Trail the boat and the trailer?

[daytripper]

Hello -

I have just purchased a beautiful 1985 Standard Rig Fin Keel and am extremely excited to get her out on the water. But first I need to get her from Rhode Island to New Rochelle, NY. The boat currently sits on a TrailRite trailer which looks ok but has not been moved for several years and no one at the boat yard has any idea regarding the condition of the trailer.

Is it practical to go on uship.com and find someone to haul the boat and trailer on a flat bed trailer? Am I better off leaving the trailer behind? I don't own a car capable of hauling a trailer and have no experience driving with a trailer or even making sure that it is safe. It is unlikely that I will have any use for the trailer once the boat is in NY.

Any idea on the best way to go?

Thanks! Chris

 

[Slartibartfass]

Hello -

I have just purchased a beautiful 1985 Standard Rig Fin Keel and am extremely excited to get her out on the water. But first I need to get her from Rhode Island to New Rochelle, NY. The boat currently sits on a TrailRite trailer which looks ok but has not been moved for several years and no one at the boat yard has any idea regarding the condition of the trailer.

Is it practical to go on uship.com and find someone to haul the boat and trailer on a flat bed trailer? Am I better off leaving the trailer behind? I don't own a car capable of hauling a trailer and have no experience driving with a trailer or even making sure that it is safe. It is unlikely that I will have any use for the trailer once the boat is in NY.

Any idea on the best way to go?

Thanks! Chris

Welcome to the neighborhood... I'm based in Mamaroneck. Let's connect....

Do NOT leave the trailer behind. BIG for a resale..... when I bought my boat the trailer was barely used and 10 years old. For a short haul (not in your case) not much to do other than checking for working lights.

You might want to grease the bearings before the long haul. Spare tire(s)? And tie her done well and don't go faster than 50-60... tongue weight important.... I had no experience in towing before....

Rent a truck capable of towing. The trailer on its own is worth good money. People are regularly looking for a trailer for their boat....

 

[daytripper]

Thanks for your input. I think I may have seen your boat one day while boat shopping - on the far right side of a floating dock parallel to the peninsula down in Mamaroneck. Very nice looking boat with if that was it.

Best, Chris

 

[delling3]

Trailer is too valuable to leave behind. If it hasn't been used for a long time, definitely lube the bearings, and take a good look at the tires. Make sure there is a spare. My trailer is single-axle, and I had a blow-out on my trip home. Not a huge problem, but inconvenient. I didn't have a spare, my truck's jack was too tall to fit under the axle of the trailer, and the lug nuts were a different size than my wrench! Have a spare, spend $10 on a cross-type lug wrench, and have a jack that will work.

I bought my Capri last summer. Had to tow it home about 220 miles, from Youngstown to Detroit. The boats are light, so they trailer pretty easy, but you will need a vehicle capable of towing at least 4000 lbs. You can rent one from Ryder or other outlets. You also mention U-Ship. Should be able to find someone who has a tow vehicle who will deliver the boat for you at a pretty reasonable cost. Or load the boat and trailer onto a flatbed, but that will cost more money and may require oversize load permits. Make sure the boat is insured against damage during towing.

 

[Slartibartfass]

Thanks for your input. I think I may have seen your boat one day while boat shopping - on the far right side of a floating dock parallel to the peninsula down in Mamaroneck. Very nice looking boat with if that was it.

Best, Chris

Yup that was me. With the Sheldrake YC burgee flying.... will be in the same spot again this year....

 

[daytripper]

Thanks for your responses and war stories. My updated plan is to get the trailer road-worthy and then hire someone to tow the boat to New Rochelle. The sail sounds exciting but may be more than I bargained for.

Best, Chris

 

[jepomer]

Assuming you don't see any serious rust on the trailer frame or the springs, the other major things are the wheel bearings (best to replace) and tires (look for sidewall creaks). The tires should hold the maximum pressure on the sidewall. If the tires are mostly flat, they will need to be replaced for any long drive.

Getting someone to transport it on a flatbed trailer or truck is the safest.

Remember that a new trailer for a Capri 22 is almost $4,000 plus shipping. Any trailer makes for a handy storage device for the winter.

 

[shnool]

tractor supply has wheel/tire combos for reasonable price for most trailers... can buy RIGHT off the shelf. tire/wheel combo will be about $120-150.

They also sell wheel bearing kits, in the 2 most common small trailer sizes (under 3500lb axles)... Hell they even have stick on LED light kits...

When do you need to move the boat? timeframe?

 

[daytripper]

Hello -

Time frame is anytime between 15-APR-2017 and 15-MAY-2017. We only saw the boat once back in February. I am attaching pictures. Also the trailer is not yet registered in New York State.

While I believe the actual trailer parts are reasonable I think there is a big difference between buying the parts (particular bearings etc). and installing them all while not being on site. And not having any real experience with this aspect of boating.

At any rate, I am attaching two current pictures of the trailer from the original ad. To me it looked in better shape than the trailers I have seen as advertised as 'roadworthy' so maybe it is mostly ok.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions.

Chris