am unloading everything goes in the bag and comes out again when packing up. http://www.abbeypowertools.co.uk/garden-maintenance/gardening-accessories/showitem-11842-79986.aspx |
Second link http://www.globalplastics.co.uk/catalogue/releasable-Cable-Ties-2.shtml |
Several years ago I used to have a snipe trailer with transverse leaf spring type suspension. The stub-axle/hub was bolted to this spring with no other fixing. On joing a fast A- road one day the spring broke and the wheel/hub and a small protion of the spring parted company with the trailer. It hit a car following us but fortunately only did minor damage, our boat was OK. This was a very nearly a serious accident and it could have been very differnt if the wheel/hub had hit the guys windscreen or say a motor-cycle. If anyone still has one of these Snipe trailers with this arrangement I strongly suggest you replace it or at the very least have some sort of teather for the wheel-hub. |
some friends of my parents forgot to tie a canoe onto their roof rack.The canoe smashed through the front window of the caravan they were towing. Braking sharply then put it through the rear windscreen of the car. Nobody was hurt. |
Tip with tie-down straps: |
Don't tie the mast to the trailer board, but to the boat. Take a bungee from a strong point at the transom eg toe strap mounting eyes, up around the mast enough times to secure and reduce the bungee length then down to another secure point. |
It is better to rest the mast on top of the transom - not resting on the hull/transon join. |
Resting the mast anywhere on the boat has the potential to damage the boat if anything works slightly loose. Having experienced the annoyance of unnescesary minor repairs, on several occasions, I have invested in properly constructed trailer board supports that fits on the pintel/gudgeon, with twin supports, so I can keep both the mast and the boom off the boat surfaces. It is important to invest 50p in a 2mm R clip to stop the fitting jumping off the pintel (Seasure pintels already have a 2mm hole ready). |