BIG trailer

[Russ]

Okay, I know next to nothing about trailers. My Mac came with one and it tows well. That's about as much as I know.

So, I may have a 35' boat come my way. I'm thinking of a trailer for it. It's a Hunter with shoal draft 4'3".
How would one look for a trailer for such a thing? I'm thinking of moving it from the East coast to here and dropping it in the lake every season. Not something I'd move more than 100' each year once it's here.

How does one seek out a trailer manufacturer to create a custom deal like this?

--Russ

[NiceAft]

You had also better be thinking about one heck of a tow beast

I googled "custom boat trailers", and this is what came up. http://www.bing.com/search?q=custom+boa ... BR&pc=MOZI


Ray

[gabid]

Being a one time haul, I would hire a transport company to bring the boat.

[Russ]

Yea. I was thinking of hiring a transport company to move it here. But I'll Ned a trailer for launching after it's here. Same trailer I would hope.

[Paulieb]

That large a boat could just sit on stands in the off season at your marina storage yard, and the marina can haul it out of the water and dump it back in with a lift. Cost a bit of money, but it you are willing to pay the $5k-$10k for a custom trailer, sounds like money may not be an issue. I would have a company move it and make arrangements with your marina to store it.

Paulieb

[Tomfoolery]

If the boat has a storage cradle, then use a flatbed (single-drop gooseneck) and just put the cradle on it. My 34 foot Hunter was on its original shipping cradle when I bought it, which was 6-1/2 ft wide by 17 ft long* - easy to put on a production 5th wheel flatbed, or maybe a conventional hitch/ball flatbed, but that's a lot of trailer to have connected aft of the tow vehicle's rear wheels.

That boat is also 12 ft beam and better than 12 kips dead weight plus shipping cradle if it has one. Mine had a 56 ft bridge clearance, making the mast itself (deck-stepped) almost 50 ft. That's not easy to transport, and may require escorts.

Other issues I can envision include floating the boat onto exactly the right place on the cradle when it's underwater and you can't see it, without bending the prop shaft or damaging the hull in any way. I'm not saying it can't be done - just that I can't see myself trying to do that on a steep boat ramp without damaging the hull. The support pads are located where the stringers are, and if you miss, you oil can the hull, or pop the tabs on the stringers. And 4-1/2 ft draft is a lot more than my local marina's ramp could handle.

Just talking out loud.

*I know that because I made a drawing of mine when I was going to move it from one marina to another on my trailer.

[Russ]

That large a boat could just sit on stands in the off season at your marina storage yard, and the marina can haul it out of the water and dump it back in with a lift. Cost a bit of money, but it you are willing to pay the $5k-$10k for a custom trailer, sounds like money may not be an issue. I would have a company move it and make arrangements with your marina to store it.

Paulieb

The boat is on jack stands. No cradle. In fact, it floated off the stands during Sandy and ended up in a pile of boats.
Our lake is huge, but marina services are non existent. No lift, no haul out service, so we are on own to dunk our boats. They do have a tractor to help launch. I think that's what most of the big (> 30 foot) range boats do. But they are all stored on the lot on wheeled trailers.
So, I need to transport it and then store it in the lot semi permanently on wheels. I would NOT try to tow it myself that far.

[Sumner]

...So, I need to transport it and then store it in the lot semi permanently on wheels. I would NOT try to tow it myself that far.

Like the others said get it hauled there. Then where you live I'll bet there are a number of welding shops that do jobs for ranchers. Since you aren't hauling down the highway have them make a cradle basically with a couple axles near the back and a wheel/wheels at the front. You don't need springs and equalizers and all of that. Keep it simple, but sturdy. The front wheel or two wheels very close together with a long tow bar between them would allow you to put it in and out of the water with some steerage. Some long frame members with a few cross members where you would normally block the boat with uprights and the adjustable pads like on boat stands. I saw them haul boats in and out of the yard in Florida on over the highway rigs that were setup pretty much like that and that is probably how the boat will get to you. Google a couple of the cruising forums for possible haulers and let me know if you need a link,

Sum

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[Sea Wind]

I think that regardless of keeping it on a trailer or stands a moving company is needed to move it. Now, depending on your time,current conditions of the boat and cost difference, you could make a hull of a vacation if you follow the Big Loop and motor it all the way to Chicago or Duluth. Since you are going to need to have the mast down anyway that would save a lot of time going under bridges.

[tlgibson97]

If I was in this situation I would probably go with the cradle on a flatbed approach. I could use the trailer just for putting in and taking out. The boat could sit on the cradle in the off season and I can use the trailer for other things the rest of the time.

I guess it depends if you would ever have a need for a long flatbed trailer and have a vehicle to pull it.

[dlandersson]

Try www.uship.com - costs you nothing to ask for bids.

Okay, I know next to nothing about trailers. My Mac came with one and it tows well. That's about as much as I know.

So, I may have a 35' boat come my way. I'm thinking of a trailer for it. It's a Hunter with shoal draft 4'3".
How would one look for a trailer for such a thing? I'm thinking of moving it from the East coast to here and dropping it in the lake every season. Not something I'd move more than 100' each year once it's here.

How does one seek out a trailer manufacturer to create a custom deal like this?

--Russ