Trailing a Huntress
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JeremyWhite
- Able Seaman
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:28 am
Trailing a Huntress
Does anyone have an opinion on trailing my totally restored and loved Huntress over a long distance. I am considering a move from the Isle of Wight to the Italian Lakes - so not a short hop. I am unsure about whether she will like a Trailor journey of some 1000km's. If anyone can suggest a Trailor custom shop that may be willing to accept the challenge - even better?
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tjsb
- Lieutenant
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:02 pm
- Location:
Re: Trailing a Huntress
Dear Jeremy,
The key thing here is the weight of the Huntress. I would guess at about 2.5 T, but worth being sure. This leaves 1 T for the weight of the trailer to keep under 3500kgs max for car and trailer. I assume you are not going the HGV route. You then need a heavy 4x4 or van to tow it. Make absolutely sure you know what it is rated to tow as many vans and SUVs have lower towing weights. You should be able to find the data on the VIN plate or Google. To go through France you need to be 2.55m wide (truck width) or narrower to get through the toll booths. I assume you have B+E licence as well. Once all these are in place you just need the trailer. You want at least 2 axles for stability and bigger tyres are better for cushioning and potholes. There are people who will make them up. Worth checking whether it needs some European certificate of manufacture to use on the continent although generally if it looks right it is much less likely to attract attention. A quick Google search gives a number of manufacturers. Key with the Huntress is the right support in the right places give the trailer will need to account for the shaft and rudders. Others in the club will know better than me. Good luck and feel free to come back to me. If you need to discuss, then we can pm Comms details.
Best Toby
The key thing here is the weight of the Huntress. I would guess at about 2.5 T, but worth being sure. This leaves 1 T for the weight of the trailer to keep under 3500kgs max for car and trailer. I assume you are not going the HGV route. You then need a heavy 4x4 or van to tow it. Make absolutely sure you know what it is rated to tow as many vans and SUVs have lower towing weights. You should be able to find the data on the VIN plate or Google. To go through France you need to be 2.55m wide (truck width) or narrower to get through the toll booths. I assume you have B+E licence as well. Once all these are in place you just need the trailer. You want at least 2 axles for stability and bigger tyres are better for cushioning and potholes. There are people who will make them up. Worth checking whether it needs some European certificate of manufacture to use on the continent although generally if it looks right it is much less likely to attract attention. A quick Google search gives a number of manufacturers. Key with the Huntress is the right support in the right places give the trailer will need to account for the shaft and rudders. Others in the club will know better than me. Good luck and feel free to come back to me. If you need to discuss, then we can pm Comms details.
Best Toby
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JeremyWhite
- Able Seaman
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:28 am
Re: Trailing a Huntress
Toby - many thanks for your advice. The car shouldn't be a problem as I have a LandRover Discovery. But you are absolutely correct in the issues at Toll stations on the French roads which I think should just measure up but now my question of the French/Italian authorities is permission to pass through the Mont Blanc Tunnel!! Otherwise a diversion of another 600km would be necessary. I will begin the process of finding a trailer manufacturer and go back to basics on architecture of the hull for the best supporting points on the hull. Thanks again. Jeremy
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Tim Russell
- Sub-Lieutenant
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2004 1:48 pm
- Location:
Re: Trailing a Huntress
Hello Jeremy
You might find it useful to get hold of a copy of BR3929, the MOD manual for the Fairey Huntress. There should be a copy accessible through the members’ area of the website.
The manual quotes the beam of a Huntress as “8ft 6in (ex rubber)” which converts to 2.59m. So you might need to do some more specific measurement on your boat to see where you stand relative to the 2.55m toll booth limit – but presumably the French have some way of getting abnormal loads down their toll roads. The other relevant specification is the quoted slinging weight of 3 tons with dry bilges and normal fuel load, but no crew on board. Of course, we know that the MOD boats were built more heavily than a normal Huntress, but it is also normal to expect boats to get heavier through life with all the little improvements that owners are apt to introduce. If you think you are going to be close to the weight limit then it might be an idea to find a weighbridge or a load cell.
Thinking of the problem of ensuring proper support for the boat, the Manual has a useful drawing of ‘Stowage and Slinging Arrangements’ - in my copy it is labelled Fig 1 and is a fold-out page between pages 1.6 and 1.7. The page includes a sketch of the three crutches for long-term stowage of the boat, and a drawing of where to put them to support the boat. Although you will not be wanting to use a wooden cradle on a flat-bed trailer, the arrangement will give you a good idea of where to put the trailer supports.
Happy to discuss.
Tim
You might find it useful to get hold of a copy of BR3929, the MOD manual for the Fairey Huntress. There should be a copy accessible through the members’ area of the website.
The manual quotes the beam of a Huntress as “8ft 6in (ex rubber)” which converts to 2.59m. So you might need to do some more specific measurement on your boat to see where you stand relative to the 2.55m toll booth limit – but presumably the French have some way of getting abnormal loads down their toll roads. The other relevant specification is the quoted slinging weight of 3 tons with dry bilges and normal fuel load, but no crew on board. Of course, we know that the MOD boats were built more heavily than a normal Huntress, but it is also normal to expect boats to get heavier through life with all the little improvements that owners are apt to introduce. If you think you are going to be close to the weight limit then it might be an idea to find a weighbridge or a load cell.
Thinking of the problem of ensuring proper support for the boat, the Manual has a useful drawing of ‘Stowage and Slinging Arrangements’ - in my copy it is labelled Fig 1 and is a fold-out page between pages 1.6 and 1.7. The page includes a sketch of the three crutches for long-term stowage of the boat, and a drawing of where to put them to support the boat. Although you will not be wanting to use a wooden cradle on a flat-bed trailer, the arrangement will give you a good idea of where to put the trailer supports.
Happy to discuss.
Tim
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tjsb
- Lieutenant
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:02 pm
- Location:
Re: Trailing a Huntress
Nice one Tim. Proper abloads aren't able to use the toll autoroutes. However 2cm either side will make it given rather more tolerance is helpful for a six axle artic or wagon and drag. Do check towing weights as some Discovery models are rather less than 3500 kg from a quick Google search. I agree with Tim about weighing the combination or at least when it is lifted, trying to get a slinging weight off the crane operator. This will give a max weight for the trailer should you choose to get one built. You can also hire weigh pads so you wouldn't have to leave a boatyard. Best Toby