Re: Trailer Weight and Towing P-19

JBlumhorst@aol.com
Wed, 24 Nov 1999 11:54:09 EST


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Wow! 2450 pounds? Do you know how much of that is trailer weight, Ron? I
wonder how much my 1985 #266 weighs. I'll have to weigh my rig and then
subtract about 400 pounds or so for the trailer.

The tongue weight for my rig is about 225 pounds (as measured with a bathroom
scale, and the trailer coupler at hitch height, with a jack stand under the
coupler.) My boat is positioned on the trailer so the axle is more-or-less
under the keel. The place that set up my trailer said that's the way to do
it for a sailboat, which has much of it's weight in the keel. Not like a
powerboat which has the heaviest weight in the back where the motor is
mounted.

I was surprised at that much tongue weight, so I asked around for other
opinions. Several other knowlegable folks confirmed that it was a good
setup. It must be, because the boat tows beautifully behind my Dodge Grand
Caravan, and has never fishtailed.

My van has heavy-duty towing suspension in the back, so it can handle the
tongue weight without turning the headlights into sky-search lights.
Lighter-duty vehicles may not be able to handle the tongue weight (I know my
the headlights on my Taurus would have been lighting up the sky with that
much tongue weight).

Best,
Judy B
WWP19 #266 Redwing

In a message dated 11/24/99 8:22:51 AM Pacific Standard Time,
rlreno@worldnet.att.net writes:

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> In response to requests for the official Nevada DMV figures for my rig-
>
> Boat and trailer weighs 2540 lbs as normally fitted out but without
> extra provisions for an outing.
>
> This is one of the old HMS-18s with heavier hull and mast. Also, all of
> the rigging has been heavily upgraded. The weight was with a 2-stroke
> attached-- my new Honda increases the load by about another 20 lbs.
> Lighter towing weight is one of the advantages of the newer P-19s. The
> trailer is also a heavy style with full-size wheels, similar to the Baja
> trailer.
>
> Tongue weight is presently 80 lbs. I will probably increase this a
> little by adding a motor carrier near the tongue like Jerry's.
>
> My current tow vehicle, a Jeep CJ-7, is short wheelbase, has a somewhat
> wimpy 6 cyl. engine, and weighs in at 3780 pounds including driver.
> Except for very short hauls it and the driver are not at all happy
> towing the HMS-18.
>
> The boat perpetually loads a little to one side- so when time and funds
> permit I plan to replace the wobbly upright PVC guide rollers with solid
> side boards like Judy's.
>
> Judy- I drilled a hole thru the crutch pintle and use a quick-release
> pin to keep the crutch in place (just like the one on my rudder) rather
> than the downhaul bungee you use.
>
> Regarding the stabilizing lines from top of mast crutch- like the
> majority of responses I use them. One of the long stern dock lines to
> the stern cleats does the trick nicely but I add a bungee from the
> center of the lines downward to keep slack out of the system. I suspect
> Judy's method of just using a couple strong bungees is a little faster
> to rig.
>
> Ron
> HMS-18 #42 Bluebelle
>
>