Adapting A Trailer To Another Boat

[Kper]

What needs to be considered when using a trailer with adjustable pedestals for a boat other than the one it was designed for?

Example:
Trailer designed for Catalina 25 - 8' beam/4600 lbs
Want to use it for Precision 27 - 10' beam/5400 lbs

Trailer has two 3500 axles and 2" bulldog hitch.

Does the wider beam make a big difference when trailers seem to be 8' wide anyway?

 

[jimg]

Trailer

You should have no problems at all with the length and weight, but the beam may be a problem. Anything over 8.5 feet will require oversize load permits and all that goes with it for highway use.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Don't know the answer but I am interested. My boat has the exact hull dimensions and weight as that Precision ... I believe they are the same mold. Anyway, I have my eye on a trailer that currently has a Catalina 25 on it.

BTW, if that is your new boat, nice choice! Is that the one that you thought was too high-priced? Did they make a deal or did you decide to bite the bullet (or a combination of the two scenerios)?? I think you will be very happy. I know that when Sue and I first started looking, we quickly realized that the extra size made a big difference to us, even though we are on a small lake.

 

[Kper]

Jimg, I'm not so much worried about the DOT legal aspect, although I realize that's another headache to deal with, I'm concerned about the extra 2' in width and pad placement and if that is an engineering issue.

...BTW, if that is your new boat, nice choice! Is that the one that you thought was too high-priced? Did they make a deal or did you decide to bite the bullet (or a combination of the two scenerios)??....

No, it's not. We looked at the Precision 28 last night and it had too many issues for the price. This one may be a logistical nightmare but If the admiral says it the one then the captain finds a way to get 'er home. lol

I thought I had a trailer for $1200 but the seller insisted it was a 1-7/8 hitch and before I could confirm he was mistaken it was sold. I didn't want to make a 15 hr drive on a hunch he was wrong even though everything told me he was. The second, although more expensive trailer got away the day before I called. I'm ready to hit the road if I can confirm this one would work even with a small bit of modifying.

 

[Tom G P-21]

Scott,
You're close, same designer Jim Taylor for both the Starwind and Precision, but made by two different companies.

 

[TLW]

Tom G is correct. the only connection is the designer. Starwind 27 vs. Precision 27/28:

Different LOA, different, LWL, different BEAM, different DISPLACEMENT, different BALLAST. I have seen the P-28 mold built by the Porter brothers at PBW.

 

[Winkfish]

I thought I had a trailer for $1200 but the seller insisted it was a 1-7/8 hitch and before I could confirm he was mistaken it was sold. I didn't want to make a 15 hr drive on a hunch he was wrong even though everything told me he was. .

Just for future references, balls and hitch receivers can usually be swapped out for different sizes.

So what is the trailer you are getting, or is this one you already have?

 

[Winkfish]

Not a very precise question, I realize. Too many Dark & Stormies. ;-)

 

[Kper]

I don't know the brand and I don't know how much clearer I can be by saying it's built for a fin keel Cat 25. I just don't know what else to say I'm interested because it can be had for less than half the price of a new trailer.

 

[CharlzO]

I haven't compared the profile of either, but it's going to be a matter of if you have adjustment height on the pads to line up on the hull. If your overall draft is similar, then you should be ok with it. Again, I haven't compared. The only thing I could see is that the pads may be flatter on your boat than they were on the other, but still should be plenty of support. Might need an extra strap or something to be secure and safer, but should be able to use it with minimal modification, if any.

The one thing I'd question, is just because I didn't really notice, but I assume it's a 2" ball with brakes? Electric/surge, I would guess because of the GW of the trailer. I know the 2" ball I have on my Hurley trailer, is only rated at 6000 lbs, anything more needed a larger ball. So when you factor in the boat weight, trailer, and anything loaded, just make sure you aren't over the rating for it.

Edit: Just pulled up the sailboatdata pages. Looks like your draft is possibly less than the Cat. The biggest thing with THAT, is to make sure you have enough adjustment down to get your keel on the trailer. You may need to block up some, to give it support if the pads on the trailer don't go low enough.

 

[caguy]

Can the guy send you pictures of the hitch and trailer? As mentioned it should have surge brakes and there is no guarantee that the master cylinder isn't frozen as well as the wheel cylinders.
Pictures would really help.
How far do you have to tow your boat and then how far after that?

 

[Kper]

I haven't compared the profile of either, but it's going to be a matter of if you have adjustment height on the pads to line up on the hull.... The only thing I could see is that the pads may be flatter on your boat than they were on the other, but still should be plenty of support. Might need an extra strap or something to be secure and safer, but should be able to use it with minimal modification, if any.... Edit: Just pulled up the sailboatdata pages. Looks like your draft is possibly less than the Cat. The biggest thing with THAT, is to make sure you have enough adjustment down to get your keel on the trailer. You may need to block up some, to give it support if the pads on the trailer don't go low enough.

CharlzO, your thoughts explain how my mind was processing this. The pads adjust low enough that the shorter draft of the Precision wouldn't be an issue. The keel guide was added after the trailer was built and can be adjusted lower, as well. Aside from the 2" ball issue, I'm left with the pads sitting flatter on the hull or more under it than along side. Although I never studied the pad position on larger boats, I don't recall the trailers being wider than 8' so the pads must have been further under the hull with the exception of maybe at the bow and extreme stern. Looking at the photos I'm thinking that moving pedestals further out is not really an option considering how the trailer was manufactured.

(I tried loading pics but it's not working for me.)

Used trailers go somewhere and I'm guessing they aren't all being used for the same model boats. Somewhere at some point somebody put a wide beam boat on a narrower beam trailer. I just need to find out who that was! lol

 

[Kper]

...
How far do you have to tow your boat and then how far after that?

600 mile trip home then just 10 minutes to/from the marina once a year.

I'll try getting pics in tomorrow.

 

[victorhoisington]

I'm no expert but here are some items I've had a little experience with regarding trailers. My boats are currently a Hunter 28 (28' X 10.5' beam) (7800 lbs ) on a dual axle trailer (15,600 lbs) load range and a Shock 25 (25' x 8' beam) ( 2100 lbs) on a dual axle trailer with 7500 lbs load range.

The issues I've seen with Trailers generally have more to do with how the keel fits on the bed and less about the pads. Does the new boat have a wing keel or is it a fin and how does this match with the boat currently on the trailer. You may need some 2x8 or 2x10's to provide support for the keel and your keel guides may need to be adjusted

Also, typically once the pads are adjusted, you'll most likely have to adjust the bow roller and winch mount so things sit tight against the winch. You don't want the boat bouncing around.

The thing to remember is that the bulk of your weight is in the keel, The boat itself is relatively light compared to the Keel mass, so getting the keel mounted properly is the key to success. The pads just keep the boat from falling over, there shouldn't be much weight on the pads or you risk oil canning the hull. I often move pads when painting or cleaning the hull and just snug them back up by hand once I'm done

Also, be sure to get the boat mounted right so you have the proper tongue weight, you don't want the boat to far back and end up with a negative tongue weight.

Lastly, you mentioned you have 2 3500 lb axles, This is a barely adequate for your new boat. Here's the math:


3500 lbs X 2 = 7000 lbs carrying weight (assuming the tires carry the max 1750 lbs )

Boat 5400 lbs + trailer (??1500 lbs) + boat equipment (?? 500 lbs) = 7400 lbs

Your about 400 lbs overweight. Check the tires, Hopefully they are trailer tires and not Passenger or Light Truck tires. There will be a Max load value on the side wall. Do note, not all tires in a load range will support the same weight. I have seen Load range E trailer tires with everything from 1750 lbs to 3900 lbs weight capacity, this is the difference between carrying 7000 lbs or 15,600 lbs on a dual axle trailer.

Bottom line from the limited details, the new trailer is marginal, and a single 600 mile trip could be OK, IF you take it slow and have good tires, Your not looking to trailer the boat around the country so once its home your probably OK.

Have fun with the new boat and good luck with the trailer,

Victor

 

[StinkBug]

It's already been mentioned a little but 102" is the maximum width for any state without special permitting and wide load placards. 120" or 10' is pushing into special licensing territory in many places. Regardless of how well the trailer works you'll want to check the laws for the areas you'll be towing through. DOT cops can really ruin your day, and dont give much leeway on dimensional issues. I've seen a number of haulers forced to park their loads and find a properly licensed driver, or apply for proper permits before being allowed to move again.

 

[petersea]

You have not mentioned what you are towing this set up with so will assume it is proper capacity but hitch tongue weight may be a problem. May want to check out weight distributing hitches also. The twice a year from marina to home and back again may not be much of an issue but a six hundred mile trip on a unit that is not set up correctly is a accident waiting to happen.

 

[Squidd]

My boat is 9' 6" beam....Bunks are set at 6'6" (width of trailer frame) tires are outside trailer frame, making the 8' width.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Tom G is correct. the only connection is the designer. Starwind 27 vs. Precision 27/28:

Different LOA, different, LWL, different BEAM, different DISPLACEMENT, different BALLAST. I have seen the P-28 mold built by the Porter brothers at PBW.

Yes, I know the connection is the designer. I realize the molds are different, but nearly identical. The hull of the Starwind 27 is almost identical to a Precision 27 which is 4" longer (both LOA and LWL) and 4" wider. The shoal draft keels are identical in depth the displacement of the shoal draft versions are within 100 pounds at 5400.

When you look at the hull of the 2 boats, you virtually can't tell the difference without close inspection. You can notice the masthead rig of Starwind vs fractional of Precision.

I think you would really have to inspect the trailer of the Catalina 25. I've been stored on the hard right in between 2 Catalina 25's for several years and can tell you there is a distinct difference in the hull shapes. Also, the fixed keel of the Cat 25, if it is a wing keel, is much shorter than the shoal draft Precision. I think the 4' dimension in sailboatdata may be the swing keel. I haven't seen a fin keel version, if they have one.

The hull of Precision is more like a wine-glass shape with hull sides that sweep in above the waterline. It has a much narrower waterline dimension (relatively) than the Catalina. The Cat has vertical walls with a much more horizontal bottom, below the waterline more like a U with the curves at very short radius..

When the wing-keeled Cat 25 is blocked at the keel at the same height mine is, the support pads are about 2' higher on my hull than the Cat 25 next to me and my deck height is at least that much higher. My recollection is the pads are spaced much lower and wider on the Cat based on the locations where the hull form curves. That's with wing keel version.

Why not have it moved for the long trip, and then shop for the trailer when you know what you need?

 

[FourPoints]

Also, the fixed keel of the Cat 25, if it is a wing keel, is much shorter than the shoal draft Precision. I think the 4' dimension in sailboatdata may be the swing keel. I haven't seen a fin keel version, if they have one.

Nothing useful to add about the trailer discussion, but 4' is correct for the fin keel version (and it's not a bulb or wing), a friend if mine had one until 2 years ago when he upgraded to a bigger boat.