Off hand does anyone know if you can get away with a 5m cable on the trailer number plate board to tow a Merlin or does it need a 6m one.  My n/s indicator has packed in and I have wasted more than enough time on it so will pick one up on the way home.

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/trailers/lights.htm

I know the rules - it's the length of the cable I can get away with on a merlin

Sorry misunderstood question, 6m will be enough to avoid problems.

5 x 39.4ins /12 = 16ft 5ins and the Merlin's 14ft so it depends how far the prow of the boat is from the socket and does it give room to turn? I think I'd go for a longer one.

Dammit - £8 dearer!!  Thanks

still - youve saved a quid on the car sticker!

Marvellous - makes spending cash on the new car much less painful!!

I have 5.6 metres of cable and found it far too short; meaning that I had to get a curly cable extension lead before I could tow. 

Personally I'd get 8m or even 10m so you can tow bigger things if you ever need to. It is possible to buy boards with really long cables on the internet; for example see this link:-

I have always used the standard tow board and bought a 3m extension lead (plug one end and socket the other already made up) available from towsure or a good car accessory shop.

Bought a long lead for mine as it uses up an extra metre to run the cable through the inside and out the chute hole. I pulled a cheap lighting board to bits and fitted it to a wooden board with pintles/gudgeons on.

Did you see the wireless (battery powered) lighting board at the Dinghy Show? Very fancy, but daft price sadly.

6m one bought and fits like a glove!! If it had been too short then I would have gone back for an extension.   Thanks for the advice.