Guys, US Customs and Border Patrol trailer their large Intrepids with triple or quad outboards all the time down here in Miami/Lauderdale using dually pickups. It's about weight. These boats can be comparatively light to other boats of equal LOA, even with a small cuddy.
Dive Boat suggestions
- Thread starter dab
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
"Guys, US Customs and Border Patrol trailer their large Intrepids with triple or quad outboards all the time down here in Miami/Lauderdale using dually pickups. It's about weight. These boats can be comparatively light to other boats of equal LOA, even with a small cuddy"
Well, yes, not to be argumentative but they are being paid, they are not travelling that far, they have might I add a dually pickup! If some one has the cash to drive and own such a machine 365 days a year just so they can pull a boat a few days a year OK and wish to put up with the hassle of driving such a truck in crowded streets and parking lots--fine. Some people can afford to buy a vehicle just for towing and have other vehicles for their daily pursuits--fine again. From the vantage point of somone who might not have multiple vehicles at their disposal pulling such large boats is very diffucult. The new Nissan Titan half ton for example with 300 horses can pull 9500 lb as long as you stay within tongue limits and GVWR. If the poster only has a short distance relatively speaking to travel it might be entirely possible to tow such boats. The Dodge dually with diesel will prably set you back over 40,000 dollars with a crew cab for the family and --er--crew. Launching them (boats that size) and recovering them is another mattter! Driving on the highway is yet another challenge, every now and then, OK but on a regular basis--No thanks. I have delt with such things only a few times but enough to know it is challenging. Practice makes perfect I am sure, maybe some even enjoy it.
The Nantucket 190 weighs about 2400 lbs bare, the engine another 450ish. Then the 60 gallons of fuel at just shy of 7 lbs per gallon is another 420ish lbs. The trailer and assorted towing equipment adds up to another 800ish lbs. Then add people, diving gear, food, ice chests, anchors, and other boat gear and all that and you soon find yourself pushing 5000 lbs for this 19 foot deep V boat. I have to tow as much as 1500 miles to use the boat in salt water. It is tiring, towing a 26 footer would be daunting. That is my opinion, I wish y'all well but with that size boat I would slip it or leave it in a marina. Could be wrong. N
Well, yes, not to be argumentative but they are being paid, they are not travelling that far, they have might I add a dually pickup! If some one has the cash to drive and own such a machine 365 days a year just so they can pull a boat a few days a year OK and wish to put up with the hassle of driving such a truck in crowded streets and parking lots--fine. Some people can afford to buy a vehicle just for towing and have other vehicles for their daily pursuits--fine again. From the vantage point of somone who might not have multiple vehicles at their disposal pulling such large boats is very diffucult. The new Nissan Titan half ton for example with 300 horses can pull 9500 lb as long as you stay within tongue limits and GVWR. If the poster only has a short distance relatively speaking to travel it might be entirely possible to tow such boats. The Dodge dually with diesel will prably set you back over 40,000 dollars with a crew cab for the family and --er--crew. Launching them (boats that size) and recovering them is another mattter! Driving on the highway is yet another challenge, every now and then, OK but on a regular basis--No thanks. I have delt with such things only a few times but enough to know it is challenging. Practice makes perfect I am sure, maybe some even enjoy it.
The Nantucket 190 weighs about 2400 lbs bare, the engine another 450ish. Then the 60 gallons of fuel at just shy of 7 lbs per gallon is another 420ish lbs. The trailer and assorted towing equipment adds up to another 800ish lbs. Then add people, diving gear, food, ice chests, anchors, and other boat gear and all that and you soon find yourself pushing 5000 lbs for this 19 foot deep V boat. I have to tow as much as 1500 miles to use the boat in salt water. It is tiring, towing a 26 footer would be daunting. That is my opinion, I wish y'all well but with that size boat I would slip it or leave it in a marina. Could be wrong. N
My BW 190 Nantucket getting cleaned up last Fall. We tow with a V8 Toyota TRD Tundra 4X4 with supercharger. N
Nemrod:
I disagree. Most sport fishing boats in the 25' class that have an 8 1/2' beam are made for trailering. We have trailered an older 26' all aluminum marinette, outfitted for technical diving, with an older 3/4 ton that handled it with no problem. That boat has a 10' beam that makes it much more of a hassel with the requirement to get an oversize permit. It's looking like the 25' sport craft may be the best bet, and that is easily trailerable. I was hoping someone else had some experience with something better or something I had not thought of. I have looked at the pursuit, grady whites, small trawler styles, thompsons, and any other suggestions that have been made. Thanks for your thoughts.
mike_s
Contributor
Nemrod Well:
mike_s
Contributor
Nemrod:
Unrelated to towing questions:
How hard is it to "re enter" this type boat with Scuba gear on?
Do you usually float your BC and hand it up?
Do most people who dive out of small boats like this leave
someone in the boat while they are diving or just "chance"
it that there won't be an emergency like the boat getting
free of anchor or coming up way down current? Just curious.
"Do you usually float your BC and hand it up?"
It is not hard at all, gear up on the boat and roll in. Getting back in you have a few tether lines maybe with a ball float and clip hooks. Pull your BC off and hook it to the tether line and swim up to the stern. The tether lines can be hung from the sides as well as from the stern. Always make sure you also have a trailing line, at least I do. Most boats that are meant for offshore in the size you mention are outboards. These usually have a swim platform on one side or the other or both. Once your BC is hooked to the tether just walk up the swim ladder.
The towing thing aside, I have towed those huge camp trailers, not fun and they are meant for towing, each to their own, since having owned such a boat (26 feet) when I lived in Houston I have decided what can be done and what I want to do are two different things, certainly many vehicles today can pull those loads, I would go diesel. The mileage will be much better and having a vehicle that is up to the task will make it all go easier and most salt water marinas have boat lifts that can put your boat in and out of the water without backing your truck and trailer into the salt water. This can run anywhere from free to as much as 50 dollars.
My Merc 150 burns upwards of 6 to 10 GPH and at 26 MPH cruise it gets almost 3 miles per gallon!!!, twin 200 would probably consume 15 to 25 per hour. Yahooooo, burn that gas!!!!!!
Since you asked about getting in and out the BW does make dive specific boats. Go to their commercial division and you see that they have at least three boats in which a cutout is made in the side with a flip down ladder. Once at the dive site, the cutout pops out, ladder swings down and you step in and out of the boat fully geared up. Since the BW is fullly foam cored there is no danger of sinking. These are available I think from 17 to 24 feet--I could be wrong about that but might be worth your look see. I don't think they have a cuddy version though, to bad.
"will easily run you $50k to $125k."
Well, a BW in that size range, 26 feet BW Outrage is going to be a bit more than that new, the EastPort 21 with cuddy and single 200 horse Merc will be about 50,000 plus trailer etc. If you choose a used boat have it surveyed. Since the hurricanes already I notice some "repaired" boats showing up here in the Heartland that are obviously not from a local lake as they have Florida registrations still visible. Some of these could be a great deal, some not. I don't think there is a BoatFacts like CarFacts. One thing, you may already know, the computers on most any newer outboard can be read by any well equiped service tech giving you all sorts of info on the health of the engine(s), important if buying used.
Well, good luck, hope you find what you are looking for. Hey, here is an old picture, things have come a long way huh? N
It is not hard at all, gear up on the boat and roll in. Getting back in you have a few tether lines maybe with a ball float and clip hooks. Pull your BC off and hook it to the tether line and swim up to the stern. The tether lines can be hung from the sides as well as from the stern. Always make sure you also have a trailing line, at least I do. Most boats that are meant for offshore in the size you mention are outboards. These usually have a swim platform on one side or the other or both. Once your BC is hooked to the tether just walk up the swim ladder.
The towing thing aside, I have towed those huge camp trailers, not fun and they are meant for towing, each to their own, since having owned such a boat (26 feet) when I lived in Houston I have decided what can be done and what I want to do are two different things, certainly many vehicles today can pull those loads, I would go diesel. The mileage will be much better and having a vehicle that is up to the task will make it all go easier and most salt water marinas have boat lifts that can put your boat in and out of the water without backing your truck and trailer into the salt water. This can run anywhere from free to as much as 50 dollars.
My Merc 150 burns upwards of 6 to 10 GPH and at 26 MPH cruise it gets almost 3 miles per gallon!!!, twin 200 would probably consume 15 to 25 per hour. Yahooooo, burn that gas!!!!!!
Since you asked about getting in and out the BW does make dive specific boats. Go to their commercial division and you see that they have at least three boats in which a cutout is made in the side with a flip down ladder. Once at the dive site, the cutout pops out, ladder swings down and you step in and out of the boat fully geared up. Since the BW is fullly foam cored there is no danger of sinking. These are available I think from 17 to 24 feet--I could be wrong about that but might be worth your look see. I don't think they have a cuddy version though, to bad.
"will easily run you $50k to $125k."
Well, a BW in that size range, 26 feet BW Outrage is going to be a bit more than that new, the EastPort 21 with cuddy and single 200 horse Merc will be about 50,000 plus trailer etc. If you choose a used boat have it surveyed. Since the hurricanes already I notice some "repaired" boats showing up here in the Heartland that are obviously not from a local lake as they have Florida registrations still visible. Some of these could be a great deal, some not. I don't think there is a BoatFacts like CarFacts. One thing, you may already know, the computers on most any newer outboard can be read by any well equiped service tech giving you all sorts of info on the health of the engine(s), important if buying used.
Well, good luck, hope you find what you are looking for. Hey, here is an old picture, things have come a long way huh? N
Trailering really isn't the issue for me. I live in the Great Lakes area and we have fisherman who tavel from Lake Superior to lake Erie with 23 to 28' boats all the time. I have the trailering experience (from 32' 5th wheels to 5 horse trailers) to know what I'm getting into there. Also some of my dive buddies also frequently trailer larger cuddy cabin style boats. The issues I'm trying to get help on is some thoughts on the best boats for conversion to a dive boat. Ultimately I will likely purchase a used boat, but I'm trying to determine exactly what I want to pursue. I've seen lot of different pleasure boats converted to dive boat use, and it seems there is always some good and bad points, generally more bad than good. Sport craft went out of business a few years ago, but there are a lot of thier boats around. They seem to lend themselves very well to dive boat conversion, but they also have some drawbacks. I am hoping to draw from some others experience and make sure I look at everything out there before I actually purchase something. Thanks for your help.
mike_s
Contributor
Nemrod:
they had one of theor boats cut in half on a "national tour" . They put it in the water with the motor on it and holes cut in it and the front 5 or 6 feet cut off. Pretty unsinkable boat.
Eight foot beam. I have a 22. The 24 would be my favorite. Very sturdy and has a heated cabin with comfortable arrangements. It is heavy.
Here is a pic of my boat and a link www.seasportboats.com
Here is a pic of my boat and a link www.seasportboats.com
Similar threads
