Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-22-2023, 06:10 PM   #1
Member
 
City: chicago
Vessel Model: Jeanneau Leader 36
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 6
Motorbike on a trawler

I would be interested to hear experiences about motorbike on a trawler, maximum size, challenge to load, storage, benefits having a motorbike....
Look forward to reading answers.
Thanks
Olivier
Olivier B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2023, 06:36 PM   #2
Guru
 
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,871
My father in law would put his Goldwing in his dinghy and tow it behind his Novi hull from Quincy to Martha’s Vineyard at the beginning of every summer for years. It was an old 4 cylinder Wing but still quite heavy. He said hardest problem was getting it out of dinghy on to a dock. He did it without a crane. Brains and brawn fix most things.
Hippocampus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2023, 06:50 PM   #3
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,775
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hippocampus View Post
My father in law would put his Goldwing in his dinghy and tow it behind his Novi hull from Quincy to Martha’s Vineyard at the beginning of every summer for years. It was an old 4 cylinder Wing but still quite heavy. He said hardest problem was getting it out of dinghy on to a dock. He did it without a crane. Brains and brawn fix most things.
Wow, that Goldwing weighs about 800 lbs. What kind of dinghy? Most would be overloaded with that much weight.

David
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2023, 06:57 PM   #4
Guru
 
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,871
He used an aluminum Jon boat with the engine off it. Still something I wouldn’t do.
Hippocampus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2023, 07:06 PM   #5
Guru
 
guy with a boat's Avatar
 
City: SoCal and Vancouver Island
Vessel Name: Tortuga
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 63
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 748
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hippocampus View Post
He used an aluminum Jon boat with the engine off it. Still something I wouldn’t do.
Sounds like he was a couple bad wakes away from creating a new artificial reef.
guy with a boat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 01:48 AM   #6
Newbie
 
Festina Lente's Avatar
 
City: Katwoude
Vessel Name: FESTINA LENTE
Vessel Model: SK Kotter 1350 Pilot
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 3
Good morning. Its in german language, but the fotos are interesting. Nice greetings from Austria, Walter

https://motorbootonline.de/ausruestu...orrad-an-bord/
Festina Lente is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 02:02 AM   #7
Moderator Emeritus
 
Comodave's Avatar
 
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,131
Welcome aboard. Maybe an electric bike instead. Much lighter. You probably won’t be doing long distances from the boat.
__________________
Boat Nut:
If you are one there is no explanation necessary.
If you aren’t one, there is no explanation possible.
Comodave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 03:28 AM   #8
Guru
 
City: Here and there
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 541
I met a guy with a Honda Grom he stowed in the cockpit of his Sundowner 30 or 32 tug. He built a wood ramp to get it off and on. That bike weighs about 227 so manageable, similar to many scooters. In the cockpit kept the weight low. It gets over 130 mpg and tops out at 55-70 mph so the advantage over an e bike is obvious if one wants the range and speed for their intents.

I’ve heard of others using the dinghy crane or davit to load a bike or scooter on the boat deck next to the dinghy. Personally on a small boat, I’d not want that much of what they call top hamper added up high affecting stability. But I’ve also seen bigger boats unload a whole fleet of Vespas. If your davit has the capacity, there’s no reason it couldn’t lift a bike. I had a Honda Ruckus scooter that I could have taken with me but, wasn’t really necessary for our travel plans. I can almost always and prefer to pedal a bicycle for shorter trips.

Someone on a bike forum was thinking about putting his 350 lb. bike in a second inflatable “cheap raft” as he put it, and tow it to shore with his dinghy from an anchorage. As it was left, I might have talked him out of it and he hadn’t figured out how to get it off the raft after getting to shore. He was too cheap to want to get a slip and simply lower to the dock with his davit.
Porgy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 06:17 AM   #9
Guru
 
backinblue's Avatar
 
City: Stratford, CT
Vessel Name: Blue Moon
Vessel Model: Mainship Pilot 355
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,937
I would also vote for electric. This looks fun to me and less than 300 lbs.
https://www.volcon.com/grunt-evo
__________________
“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
backinblue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 07:31 AM   #10
Member
 
City: chicago
Vessel Model: Jeanneau Leader 36
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 6
Thanks a lot,
Anyone have experience with a motorbike and davit - and how to secure the motorbike on the flybridge? Thanks
Olivier B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 07:58 AM   #11
Guru
 
backinblue's Avatar
 
City: Stratford, CT
Vessel Name: Blue Moon
Vessel Model: Mainship Pilot 355
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,937
Just curious what the use case is for the motorbike. If it's just to get around off the boat and not to go hundreds of miles, an electric bicycle might be more practical and certainly easier to handle and store. There are quite a few good ones on the market these days. Some are even folding.
__________________
“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
backinblue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 08:29 AM   #12
Guru
 
City: Olympia
Vessel Name: Rendezvous
Vessel Model: Blue water 40
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,807
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olivier B View Post
Thanks a lot,
Anyone have experience with a motorbike and davit - and how to secure the motorbike on the flybridge? Thanks
A couple of sturdy padeyes on the deck and ratchet straps to the handlebars. Just like you’d do in the back of a pickup truck.
Bmarler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 08:34 AM   #13
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,775
I used a Dahon Mariner folding bike that I shlepped ashore on my dinghy. At less than 30 lbs it was fairly easy to get off and on the dock with one person.

I now have an Lectric e-bike that weighs more than 60 lbs. I have never tried going ashore on the dinghy. The extra weight makes it tough. I can roll it from the swim platform to the dock alongside fairly easily though.

I can’t imagine doing that by myself with a 200+ lb motorbike. With two people it should be doable.

David
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 10:04 AM   #14
Guru
 
SteveK's Avatar
 
City: Gulf Islands, BC Canada
Vessel Name: Sea Sanctuary
Vessel Model: Bayliner 4588
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 4,993
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olivier B View Post
Thanks a lot,
Anyone have experience with a motorbike and davit - and how to secure the motorbike on the flybridge? Thanks
No experience or the thought to do it. That said if the davit and deck can handle the weight then just do it and get back to us with the experience of it.

As asked, what is the purpose intended for a motorbike. Longer distance touring in comfort.
__________________
SteveK
You only need one working engine. That is why I have two.
Sea Sanctuary-new to me 1992 Bayliner 4588
SteveK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2023, 10:27 AM   #15
Guru
 
AlanT's Avatar
 
City: Gig Harbor, WA
Vessel Name: MoonShadow
Vessel Model: Wendon Skylounge 72'
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 718
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olivier B View Post
I would be interested to hear experiences about motorbike on a trawler, maximum size, challenge to load, storage, benefits having a motorbike....
Look forward to reading answers.
Thanks
Olivier
We have thought about adding a M/cycle but opted instead for a pair of Rad Electric bikes. Each weighs around 65lb and can be wheeled on board our swim-step from a dock, from the swim-step they can be wheeled into the aft cockpit where they reside under a tarp on our protected water cruises.

With a range of around 30+ miles on battery power they provide ample range for our typical needs when cruising. On flattish terrain we use leg power and minimal electrical assist which doubles range. Speed up to 20mph.
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/...cture7358.jpeg
AlanT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2023, 12:50 PM   #16
Veteran Member
 
City: Vero Beach
Vessel Name: LEGEND
Vessel Model: GB 36C
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 53
Motorbike

Interesting question. You might consider not riding it and using it on board. Gunwales might be too tight.
JYoung is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2023, 03:39 PM   #17
Guru
 
backinblue's Avatar
 
City: Stratford, CT
Vessel Name: Blue Moon
Vessel Model: Mainship Pilot 355
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,937
I was at Costco today and they have folding electric bicycles for ~ $500. They didn't feel too heavy. I don't know any specs but they seem like they would work well for getting around and storing on the boat.
__________________
“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
backinblue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2023, 03:43 PM   #18
Guru
 
Simi 60's Avatar
 
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
I had just got my much loved Burgman 650 exactly how I wanted it when our current vessel popped up.

Was torn between the two and did consider opening bulwarks , sacrificing the guest cabin , opening the cabin side and turning into a garage.

Financial stupidity to do so.
Appart from the cost of the cut and shut it would cost a couple of hundred every time I wanted to ride it.

Crane on foredeck, saltwater and air would kill it and too heavy for top deck.
__________________
Everything on a boat is broken, you just don't know it yet
Full time cruising is repairing boats in exotic locations
Simi 60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2023, 03:45 PM   #19
Guru
 
backinblue's Avatar
 
City: Stratford, CT
Vessel Name: Blue Moon
Vessel Model: Mainship Pilot 355
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,937
Everything boating = financial stupidity, so that's no excuse!
__________________
“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
backinblue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2023, 04:21 PM   #20
Guru
 
Simi 60's Avatar
 
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
Quote:
Originally Posted by backinblue View Post
Everything boating = financial stupidity, so that's no excuse!
Everything boating might be financial stupidity for you.
For us, buying a big boat and cruising full time is financially prudent.
__________________
Everything on a boat is broken, you just don't know it yet
Full time cruising is repairing boats in exotic locations
Simi 60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012