Driver of Boat Trailering Nightmare Pleads Guilty

[Henro]

So my post is moronic but then you express similar ideas in your next post.

I took your post mentioning crossed safety chains in this instance as a lame attempt at humor...nothing more...poor taste in my opinion...nothing more...

Yes, I do remember the other thread related to crossed safety chains...maybe others do not...

 

[Flintknapper]

How did he manage to get to the lake without being stopped or reported?

^^^^

An excellent question. Surely he didn't sneak in, in the dead of night and leave the same way. Hundreds if not thousands of people had to have seen this. And NO ONE could tell he was grossly overloaded?

Did he pass/encounter a single LEO during the trip to or from? IF so.....did could THEY not see the disparity between the tow vehicle and the object being towed?

The blame lies squarely with the person MIS-towing such a load, but is there no moral responsibility for the public to report things they see? I understand.....many probably haven't a clue the dangers that existed....but surely a 'trucker', commercial vehicle driver or law enforcement saw this.

 

[Dieseldonato]

^^^^

An excellent question. Surely he didn't sneak in, in the dead of night and leave the same way. Hundreds if not thousands of people had to have seen this. And NO ONE could tell he was grossly overloaded?

Did he pass/encounter a single LEO during the trip to or from? IF so.....did could THEY not see the disparity between the tow vehicle and the object being towed?

The blame lies squarely with the person MIS-towing such a load, but is there no moral responsibility for the public to report things they see? I understand.....many probably haven't a clue the dangers that existed....but surely a 'trucker', commercial vehicle driver or law enforcement saw this.

Even so it's hard to guess a boats weight. And if it was a town thats used to seeing large boats transported it may have looked like it was a normal thing. I'm not sticking up for the guy one bit.

 

[Mrlunchbox]

^^^^

An excellent question. Surely he didn't sneak in, in the dead of night and leave the same way. Hundreds if not thousands of people had to have seen this. And NO ONE could tell he was grossly overloaded?

Did he pass/encounter a single LEO during the trip to or from? IF so.....did could THEY not see the disparity between the tow vehicle and the object being towed?

The blame lies squarely with the person MIS-towing such a load, but is there no moral responsibility for the public to report things they see? I understand.....many probably haven't a clue the dangers that existed....but surely a 'trucker', commercial vehicle driver or law enforcement saw this.

I would've hoped so but it is entirely possible that no one saw and no one cared. Infact in this day and age I'm sure some saw it, made a video or took a pic and said nothing about it other than to get "likes"

 

[Flintknapper]

Even so it's hard to guess a boats weight. And if it was a town thats used to seeing large boats transported it may have looked like it was a normal thing. I'm not sticking up for the guy one bit.

Can't imagine a FORTY FOUR foot boat behind an F-350 didn't stand out like a 'diamond in a goats ass' to someone.

It was also on trailer rated nearly 10,000 lbs. less than required so I have to wonder what that looked like (and the axle count).

Weight is another matter and your is point well taken, but boats aren't made of balsa wood and anything LARGE is going to be HEAVY, doesn't take a genius to know that.

With respect to large vessels frequently being transported in an area, where is Law Enforcement/Weights and Measures? If the possibility for 'frequent' overloading is present then there should be someone looking for it.

Some will slip though the cracks.....but an aggressive, ever present 'force' would put a big dent in such practices and perhaps save lives. But I suppose we don't have the funding for that. More important things like busing illegals all over the country probably need to come first.

 

[Dieseldonato]

Can't imagine a FORTY FOUR foot boat behind an F-350 didn't stand out like a 'diamond in a goats ass' to someone.

It was also on trailer rated nearly 10,000 lbs. less than required so I have to wonder what that looked like (and the axle count).

Weight is another matter and your is point well taken, but boats aren't made of balsa wood and anything LARGE is going to be HEAVY, doesn't take a genius to know that.

With respect to large vessels frequently being transported in an area, where is Law Enforcement/Weights and Measures? If the possibility for 'frequent' overloading is present then there should be someone looking for it.

Some will slip though the cracks.....but an aggressive, ever present 'force' would put a big dent in such practices and perhaps save lives. But I suppose we don't have the funding for that. More important things like busing illegals all over the country probably need to come first.

We had a 30 foot scarab panther. Twin 454 big blocks. Including the outdrives it was nearly 40 feet long. Boat sat on a tri-axle trailer rated at 14k lbs boat weighed 9400 lbs with 60 gals of fuel in it. It was pulled with various F-350s. Brakes always worked and trailer was inspected yearly. Looking at the boat you wouldn't have guessed the weight, we didn't figure out the weight till we got the new trailer for it, and the marina that did the swap has scales built into the boat lift they used to transfer it onto the new trailer. Just saying it's hard to guess the weight. And 99% of people out there have no clue about weights or have ever hauled more then a bike.
The guy is a total idiot, but the general public can't be blamed for not turning him in.

 

[fried1765]

The truth can be insensitive, just as there's such a thing as a stupid question, and a stupid thread.

And........stupid people!

 

[fried1765]

Wow... your response tells me everything I need to know about you as a person.

The guy unfortunately has a wide nasty/mean streak!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

OK that boat is MASSIVE !! Note the 5 axles !!! HUGE intersection, amazing only 2 were murdered and 2 sent to hospital.
I've never seen a trailer that looooong but assume ALL axles should have brakes ??

 

[Flintknapper]

We had a 30 foot scarab panther. Twin 454 big blocks. Including the outdrives it was nearly 40 feet long. Boat sat on a tri-axle trailer rated at 14k lbs boat weighed 9400 lbs with 60 gals of fuel in it. It was pulled with various F-350s. Brakes always worked and trailer was inspected yearly. Looking at the boat you wouldn't have guessed the weight, we didn't figure out the weight till we got the new trailer for it, and the marina that did the swap has scales built into the boat lift they used to transfer it onto the new trailer. Just saying it's hard to guess the weight. And 99% of people out there have no clue about weights or have ever hauled more then a bike.
The guy is a total idiot, but the general public can't be blamed for not turning him in.

I've no doubt a large boat can weigh less than one might think. But I maintain a very large boat (the type of which we don't know) should have gotten someones attention. In your case a 30' scarab probably with Bravo 1 outdrives (in transport position) was likely 36' overall.

Here is a 38' foot (similar hull design) on a 44' trailer (the trailer is the length of the boat described in the article) behind a 23' tow vehicle. So just for scale.... this is smaller than what the person involved was towing.

It would have raised my eyebrows I can tell you. But we don't have enough details to go by....I concede.

 

[Flintknapper]

OK that boat is MASSIVE !! Note the 5 axles !!! HUGE intersection, amazing only 2 were murdered and 2 sent to hospital.
I've never seen a trailer that looooong but assume ALL axles should have brakes ??

And there you have it. Even with 5 axles the trailer (reportedly) was 10,000 lbs under rated for the boat.

I would think nearly anyone could see the disparity between the tow vehicle and the towed item here.

 

[Flintknapper]

The guy unfortunately has a wide nasty/mean streak!

Come on guys. You're only going to get the thread locked with the Ad Hominem attacks.

 

[fried1765]

Come on guys. You're only going to get the thread locked with the Ad Hominem attacks.

Sometimes it is appropriate to call a spade a spade, irrespective of those who want to "go along to get along".

 

[sheepfarmer]

For the benefit of folks not living and hauling anything on long grades like that (and I grew up and learned to drive in that area) the assumption is that if you use your brakes at all on that kind of downhill stretch they WILL fail, even if on a properly sized truck and trailer. That is why there are safety off ramps to sand pits and lots of signs telling where and how to use them. If you have a load you use the truck's gears to keep speed down and don't touch the brakes. I didn't always have the greatest equipment to haul my horse but my dad drilled it into my head not to ride the brakes. I used to gear down until I could tuck my rig behind a semi and keep it there. Figured they knew how fast was fast enough.

 

[coast40]

Please don't embarrass yourselves with an Internet Pissing Match... We are better than that. We own Kubotas.

 

[skeets]

If I was a betting man, I would say this was not his first rodeo dragging something like this.

 

[Dieseldonato]

I've no doubt a large boat can weigh less than one might think. But I maintain a very large boat (the type of which we don't know) should have gotten someones attention. In your case a 30' scarab probably with Bravo 1 outdrives (in transport position) was likely 36' overall.

Here is a 38' foot (similar hull design) on a 44' trailer (the trailer is the length of the boat described in the article) behind a 23' tow vehicle. So just for scale.... this is smaller than what the person involved was towing.

It would have raised my eyebrows I can tell you. But we don't have enough details to go by....I concede.

View attachment 81640

Nice formula.

 

[Dieseldonato]

Please don't embarrass yourselves with an Internet Pissing Match... We are better than that. We own Kubotas.

Who's having the passing match? Besides a few I thought we were having a decent conversation.

 

[Flintknapper]

Who's having the passing match? Besides a few I thought we were having a decent conversation.

Agreed.

Besides a few summarily assassinating the character of another.....the thread and discussion has been fruitful. Some good info, comparisons and thoughts.

 

[dkbswim]

I wonder if it was his boat or was he moving boats as a side hustle.