How to tow a Wide boat???

[AFD]

I have heard that towing anything over 8'6" requires a permit.

If i was looking at a boat with a 10'2" beam, how would i tow it or have it moved? i would rather do it myself than pay someone to haul my boat around but am unaware of the procedure.

if it matters i live in Ma. if anyone knows the laws i would appreciate the heads up.

thanks
Anthony

 

[alwhite00]

I would start with the DMV and see what permits you will need. Some states will require a chase car. Do you have a big enough vehicle to tow it? What doees the boat weigh?

LK

 

[AKBASSKING]

Look at this. It should give you some ideas.

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/27625-The-Big-Tow-From-NC-to-Portland-OR

 

[Gofirstclass]

I used to tow my 330 Dancer all over the place. It had an 11'+ beam so it needed trip permits. That was before you could buy them online and they were only good for one trip, one direction. Now you can buy them online and many states have permits good for a year.

Trip permits are only good for travel on a freeway (or other road with two lanes in the same direction) without pilot cars. Any time you hit the two lane roads you need pilot cars, or be willing to try to sneak through without them, which we frequently did.

Speaking as a former cop I can tell you that local cops and sheriff deputies don't know what the rules are on towing wide loads. The only conversation I ever had with a city cop about the boat was "how big is it and what does it weigh?" State patrol will know the rules, but if you're obeying the law regarding having your signs posted you won't get stopped.

I certainly would not let the requirement to have the signs displayed keep me from buying a boat I liked because it was over 8'6" wide. If you can tow an 8,000 pound boat with an 8'6" beam you can certainly tow a 12,000 pound boat with an 11' beam. It just requires more horsepower to tow it and more axles on the trailer. Towing them is the same.

 

[alwhite00]

I used to tow my 330 Dancer all over the place.
or be willing to try to sneak through without them, which we frequently did.

Speaking as a former cop .

If you did get pulled over they would probably let you go as you were a cop - My brother is a cop & I hear the stories.

LK

 

[AFD]

I'm a firefighter and have stickers on all 4 corners of my truck so i don't think i'll be getting pulled over unless it's blatantly gross negligence , I'm looking at a 97 290 DA and the weight is just over 10,000 lbs and 10' 2" wide I have a 2006 Dodge ram 2500 with a 5.9 Cummins, 4.11's in the diffs and 35's with a few goodies so pulling wouldn't be a problem. the boat i'm looking at doesn't have a trailer but i will be looking to get one to not pay anyone to move it. it would be at a slip for the season but for maintenance and season start and finish or for a modification i want to do at the driveway i would take it home. probably 30 minutes of stop and go, no highway driving. I'll have to check with the height on the trailer as some of the wires are low hanging.

It's really only 20 minutes with all the traffic lights but i added 10 for the boat considering a lot of it is uphill on the way home and i would be driving slower with the trailer.


thanks for the replies everyone

 

[Gofirstclass]

If you did get pulled over they would probably let you go as you were a cop - My brother is a cop & I hear the stories.

LK

I've only been stopped twice since I left law enforcement in 1990 and have not gotten any tickets. I didn't let the cop know I was a former cop, but was polite to them and just explained what I was doing and they let me off. No harm, no foul.

I used to bring my boat home annually for a cleaning, maintenance and inspection. Never bothered with a permit for the 10 mile trip and never got stopped. The only hassle was going through a roundabout with it because I took both lanes and some times the other drivers got pissed because I was taking the whole road. Fug 'em. I was bigger than they were so there wasn't much they could have done.

That being said, if I caused an accident and didn't have the permit I'd have been spit roasted in court.

 

[markrinker]

I'm a firefighter and have stickers on all 4 corners of my truck so i don't think i'll be getting pulled over unless it's blatantly gross negligence , I'm looking at a 97 290 DA and the weight is just over 10,000 lbs and 10' 2" wide I have a 2006 Dodge ram 2500 with a 5.9 Cummins, 4.11's in the diffs and 35's with a few goodies so pulling wouldn't be a problem. the boat i'm looking at doesn't have a trailer but i will be looking to get one to not pay anyone to move it. it would be at a slip for the season but for maintenance and season start and finish or for a modification i want to do at the driveway i would take it home. probably 30 minutes of stop and go, no highway driving. I'll have to check with the height on the trailer as some of the wires are low hanging.

It's really only 20 minutes with all the traffic lights but i added 10 for the boat considering a lot of it is uphill on the way home and i would be driving slower with the trailer.


thanks for the replies everyone

There is a saying in professional marine transporter circles: "Wide is easy, tall is stressful."

That being said, your truck and boat combo will be safe and fine. Be aware of your overall height, and pre-run the route to check for low hanging branches, cable TV, etc.

Brakes are more important than horsepower. You could tow your boat with a lawn tractor, you just wouldn't be able to stop it very easily...

In the 500K miles I put in towing boats www.MREBoatTransport.com I rarely permitted anything under 10' 6" wide. That being said, I did get called on it twice - (IA and in NM) by cops that were informed enough to know that any twin engine cruiser is oversize (wide) ...

 

[AKBASSKING]

I towed my 300DB from Florida to NC, then NC to WA. Had all the signage and lights and never got pulled over. Scooter Wayne did me good.

 

[AFD]

I towed my 300DB from Florida to NC, then NC to WA. Had all the signage and lights and never got pulled over. Scooter Wayne did me good.

I read that thread. what an amazing time. my wife and I drove cross country to sell a car once. would have been nice to go slow and enjoy it but i was in a rush to get to AZ and surprise family outside of Phoenix

 

[Richie89]

i've been pulling my 290 now all over the SE for a couple of months. haven't gotten pulled over yet and i haven't gotten the permits.

some trailer advice - when i got mine it came with a trailer. it was rated for the boat. one the way home, i blew 2 tires. i bought an AmeriTrail trailer for it. it's way over-rated, but makes a huge difference. it's got 16" wheels and i think 2 ton axles (3 of them). it wasn't cheap, like 13K, but the tires don't even sag and i can fly down the road at 75 mph.

like mentioned above, height is the issue. i already knocked my Glomex off once.

 

[270win]

I pull my 255 Amberjack all over the place. Picked it up in Philadelphia PA and brought it to Atlanta and then locally since then. It's 10' wide and I've had no issues at all. It is a single and looks like a cuddy cabin so it's a bit deceptive.

I picked it up in Philly with a really lousy roller trailer under it. It was okay and made the trip fine. I recently bought a Road King trailer and I can tell you that the difference in a quality trailer makes an exponential difference in your towing experience. It feels like I'm pulling a much smaller boat now.

 

[KC_Sundancer]

I've pulled our 10 foot wide 270da back and forth to South Florida from Michigan's Upper Peninsula a few times with our F350 Diesel and tri-axle roller trailer rather easily. Pulled all the necessary permits and ran with banners, basically set-up for the State requiring the most safety equipment. Night time travel is another restriction in some states. I did get pulled over by a Mich state officer for speeding on a 2 lane (52 mph in a 55 zone, wide load limited to 45 on 2 lane here). Presented all the necessary permits and he let me go. My thoughts - pull the permits, they are cheap compared to tickets. The other concern would be insurance coverage issues without them if you had an accident. Relax, take your time, pay attention and enjoy the road trip. :thumbsup:

 

[270win]

My thoughts - pull the permits, they are cheap compared to tickets. The other concern would be insurance coverage issues without them if you had an accident. Relax, take your time, pay attention and enjoy the road trip. :thumbsup:

I do agree with this line of thinking. I worried about the PA-Atlanta run wondering what would happen if I got pulled over or if there was an accident.

 

[gambler85gw]

I just bought a 1976 300 sport bridge Nd in the process of getting it in the water. Have a few more days (probably weeks work) to be ready to tow to lake. I live just 11 milesa from canyon lake just off 88 (foot hills of superstition Mt in Az.) It has a 11' 6" beam on a 3 axle trailer. I was told a permit would be 700.00 That cannot be right. I am thinking of going at night (2 or 3 in the Am) It will stay in slip once i get it to the lake. There would be no one on the road it that time of night.

 

[src]

I just bought a 1976 300 sport bridge Nd in the process of getting it in the water. Have a few more days (probably weeks work) to be ready to tow to lake. I live just 11 milesa from canyon lake just off 88 (foot hills of superstition Mt in Az.) It has a 11' 6" beam on a 3 axle trailer. I was told a permit would be 700.00 That cannot be right. I am thinking of going at night (2 or 3 in the Am) It will stay in slip once i get it to the lake. There would be no one on the road it that time of night.

First, contact your state's DOT (Department of Transportation) for oversize load regulations. Many states have short term permits as well as the more expensive yearly permits. This information is usually on the DOT website.

Second, I don't see any information on what vehicle you are planning on towing this boat with. I'm hoping that that's because you already have it covered with a BIG truck of some sort, but it's always good to ask. Even short distance tows with an unsafe vehicle are unsafe.

 

[markrinker]

I just bought a 1976 300 sport bridge Nd in the process of getting it in the water. Have a few more days (probably weeks work) to be ready to tow to lake. I live just 11 milesa from canyon lake just off 88 (foot hills of superstition Mt in Az.) It has a 11' 6" beam on a 3 axle trailer. I was told a permit would be 700.00 That cannot be right. I am thinking of going at night (2 or 3 in the Am) It will stay in slip once i get it to the lake. There would be no one on the road it that time of night.

Well, if you go at night, at least you won't have to SEE what it is that clips off your upper controls! Hope if you do go at night, that you 'pre-run' your route and know what the lowest tree branches, cable TV wires, etc. are. Any load over 13'6" is overheight. Up to 14' you are usually fine. Every inch after that, the risk of finding the overhead obstruction goes up exponentially. By 14'6" its just a matter of WHEN, not IF...

 

[hottoddie]

If the only reason to buy a trailer is to transport from slip to home and back then maybe you should pass on the trailer. For what it costs to purchase, pay sales/excise tax, maintenance, registration fees etc. than it may actually be cheaper to pay a transport co. Then when you have it home the bottom is very difficult to work on when on a trailer, much easier when on blocks. Two way transport for my 390 7 miles from ramp is about $650. Cheaper and more convenient than yard storage.

 

[Newman]

Brakes are more important than horsepower. You could tow your boat with a lawn tractor, you just wouldn't be able to stop it very easily...

:thumbsup: +1

 

[AFD]

we realized that it is cheaper to have it moved. $245 each way. if we don't take it home during the season then it would take 12 years or more to cover just the purchase price of a trailer. also have a friend with a 12,000lb bunk trailer that he tows his 2900 pursuit with and said i can borrow the trailer whenever i want as he leaves his on a ball. he actually said he pulls his out of the water to fuel it and suggested i do the same for the HUGE discount on fuel. average of $200 savings per tank by pulling it and driving less than 1/2 mile down the street to the gas station.