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Puzzle for sailboaters

2K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  bgeddes 
#1 ·
If I were to buy a 27ft boat that was located 120 miles away on another lake, and I have to move it with its cradle, how would I do it?

A. Find someone who is super cool and would loan me a sailboat trailer and make two trips. One with the boat on the trailer and one with a flat trailer for the cradle?

B. Find a flatbed to move the boat on a trailer for me? And what would be the ball park price for doing this?

C. Forget about it. It's too expensive and not worth it!
 
#2 ·
We've done option B... borrowed the trailer, utilized a hoist at a factory, dropped the boat onto the cradle which was already on the flatbed trailer and strapped her down.

The trailer was overkill and probably weighed more than the boat (a deep keel 24 foot dayracer) but we towed the thing 450 miles over three major highway summits with a Ford Explorer. In winter.....

Hiring a boat yard to move the cradle/boat onto a flatbed should not be too expensive.. they might do it with a travel lift or may be using a large forklift to move cradled boats around.. a few hundred bucks at most, I'd think.

Of course you need access to a similar setup at the other end.
 
#3 ·
If your boat comes with a cradle I would assume the marina already has a lift to place the boat on it..

Put the cardle on the flatbed, have the crane place the boat...drive home....reverse the order...
 

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#6 ·
What does the boat weigh..? and the cradle..? and the trailer...? =/< GVWR of trailer..

My boat weighs 6500# plus 600# for cradle and 1800# for trailer... GVWR of that trailer is 12,000# so it was a safe and secure ride...

Most car trailers have a 7,000# GVWR minus the 1,200# trailer and 500-600# cradle, means boat should weigh 5000# max...?
 
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#8 ·
Listen to Squidd, he's got you covered.. look up GVWR of the trailer, and the boat, and calculate it all in as said... HOWEVER, don't forget the tow vehicle!

So many people ignore their trucks GCVWR (gross combined vehicle weight rating)... Your trucks weight, plus your total package towed, cannot exceed this number (see the door of your truck). This is the max consist weight... including yourself, and gear! Many trucks (including mine) have a great tow rating and a lousy GCVWR... it limits my towability to about 8000# Stupid part is, changing to taller gears gives me #2000lbs more towing, which means it isn't stopping, or suspension causing the problem, its gearing.
 
#9 ·
Greetings Earthlings Not only do you need to fasten boat to cradle cradle to trailer trailer to car p;ease rember the car has a lot more stopping power than exceleration so more streainth to stop the load moving forward Belt ans suspenders It works for me (have you looked at the cost of manufacturing a new trailer and or cradle) ? GO SAFE
 
#10 ·
Actually , the car/truck has more acceleration power than stopping power..make sure trailer has opperational brakes..
(have you looked at the cost of manufacturing a new trailer and or cradle)
I have under $200 into this one, (12,000# dual electric brakes) by the time I add fenders, lights and a tongue jack... still less than $500...

I suppose I could paint it, but I can't see it when I'm 5 miles from shore..
 

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#12 ·
I should have built a trailer for my current boat and towed it home, before I started all the repair work. It's been on the hard for three years now and the trailer would have saved me at least $10,000 in yard fees and travel costs.

I built a trailer for my Hunter 27 back in 1983. I asked friend to give me a hand building it and we had the boat sitting on the trailer ready to roll in about 10 hours time. It cost me about $200 too.

Gary H. Lucas
 
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