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I have a 1956 Thompson Sea Lancer (16') with a 1956 Evinrude Lark 35 hp, i don't know what the trailer weight is, but it is about 15' long. How much does my boat and engine weigh, because we need to tow it to our cottage and we plan to tow the boat with a 2007 Honda 4 cylinder, can it tow it???

PCBres12,

The 1957 sixteen foot Sea Lancer weighs 700 pounds accordion to the Thompson literature.

According to the 1957 Evinrude Fast Twin 35HP with manual start manual it weighed 123 pounds and the Cruis-a-day tank weighed 13 pounds. So I would think that your 1956 would close to the same weights.

As far as the trailer that is anyones guess. It all depends on how it is built. Is it a single axel, square tube or channel frame design? What is the age? These are all things that would need to be taken into consideration for the weight. Some of those older trailers where built like a brick S _ _ _house and others where not built quite as heavy. Is the trailer manufacture still in business and if you can find a model number you can call them and they maybe able to give you the weight. I would safely estimate the trailer weight around 400 pounds or less for a single axel trailer.

Is there a lumber yard or gravel pit near you that you can take the boat, motor and trailer to and have it weighed? Be sur3e that you have everything in the boat that will be in it when you are towing it when weighed. It will most likelly cost you a few bucks but well worth the $'s. Then you need to find out what the towing capacity of the Honda you have is. Then make the decision if it will tow it our not.

Good Luck,

Phill

Phill is correct - the trailer could be any number of designs and construction and weight.

There was NO Sea Lancer model in 1956. 1957 was the first year Thompson made the Sea Lancer - which was 16'-7" centerline length that year. She grew to 16'-9" in 1958 and to 17'-0" in 1959.

The 1956 Sea Coaster is something like 15'-4" centerline length.

What is the hull ID of your boat that is stamped into the wood of the transom? What is the serail number on the metal plate? Where was your boat built? Is there an Outboard Boating Club of America capacity metal tag on the boat? If yes, what are those ratings?

The 35 HP Lark was made in 1957 and 1958. In 1956 the largest HP that Evinrude had was 30 HP.

It sounds as if your trailer may be to small for the boat. I sure hope you have support at the transom. Trailers that are to short will destroy your boat.

Andreas
thompsonboat@msn.com

I tow my 1960 Criuser's 18' 202 with Evinrude 75 or 40 with my 4 cyl 5 speed 2001 S10 GMC truck and my 06 Impala basic line v6.

I towed the Cruiser's from Tx to Wis (3000 miles) 4 years ago with the 4 cly 5 speed, no problems truck had 100k on it at the time.

Weight with small engines is normaly not the problem, air drag is. Just based on towing Cruisers with and without windshield changed mpg from 20 to 22, that's a lot of hp. Guess top speed might be 65.

For only 75 miles in cool weather as compared to 95 in Texas, tow at night when temps are lower, drive 50 not 70, remove windshield if you are real concerned but I would not.

Try pulling and STOPING it for a short distance around home, then decide.
Do not use od, keep rpm up. might use 4 or 3?

I once saw a Civic pulling a 12,000# box blade tractor thru our subdivision, never did see it stop, or see it on the evening news, so I guess it made it.

Makes no difference towing but, 1956 Evinrude was 30 not 35.