Re: trailering a Micro
a summer pastime of ours was to row the dinghy over the boat ramp at
low tide and watch the weekend warriors try to haul their heavy power
boats our with undermatched front wheel drive cars. There was
inevitably at least one blown transmission per hour. The tow truck
operators made a killing on the July 4th weekend!
Know your tides and pick a ramp that is not slick with weed/algae
if you are going to use a front drive car for this. A call to your
local harbormaster would pay off greatly on this one, as they will
know
which ramps to use and which to avoid. I know a J24 sailor who pulls
his boat with a Chrysler mini van with a 6 cyl engine. He has the
boatyard lift the boat off the trailer with a crane to launch it,
(then
steps the mast with the crane at the same time). The Micro is about
1000lbs lighter than a J24, but the hazards can be the same. A
longer
trailer or a trailer extension should be a great help. Triad
trailers
in Milford, Ct. make a great bunk trailer with a tongue extension
that
could be adapted for Micro use.
David Jost
low tide and watch the weekend warriors try to haul their heavy power
boats our with undermatched front wheel drive cars. There was
inevitably at least one blown transmission per hour. The tow truck
operators made a killing on the July 4th weekend!
Know your tides and pick a ramp that is not slick with weed/algae
if you are going to use a front drive car for this. A call to your
local harbormaster would pay off greatly on this one, as they will
know
which ramps to use and which to avoid. I know a J24 sailor who pulls
his boat with a Chrysler mini van with a 6 cyl engine. He has the
boatyard lift the boat off the trailer with a crane to launch it,
(then
steps the mast with the crane at the same time). The Micro is about
1000lbs lighter than a J24, but the hazards can be the same. A
longer
trailer or a trailer extension should be a great help. Triad
trailers
in Milford, Ct. make a great bunk trailer with a tongue extension
that
could be adapted for Micro use.
David Jost
>HowI defer to others here on the specifics in regard to the Micro as I
> easy would it be to launch and retrieve using a 6-cylinder FWD
> minivan? Is a special trailer needed, cradle, etc?
haven't towed one, but I caution you about your vehicle.
None of the FWD minivans are built for hauling. These are not
really trucks but just cars with a van body. The Chrysler and Ford
(FWD) products are notorious for transmission problems even if
they are not used for towing. The old RWD GM and Ford mini's
were built on truck platforms and make much better tow vehicles.
The Micro is small but it is not a light-weight boat. Be sure your
vehicle can safely handle the load.
-Don