Midgo

Hi,
This is just a speculative post, I don't need this now

I have a 1.5 tonne saily boat with a trailer (trailer not registered in PT)

At the moment I just take the boat out and put it on the trailer to antifoul it every couple of years or so in a boatyard so I dont have to tow it (PT registered landrover), but the boatyard is expensive for hard standing

I was thinking if I could find someone with a suitable UK registered vehicle (hence no need to register trailer) who would be willing for a reasonable fee to tow the boat to my house 10 km away from the boatyard (in Amora) it would be much cheaper and easier.

Anyone interested?

The boat is an ETAP 22 with lifting keel so sits low on trailer, its so easy to trail, the trailer is a proper two axle braked one made for the boat. Ive towed between UK, DE and PT quite a few times without issue

Cheers

liveaboard

A towing service can legally tow an unregistered trailer.
I was surprised, but I had it done so I know it's true.

Midgo

That's wonderful news, thanks!
So any reboque service?

liveaboard

I think so;
I used Euroreboques because they were close and had moved the object before, I talked to the driver and he was the one who told me they had license and insurance that made it ok.
This was a US trailer with electrical brakes, which the tow vehicle couldn't connect to.
I told him not to brake hard on turns.
No worries he said.
We needed a 2" (or 2-1/2") towball which was included with the trailer, he had to bolt it to the tow vehicle in place of the standard one.
Euro towballs are all 50mm I think.

Midgo

Thanks.
The very friendly and helpful bloke from one of the local ones here said he wasnt aware of this and that the trailer would need insurance (which needs matricular ....) but he also said he didnt have towbars on any of his vehicles so perhaps others here with tow balls will have insurance that covers trailers.

Electeic brakes sounds interesting. Never heard of that.

Midgo

Yup.
I phoned Euroreboques who also have a base in Telheiras and they gave me rhe number of Brevauto who can do it 😁
They quoted €123 one way 10km so its an option for longer stays out of the water since the boatyard handstanding is around €100 a month.

Maybe i can find a cheaper quote too.

Thanks Liveaboard!

liveaboard

It's an American thing; every US (and Canadian I think) trailer over a few hundred kg has electric actuated brakes.
This goes back at least 40 years.
The current is moderate, around 10A max I think, and variable. A hand control is built into the tow vehicle, which is also actuated by the brake pedal.
Newer light trucks have fancy computerized programable controls fitted at the factory as standard.

It works well, but it means a US trailer needs a US trailer brake control and wiring.