Trailer question

jroon

.
Oct 9, 2018
9
O'Day 25 Winnipeg Beach
Forgive if this is a silly question. I have an O'Day 25, swing keel. I have seen these boats on roller trailers for launching and such, however I just want to be able to put the boat and its cradle on a car trailer so I can haul it home to the house at the end of the season. Is this feasible? Any idea of the length of trailer I should be looking for? The weight isn't an issue as the boat is only about 4500 lbs.
Thanks for any replies in advance.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The weight of the boat is only about twice what a normal car is, and then there's the weight of the cradle. Hopefully the trailer has more than 3500 lb axles.
 
  • Like
Likes: jroon

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
Do you mean a flat-deck trailer? If it sits low enough in the cradle and if the cradles will sit on a well supported part of the trailer deck then I would think it will work. It's going to need to be a sturdy trailer, though, as the cradles will probably be further apart the the wheelbase of a typical car, putting extra bending load on the frame rails. You might want to consult with the trailer manufacturer about that. I would think a double axle trailer would be a good idea, too.

Length wise, if the boat fits and there's enough clearance between the bow and the back of the tow vehicle I would guess that you'd be okay.
 
  • Like
Likes: jroon
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
I have seen trailers in the the UK that were effectively a cradle that sits on a flatdeck trailer. Maybe someone has photos for reference.
 

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
I was originally thinking of two separate cradles. But if it's sitting on one sturdy cradle then that will distribute the load on the trailer pretty effectively. Only if the cradle itself is fairly rigid, though.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I've seen many boats for sale with this setup. The PO of my O'Day 25 did this to get it home when he bought it. Most people will bolt and strap the cradle to the trailer and then throw a couple more straps over the deck and attach them to the trailer frame. Super simple. The boat is about 4100lbs without gear, cradle is 500?, trailer is going to be another 1500+. If you dont have a capable tow vehicle I'd suggest renting one from uhaul or enterprise truck rental
 
  • Like
Likes: jroon

Fred

.
Sep 27, 2008
493
Catalina 28 mkii 745 Ottawa, Ontario, CA
I've seen it done for many miles and many times. Make sure that the for/aft placement is such that you get about 10% of the weight on your tongue and that you have sufficient braking capacity. If it's a short run it should not be a problem.
 

Attachments

Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
You'll probably need to have your boat craned or fork lifted onto the trailer. The yard should be able to offer a little bit of guidance on cradle/boat placement.
 
  • Like
Likes: jroon
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The O'Day 25 can be forklifted. The marina mine is at only charges $100 whereas the crane is upwards of $500
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Whenever I towed boats on cradles, the first thing is to check overall height as some do not and have hit bridges and so on.
When tying down, I would secure the cradle to the trailer. I would strap the boat over with two straps and two more, one over the bow led backward and the rear led forward to keep the boat from moving forward or backwards.
Since the trailer was not mentioned by name, axles, combined total weight of all tires on trailer, etc., I would suggest that you keep this in mind.
Does the trailer have brakes and if so, make ssure they are working for the load. If no brakes, then go slow and should the trailer start to sway, accelerate to pull the sway out and then brake slowly. Former dealer now retired.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I'm usually towing a cargo trailer and when I experience sway it's usually because I'm going too fast. In theory it makes sense that speeding up would reduce sway but I've found that coasting (no gas, no brake) is the most effective way to regain control. Hitting the brake button on the brake controller doesn't have much effect either. Perhaps if sway was caused by something other than excessive speed it would help.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Early in business a gentleman who was recognized in the industry for designing sailboat trailers taught me a lot about towing. With no brakes and the trailer is swaying, accelerate to pull the swaying out and then brake slowly. Many others confimed this over the years