Cat Towing
 

I live in DE and will be traveling to VA for Jammin on the James, I called DE for Permits to move the boat. I got all the Info, Lady was cool, I got the forms and she gave me MD, VA, numbers to call to do the same.. I have never trailered the boat yet.

Question: Does ANYONE get permits to move there Cat. Mine is just under 11'..... It is a 38 Ocean express. The reason I ask... The lady said "Wow.. Your the first guy ever to call about moving a speed boat!!!"

What should I do? The trip is 4 hours towing for me. I got a few tolls and a tunnel to go through!! I don't want to get jammed up on the way down or back..

Thanks again

11 Foot . Be Safe Get The Permit .

Get the permit. However, most guys I have talked to just pull and take there chances.

Years ago I towed a (wide Load) Cougar Cat from Miami To NY, Once in NY I crossed a Bridge and got to a toll booth, the woman said how wide is that thing??? I Said 8 feet (it was 11') she called a guy over who measured it and I had My Azz Fined off.. I got fined for a Police escort across the bridge (that I didn't have because I was already across the bridge) I got fined for a wide load for every violation possible... I say Get the Permits, Save Your Azz...

Do I need escorts to go accross bridges and tunnels? I was told you have to trailer during the day and NO weekends?
What did you have to do?

Wide loads have a lot of rules - the devil is int he details. From NJ on 95 south you must be off the toll road before noon friday and not until noon Monday - the toll booth that will get you is the MD one at the Delaware line - If they want to bust you they will and then you are shut down for the weekend, or have to hire a towing company with a blanket permit to move you - Chesapeake Bay Bridge ( if you go that way) you must call 1 hour before crossing with a wide load -

Sweet.. My shop is actually on Newark/Elkton Road. about 1/2 mile south of the DE/MD line. Still in DE though. I can on 95 just south of it. I am not sure which way to go. I can go what ever way I just will have to play the times right..

Thanks for your help:drink:

Read the details in the permit.... Read them. Understand them.

In FL, if the load weighs more than 15,000lbs, it needs to be pulled with a truck registered with a minimum of 26,000 GVW. Better turn up the tag on your truck too. Do you have a CDL? Better keep a log book. Watch the hours/blackout restrictions for the daytime, and certain cities.

You know you have to stop at weigh stattions, right? Wide loads are mandatory around the back of the station, never in the bypass. You may be a civilian registered, but you have to go in with a wide load.


Going past a weigh station will cost you a good ticket, and three points on your DL... (I learned this the hard way).

Wow a lot to know. I talked to many cat owners and they all go with out permits... wow seems like a big risk.. One guy travels from NJ to MD everyweekend. Never once.. 6 years...

Crazy

Thanks

Mario

No MD OR VA people to chime in!!

I tow my 36 Spectre 10.2 all the time in VA still and have towed a 38 Signiture Awesome P.O.S. from LOTO to VA 10.5 wide. even on the PA turnpike, that I owned at one time with out permits. Have traveled to Fla a couple of times with the Spectre. But that does not mean you will not get stopped and fined. It could ruin your weekend. I will be at Jamin on th James also, but in my Glasstream. Not enough seats in the Spectre.

I travel the DC Beltway and I-95 between DC and Richmond constantly and I have never seen a towed boat hassled. That's not to say it won't happen though; I just have not seen it.

STAY OFF the Beltway and I-95 between 6AM and 9:30AM and 2PM and 6:30PM. The commuter traffic will not be friendly to you with that towed load, wide or not.

You could also come down 301 from Annapolis, but you need to check the 301 Bridge over the Potomac for width.

go with permits. when we hauled "Planetman" up and down the east coast we had more trouble in MD than most of the other states. If you need help with permits ComData is great. Depending on what you are hauling it with will dictate a lot. We were permitted for 12' wide and 98 feet long so we fell under different restrictions. Depending on your length MD will limit your movement between certain hours. We always pulled permits and never had a problem other than the weigh station in the Keys. These things are a big money maker for these states and they know if you can afford the boat then you certainly can afford the fines and as someone posted prior the fines are so hefty it is unbelievable. The problem is every state is different, we used ComData for some trips and not for others but they were always helpful. And they are not kidding about blowing the weigh stations, that is a sure fire fine and doesn't tend to make friends with DOT. Just remember DOT stands for GOD.

That says it all !!!!

Do you have a link for ComData?

4 hours drive time at 50-60 mph? How long would it take to just drive the boat there?

I like your thinking!!! LMAO

I do. My secretary found it today and got me all set up. Not as bad as I thought. $ 157.50 to go down and back.. The no sunday part sucks.. I may have to stay one more day and drink!! I have to call on July 6, and they will fax me all the permits to my office and we roll. In MD and VA I can go one hour before dawn and up to one hour after dusk. The people were really cool. I am only two inches over the limit.. ( the times you wish you had two inches less.. Go figure)

I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONES ADVICE...

My secretary said the lady laughed on the phone.. She said we were the only ones that ever called about moving a boat this year!!! (Deldot) LMAO... I have to give them some dimensions and weights on the application and the Hull # and Vin# of the truck. My Dually is registered for 17,000 GVW. I have to look up the boat. I would guess 10k...

As long as everything else is done we are off to VA...:drink::drink::drink::drink::drink:

I haul for a living. You can't hit the tunnel in Baltimore, period!!! If you go down 301 no problem at Annapolis Bridge. With the economy the way it is, they will nail you and nail you hard. If you have any questions, call me: 954-646-6070.

You don't want to drive I-95N on a Sunday anyhow. You are better off waiting until between rush hours on Monday.

I haul for a living. You can't hit the tunnel in Baltimore, period!!! If you go down 301 no problem at Annapolis Bridge. With the economy the way it is, they will nail you and nail you hard. If you have any questions, call me: 954-646-6070.
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Can't figure out how to double reply... I think I will wait until Monday. One more day on the water will not be bad anyway.
I have no problem taking 301 down. Funny the lady never said I couldn't do the tunnel.

Thanks again

Were going to VA:evilb::evilb::evilb:

It can take up to 48 hrs to get your permits - don't wait until the last minute - make sure your permits are "double" you need a "return" permit - The details are on the permits, read each carefully, daylight hours, city limits, toll roads etc... DOT loves the flags and flashing lights, wide load banners - all pain in the ass but cheap in the long run to keep them happy -

Watch your registration.... You said the truck has a 17k tag.
Our F350 CC weigs 8,000 on a truck scale.
Find a local truck scale and go weigh your complete rig.
That OE on a steel trailer is certainly more than 10,000.

Vehical weight / tow ratings open up a whole new can of worms. If some one gets hurt while by your overloaded vehicle, you could be sued and / or go to jail regardless of fault. Be sure to do you homework there as well.

MMareno,
good advice Brian is giving you here, I live in Annapolis and work in Springfield Va. right at the mixing bowl, he is right on with those times espicially on a Friday afternoon heading South and a Sunday heading North... I'm going down for the run this year and will be leaving my office with Top Gun in tow @ noon to miss traffic. I would stay away from the 301 bridge over the potomac, very narrow laned and you would have to hit every street light in Waldorf/LaPlata to get to the bridge. hope this helped.
Pat

Drive the boat by the time you buy all the permits and pay the tolls and pay for fuel for the tow rig and and and you'll find it was cheaper to drive the boat:drink:

just take 13 down the shore, put it at Cape Charles, head across the bay and up the James, you will burn some fuel but no bridges.

or you can take the beltway around Baltimore to avoid the tunnel

If northeast md. is not far from you, you can drive the boat there in just about the same amount of time pulling it.

This is exactly one of the reasons I bought a Motion. Its illegal by 7 inches but it doesn't look it, and nobody ever has any trouble towing them.

Everybodies advice is awesome. I will worry about it next year. The boat has hit a few more snaggs and won't be done for the run. The jet ski's are that wide. I will no problem towing them down.

Thanks again

Mario Mareno

we did set everything up with that comdata. The lady said 3days to get all permits to and from. But we won't be needing them now

Thanks

We will find something to bring.

Wow, after reading all of this, I can understand why people spend the $$$$ on a tilt trailer.



Darrell.