Towing Vehicle

[kchunk]

lol...Saying the gynormous Expedition tows a CP19 fine is like say the Expedition seats two comfortably...I'd surely hope so. 

[Bob23]

My 2 cents...
   I own a 2001 tundra 4wd, 4.7L v-8. Tows the 23 just fine...hardly even know it's back there. 150,000 miles and going strong. Halfway home- goal is 300K! Quieter than our car, a 2004 Camry.
   I like reserve power and a vehicle that doesn't break and can last 10-15 years. That's what I call being envornmentally responsible!
Bob23---vroom!

[JLaman]

I really like to sail because it takes me away from war, politics, religion, opinions, greed, the flu, and all the other bad news.  Seems we have solved the towing problems.  Let's move on to something more sailing related so we can all better enjoy the wind, water, and peace.

[Potcake boy]

Jeff,
Thank you for your synopsis of this errant topic - sailing is why we are here. Besides I'd rather talk politics face to face so I can use the sailor's vocabulary I wouldn't even dare to use on this forum.

I use a Jeep Wrangler with the classic straight 6 automatic and it is perfectly matched to the towing of my CP 19, AND I can put the top down - woohoo.

Here's one of those humorous things about towing that I think many of you can identify with. Remember in the early days with your first sailboat towing it home after a long day of sailing in high winds, and feeling the force of a cross wind on your vehicle making you feel like you need to drive "close to the wind", maybe tack at the left turn signal?  Kind of like standing in the shower after a long day on the water and feeling like the shower is tossing around in the sea.
Ron

[JLaman]

We've mentioned the motion part of towing, but any thoughts on stopping?  I have had a few scary moments avoiding both cars and people and now keep a very long distance in front of me to stop.  Brakes on my '97 4.3L v6 Chevy Blazer are new with nearly new tires, but stopping the vehicle and 3000# of boat and trailer takes a bit.  Anybody have trailer brakes or recommendations.

And just another thought on sailing generally -- a biking friend of mine passed this quote on to me today:

When I go biking, I repeat a mantra of the day's sensations: bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, blue jay's call, ice melting and so on.  This helps me transcend the traffic, ignore the clamorings of work, leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on nature instead.  I still must abide by the rules of the road, of biking, of gravity.  But I am mentally far away from civilization.  The world is breaking someone else's heart.  ~Diane Ackerman

A revised and appropriate version for you all:

When I go sailing, I repeat a mantra of the day's sensations: bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, seagull's call, ice melting and so on.  This helps me transcend the fishing boats, ignore the clamorings of work, leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on the wind instead.  I still must abide by the rules of the water, of sailing, of areodynamics.  But I am mentally far away from civilization.  The world is breaking someone else's heart.

[don l]

The Trailer Sailer, Owner's manual by Gregg Nestor, just got it in the mail.  Chapters 8, 9 and 10 are about the road, towing and the towing vehicle, it is very helpful.  Oh, Greed, I have been giving it some thought,  I don't just want this year to sail, but could I have next year too! please, please, please!

[Craig Weis]

Now your making sense Captain.
More sailing for everyone.
And may all be properly funded
and in good health to persue
these endeavors.
Spot-on. Captain.
skip.

[Craig Weis]

I was waiting for someone to start bitch en about this very thing.
Well these off topics ought to have gone into the off topic basket at the bottom of the line of baskets.
So I have already moved three posts down into this basket so I didn't have to hear other people whine about how inappropriate this subject is. So I'll move mine down and maybe the others will also. And then I'll delete these posts up here.
Self policing. skip.

[Craig Weis]

Many of the long time readers will remember the story of my dad's sale of his 27'-3" Star Boat.
Essentially a sharpie with a 3000# bulb keel hanging on the bottom.
Dad's Star sat on a cut-down four wheel truck-frame trailer with no brakes and with tie rods intact for turning the rig with the trailer's tongue.
Overall what sat in the driveway was nothing but WEIGHT!!

So naturally some kid shows up in a Nash Metropolitan black and pink convertable and hooks on.
Dad laughed. "Good luck stopping Junior." Never saw any of that again.

Potcake boy's in-line six is an excellent tractor as most in-lines will produce more torque at lower rpm's then V-8's.

The only real caution in pulling a heavy load with a 'light' duty V-8, 6 or 4 is the strain and burden on the valves. Valves tend to slam a little harder on the valve seat in the head. The valves stretch with heat and thin. And heat and burn.

As one ramps up in speed and throws caution to the wind and drives as if no trailer is attached behind the rpm creeps up.
'So' you ask?

The 'so' is; at speed the valve spends less time on the valve seat in the head, and the extra fuel [you tow something you get less milage] makes extra heat. Nothing cools the valves except spending time sitting on the valve seat in the head.
More rpm's = Less cooling time = more heat = burned valves = engine rebuild. Just keep on trucking. For the long haul keep those rpm's down and drive like you have a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal.

Side Bar:
Any steam locomotive will out pull any diesel/electric due to the physics of 'Coefficient Expansion of Steam' As long as the steam is 'saturated steam'. There is no energy by comparison in 'super heated steam'.
Skip.