Can a 2305 pull a 24' sailboat?

[VABlue]

For some reason that remains unknown, I've but bought a 24' sailboat to restore. The thing is, I need to drag it through the finished yard to the edge of the leach field (yes, I know..., I'll be careful with it). I'd rather not have to put a truck down there to pull it with, so I'm wondering if the 2305 can?

The boat wieghs roughly 4800# (3200 boat w/ 1600 keel), and I suspect the trailer will be around 2000-2500#. My little 2305 has turf tires w/ air in them. Is it able to drag the thing around or will I be spinning tires? I can put wieght in the fel to balance it out. The drive to the field is downhill, coming back out (in a couple of years) will be uphill, although it's not a steep hill. TIA...

 

[RoyJackson]

For some reason that remains unknown, I've but bought a 24' sailboat to restore. The thing is, I need to drag it through the finished yard to the edge of the leach field (yes, I know..., I'll be careful with it). I'd rather not have to put a truck down there to pull it with, so I'm wondering if the 2305 can?

The boat wieghs roughly 4800# (3200 boat w/ 1600 keel), and I suspect the trailer will be around 2000-2500#. My little 2305 has turf tires w/ air in them. Is it able to drag the thing around or will I be spinning tires? I can put wieght in the fel to balance it out. The drive to the field is downhill, coming back out (in a couple of years) will be uphill, although it's not a steep hill. TIA...

This comes from your manual:

Maximum Hitch Loads
Certain heavy equipment such as a loaded single-axle trailer can place excessive strain on the hitch. Strain is greatly increased by speed and rough ground. Do not exceed 255 kg (562 lb) maximum static vertical load on the rear hitch at position (B).

You'll need to calculate the tongue weight of the loaded trailer.

Or, you could just hook it up and see how it feels. Be mighty careful going down that slope...low range!

 

[chevy]

I think it would pull it ok. Stopping is another matter. I would not try going down any type of slope with that much weight behind a 2305.

 

[VABlue]

Never thougth about the manual, I didn't remember seeing anything in it when I skimmed through it. Next time I'll try reading before posting! In any case, I know I'd have to watch the tongue weight. If the trailer has brakes maybe I'll try it, but other wise I'll use the truck to get it down the slope into the lower part of the field. From there, the tractor should be okay since it's mostly level.

Thanks for the reality check!

 

[RoyJackson]

I think it would pull it ok. Stopping is another matter. I would not try going down any type of slope with that much weight behind a 2305.

Depending on how well it pulled...going down a slight slope in 4WD and slow (for me, it'd be 1st or 2nd Low Range) might be OK.

 

[rvtech]

This is my OPINION only.
I ocassionally move camper trailers weighing up to 5,000 lb with my 2305. I use a 2" ballmount clamped to my loader bucket because it is easier to manuever driving forward. Towing that much weight from the front requires a lot of ballast. I use my tiller or backhoe for ballast. The tongue weight of the trailer is roughly about 10% of the total (500 lb) I always go in low range 4x4 and very slow.

 

[rvtech]

I'll also add that if it is a tandem trailer, you can keep it lower in the front to reduce the tongue weight, in effect adding weight to the front trailer axle.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

When I read the subject line I thought, "Yeah, if you have flotation tires."

Cliff

 

[IslandManMitch]

I think your question has been answered so now I want to know what sailboat did you get? I have almost finished my 23' Sovereign so I hope to be pulling it with my truck instead of my tractor soon.

 

[VABlue]

I was thinking about putting a 2" ball on the 3pth drawbar so I could watch the tongue hieght. But thinking of the relative sizes, I'll let the truck move it downhill and the tractor put it into position over the leach field.

It's a San Juan 24 from the Clark Boat Co. We lucked into it... After returning from a business trip last week, I was paying off my debt humoring the girl, so we stopped at a local 'antique' shop. They had two sailboats there, and the SJ 24 was priced at $1000. The hull is solid and the interior fairly clean. She's always had a dream to sail, so we worked out a deal where the shop owner will get it delivered to my place and set up on tires for the restoration work. It needs paint and cabin work mostly, but I'm sure I'll find other things to fix up, as well. It'll be a long term project that I don't need finished anytime soon. Should be fun...

 

[aesanders]

I mounted a reciever to the top of my loader bucket. It's great for moving around y landscape trailer and horse trailer.

You can see it here:
Bumper Hitch on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

and here:
conecting to the trailer on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[jbrumberg]

IslandManMitch with the Sovereign 23 and VABlue with the San Juan 24:

Two very, very nice sailboats ! Sailing "fever" is a lot like "tractoritis", both can cause a relatively sane individual to do questionable activities . "She Who Must Be Obeyed " has made it perfectly clear to me that I can not get any sailboat bigger than my Newport 17 . Jay

 

[VABlue]

Here's the boat. You can see that it needs some work! This will be a long term deal, most of it without need for a tractor. I'll have to make decisions each weekend on what to do...