Towing Long Distance?

Hi all

About to tow my boat ( approx 10 years old -17 pilot with twin 30hp engines) from Essex to Kerry. Never been that far towing it - so I have a slight worry about the engines and their weight bouncing around for over 500 miles of road?

One thought was to remove the engines and lay them down inside the boat? Any thoughts as to the safest way or is this going to mess them up - they are injected 2 stroke.

I have visions of my transom with two engines attached ending up in the ditch............ - its not that the transom is weak but not 100% of how strong it is?

Or am I just worrying to excess !!!

Cheers
:?: :?: :?:

Hello bbfishy.
Do you use a trailer board :?:

raise the engines and put a peice of 2" x 2" soft timber between the transom and engine then lower the engine onto the wood. this will absorb most of the small knocks.

as coaster said and get a strap and tie them stop bouncing.fair effort in taken them off they would not be light.

I use the 2 x 2 method when travelling distance - have a 50hp. The wood takes a pounding but so far so good as far as engine and transom are concerned. Drill a hole either end of the 2 x 2 and tie up with some strong anchor rope for extra peace-of-mind.

If you are in the habbit of tramping your boat on in the chop it will have exerted far more force than any road journey, I would not be a big fan of the 2x2 method its only putting stress in another area and doing your PTT ram no favours (if fitted)

In all honesty, I'm not a fan of the 2x2 option either , scares the bejaysus out of me everytime I hear a bang, but I have no other option til I get a new engine ! All donations welcome !

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the tips - in the end I just strapped it all up in the air and tried to avoid the pot holes.......

And the good news is it worked - got there with one complete boat !!!!

Now I just have to get the time to get out

Thanks