Towing advice

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:23 pm

Actually there is a bitof info there . I have sent a question and am told to expect an answer by Tuesay. My question needless to say was . Will you rent me a truck to tow my boat from my present home to my new one .
Well that will get us started anyway

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:34 pm

It was of the order of $100 to tow one way from Boston to ALbany in 2002, not more than that.

eric3a · Post by **eric3a** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:25 pm

Bransher · Post by **Bransher** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:24 pm

LOUIS B HOLUB wrote: We tow our Mac-X with a Ford F150, 6 cycl, std. shift. I was told the towing capacity is 3500#.

I have a question Louis..... I have an older F150 with 6 cyl and auto. trans. and a "step" bumper hitch that I would like to use to pull my new 26M. I have heard somewhere that the step bumper hitch might not be adequate for that task. It looks heavy duty to me and is bolted to the frame. What are you using?

Don n Cheri · Post by **Don n Cheri** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:12 pm

You are all a pretty nice bunch of folks and I trust your advise on anything to do with my baby

BUT

handing over the keys to my

..... a...... a.......er...... NO!

perhaps some of you would be willing to swap your boat with another Mac owner, but it' sounds way to much like swaping undrewear with your neighbor

Besides, it takes way too much time to get things the way I want them on the boat, with just my own family along and not putting things back in their place.

eric3a · Post by **eric3a** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:25 pm

Zoran · Post by **Zoran** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:05 pm

I am with Eric. If there is any lawyer here on board maybe we can have a draft of the waiver to be signed and swapping is OK for me. To be honest why to tow one boat 3000 km one way and at the same time another person is towing 3000 km in the opposite direction. I know, boat might not have the same mods as yours but it is the same boat, bbq is bbq just different one at possible different location, same with stove or frying pan. For one or two week vacation I can live in somebody else's boat and save 4, 6 or more days of driving by flying there. I would not have any problems borrowing my boat to somebody especially if they have same boat and they are borrowing it to me.

Zoran

beene · Post by **beene** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:21 am

I would never lend out MV to anyone. Take them sailing and let them play Capt, any day, but never lend her out. By the same token, I would never borrow anyone else’s either. I have a motorcycle, lots of my friends want one just like it, they have their license, but, say I lend it out to them, they get in an accident, something that tends to happen with motorcycles, I will be out a bike, even worse.. a friend. Nope, won’t do it. I borrow someone else’s toy, as Eric puts it, something happens, anything at all that is not good, I would feel obligated to fix it even if it had nothing at all to do with how I used it. Say the OB goes wirrrrtzzzzzzzsplat, not a very comforting feeling I am sure. Did I do something wrong? No. I was just motoring along at 2000 rpm and it just quit. Sorry dude, here’s your keys, gotta go, cheers….

Zoran, you make a good point about the 3000 mile thing, but personally, I will take a pass. However, if you or any fellow sailors are ever in my neck of the woods, I would gladly take you out for a cruise anytime.

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:32 am

Bransher wrote:
LOUIS B HOLUB wrote: We tow our Mac-X with a Ford F150, 6 cycl, std. shift. I was told the towing capacity is 3500#.
I have a question Louis..... I have an older F150 with 6 cyl and auto. trans. and a "step" bumper hitch that I would like to use to pull my new 26M. I have heard somewhere that the step bumper hitch might not be adequate for that task. It looks heavy duty to me and is bolted to the frame. What are you using?

Step bumpers are typically only rated as Class I or 2000 pounds of load. A ball on one typically also is too high. A trailer that's towed tongue-high is much more likely to sway. Skip the Class II (3500 pound) hitch (typically 1-1/4" square receiver) and mount a Class III (5000 pound, 2" square receiver) on your truck. They aren't terribly expensive and are easy do-it-yourself for anyone with at least a little mechanical skills.

Just a head's up on F150s. For several years now, they've used little Mazda manual transmissions and the "towing capacity" of one so equipped is only a fraction of one with the automatic. Be very gentle when towing but don't slip the clutch any more than you have to either.

--
Moe

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:12 am

Here is the U Haul Reply;

Thank you for contacting our U-Haul Reservations Department.

All of our trucks have hitches attached and are able to tow up to 5000 pounds.

If you require further assistance, please contact a representative at 1-800-468-4285.

Thank you,
Emily
U-Haul Reservations

Don n Cheri · Post by **Don n Cheri** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:08 pm

Eric and Zoran, I really appreciate your willingness to share toys, I used to be more open to that as well. Then about 9 years ago I let a friend borrowed my plane to take his lady to her Mothers for her birthday. He had flown with me many times and was a good pilot but to no avail, we still lost both the friend and the plane that day and I’ve never felt much like loaning stuff since.

Although I’ve built another plane, I sometimes wake up and wonder, maybe I did something wrong on the maintenance, maybe did I not do a good job of checking him out in the plane?

I’m still OK with loaning you the lawn mower, paint sprayer and the like, but cars, boats and planes are off the table.

Wow, was there ever a hassle with insurance and now his family doesn’t talk to us…………………

What would you expect if someone borrowed your Ugly Duck and thru no fault of theirs it was damaged? Who pays for the repair, Them? It was not their negligence that caused it. You, after all it is your boat and it was not the borrower’s fault?

Please don’t take this as a personal criticism it is simply one of the many things that can happen and must be dealt with.

don

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:53 am

Thats a tough one, Don, I see where you are coming from.

To me, these things are trimming on the turkey of life and Im happy for as many to get enjoyment from them as they can.

A Mac is not a boat to loan to someone cold, though. One of the contributing factors to the kids who lost their lives on CHamplain in 2002 was a drunk, inexperienced skipper (aka brother-in-law borrowing the boat IIRC) who did not ballast and overloaded the boat badly.

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:56 am

Say the OB goes wirrrrtzzzzzzzsplat, not a very comforting feeling I am sure. Did I do something wrong? No. I was just motoring along at 2000 rpm and it just quit. Sorry dude, here’s your keys, gotta go, cheers…

Easy one - under rule 17 of Civil Behaviour

Absent agreements to the contrary, the Borrower is responsible for returning the merchandise in the condition in which it was borrowed.

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Towing advice

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