MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : A very nasty but avoidable accident

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

Posted: 10/06/2008 11:06:57
By: Garry R
The link doesn't seem to work - try this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7437355.stm

Posted: 10/06/2008 11:29:44
By: Garry R
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.


Posted: 10/06/2008 12:27:03
By: Chris m
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.

My tie-down board is a real amateur thing but Winders want £158 for one of theirs. Anyone got an innovative home design?

I tie my mast to the trailer board and support - and of course it passes through the hoop so it should be ok - but I suspect it will be tied even tighter from now on.

Anyone got any good ideas or horror stories to share?


Posted: 11/06/2008 16:21:18
By: Terry 3591
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.


Posted: 11/06/2008 19:48:46
By: Mags
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... 
If i'm going on a long journey a couple of wraps of gaffer tape will hold the mast firm - so what if it leaves a residue - its never gonna let go.
Northampton sailboats market a rear mast support/ lightboard bracket that mounts on the rudder pintles, looks far better than the diy one that I bodged a couple of years ago... but much kinder on your mast and hull....


Posted: 11/06/2008 22:57:49
By: artless bodger
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

Posted: 12/06/2008 09:07:38
By: Garry R
Second link

http://www.globalplastics.co.uk/catalogue/releasable-Cable-Ties-2.shtml

Posted: 12/06/2008 09:07:57
By: Garry R
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.

On examination the spring was founfd to have suffered metal fatigue, it had no prior signs of this or any corrosion.


Posted: 12/06/2008 11:16:43
By: Dave C
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.


Posted: 12/06/2008 12:38:56
By: PaulR
Tip with tie-down straps:
I alway make sure they are twisted, that spoils the (unstable)air flow over them so they don't try and flog around as much in the wind. Like the spirals put around round chimneys to reduce vortex shedding.


Posted: 12/06/2008 12:45:16
By: PaulR
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. 
Also ensure the mast is secureely tied to the support and the support has a securing tie to the nose of the boat in case the support breaks off!
If your tie downs (should have nose and middle) can flog they can't be tight enough! You should get a nice note out of it when tightened - that's essential Boat Tuning!!


Posted: 12/06/2008 13:17:30
By: Pat2121
It is better to rest the mast on top of the transom - not resting on the hull/transon join.

A friend drove into a car park (low headroom), forgetting the mast was higher and took the transom clean out of the dinghy....


Posted: 12/06/2008 14:41:57
By: Colin
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).

I obtained my supports from Tony at sail-sport.


Posted: 12/06/2008 21:07:17
By: Alan F

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