Anyone ever 'wide load' trailer / haul their S2 9.2?

May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
It struck me to sail from Galveston to Port Aransas as a fun idea at first. However, in a short amount of time I found myself spiralling out of control down the rabit hole.......by noon I had purchased and scoured the pilot charts for my first Gulf run. April presented the best probability of calm weather to sail to Port Aransas and back......320nm. Port O Connor, ( I know well from crew boat excursions to my barge the M-278 in my blustering youth), would be a good place to Anchor, even despite its reputation for loose women and no local dental plan. Anyway, I finally landed on hard ground when the local haulers quoted me 2K...dazed and confused I came here.
 
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
Moved a Catalina 30, about 6" wider than your S2, from Houston to a lake in Northern New Mexico in the '80s. Then a couple of years later down to San Carlos, Mexico. I do remember Texas was the biggest PIA for moving a wide load. You had to specify certain roads and times you would travel these roads in daylight only. NM, AZ, and Mexico you just payed your money and went on your way.

Here in AZ you can buy a yearly permit for $75 (unless the price went up recently) and move as often as you want in a year. This is for loads less than 10' wide, I think, but it would be difficult to measure that extra 2" of width on your boat.

If you don't have a trailer I would suggest going down to the coast, buying a cheap boat, do your thing, then reselling the boat. You will probably be money ahead vs moving your boat back and forth.:waycool:
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
As was said, wide load rules vary by state. Some one time use permits even tell you what time & route to take. If you don't make that time window, then you need to apply for (& pay again for) a new permit. Some states require an escort or two. Other states are more cooperative.

You might want to look into moving services. There are guys out there that have tractor trailer rigs with hydraulic pads on the trailer that are specifically made to cradle boats properly. Those things tend to be pretty solidly reliable rigs.

Another option would be to get some local sailors to do a short run delivery for you. There should be plenty of people in the Galveston area that know the Port A run very well. Some of the BOI types down there consider port A to be a land mark for the first leg of longer runs. It's a well known route.
 
May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
Sounds like I need a trailer made. Get a permit yadayada...load up my wife and make her wear a wide load sign and escort me to Galveston. Quick search pulled up 'load masters' custom sailboat trailer manufactures. Looks like 2x 3500 lb axels and welding work.......This opens up a lot. Looks like April 2019 will be my first excursion, I have logged 935 nm single handed on my S2 since October 17 and now I'm ready to notch my game up. If you mark your turnbuckles good then when you put the mast back up and step in and reconnect, it should be tuned like before...right?
 
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
Sounds like I need a trailer made. Get a permit yadayada...load up my wife and make her wear a wide load sign and escort me to Galveston.

Does the term Alimony mean anything to you!:kick:

Quick search pulled up 'load masters' custom sailboat trailer manufactures. Looks like 2x 3500 lb axels and welding work.......This opens up a lot.

As they say in Texas "Ain't gonna work".:eek:

Looks like April 2019 will be my first excursion, I have logged 935 nm single handed on my S2 since October 17 and now I'm ready to notch my game up.

Great!:beer:

If you mark your turnbuckles good then when you put the mast back up and step in and reconnect, it should be tuned like before...right?

Are you sure the rigging is right now. You might get close with this method but we aren't playing horseshoes.;)

Back in the '80s when we did the Texas coast a guy at the dock loaned us an old beat up station wagon with a big box in the back. Do you know how much you will sweat when a police officer pulls you over for no brake lights and you are not sure what's in the box...
Sounds like I need a trailer made. Get a permit yadayada...load up my wife and make her wear a wide load sign and escort me to Galveston.

Does the term Alimony mean anything to you!:kick:

Quick search pulled up 'load masters' custom sailboat trailer manufactures. Looks like 2x 3500 lb axels and welding work.......This opens up a lot.

As they say in Texas "Ain't gonna work".:eek:

Looks like April 2019 will be my first excursion, I have logged 935 nm single handed on my S2 since October 17 and now I'm ready to notch my game up.

Great!:beer:

If you mark your turnbuckles good then when you put the mast back up and step in and reconnect, it should be tuned like before...right?

Are you sure the rigging is right now. You might get close with this method but we aren't playing horseshoes.;)

Back in the '80s when we did the Texas coast a guy at the dock loaned us an old beat up station wagon with a big box in the back. Do you know how much you will sweat when a police officer pulls you over for no brake lights and you are not sure what's in the box...
 
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Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
Sounds like I need a trailer made. ... ... Looks like 2x 3500 lb axels and welding work.....
You might want to reassess that. I think that you are probably going to need more like twice that capacity.

This is the boat, right?
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=1370
...like 5 tons + trailer weight. You are going to need the right kind of truck to pull it with too. Not every full size pickup is up to that task.
 
May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
ou

Capps Truck Rental...saved me more than once. From this picture, i skillfully ripped off, you can see the third axle missing from my rash planning. i cant wait to get some quotes...anyone want to play Hi Lo while I sort this mess out with my wife?
I tried to dismiss her objections as mere nonsense but may have messed up when I told her That her ...beam....had nothing to do with this.
 
May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
I found a reconditioned trailer shop ...in state. looks like 5k..ish there...so new 10k probably. I bet I can make one out of an existing trailer
 
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
Since I'm near the finish on building my new trailer and know what it has cost me, don't be surprised if a trailer manufacturer quotes you more than you paid for the boat. Knowing you would need a minimum of 3 5200# axles and the 25% increase in steel prices just the raw materials if you did the work would be over $7000. I told my wife before I started (and before tariffs) that I would be in under $4000 for the build. I passed that number a while back with only 2 axles and still need $400 in lights and additional fittings. Oh and another $100 for more paint and $75 for carpet and $35 for wood and....
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
You’ll never need an escort (or 2!) for your beam. Over 13.5 air draft maybe. Or over 60 LOA.
 
May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
My last trailer was 3800...2x 3500, so Im seeing 7k easy.....however, I may find a like sized, aged, used..but not bent, trailer and rework it to fit. I got boys running around with welders in the back of thier trucks as a mere fashion statement....Ill listen to their sniper in bagdad stories and let them drink my beer while i weld
 
May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
Sailing is very new and intimidating to my wife...i motor only with her and she loves sailing. Something romantic about her having a swim off the stern all snugly tied to the life ring bouy. we are becalmed right now in a heat wave...110, We set sail for a nearby inlet and morring off a bouy she had the time of her life...i made her Popeye Suprise...grilled lobster cut up and added to macaroni and cheese, her favorite. I told her she was a sailors wife now...kinda like Olive Oil, and like Popeye, we carry a torch while away at sea for our loves.........."where do I begin to tell a story of how great a love can be, a sweet love story that is older than the sea, a simple truth to the love you bring to me....WHERE....DO...I ....Start? I told her to find a retirement home for us with a widows watch and a boat dock...its what we do now.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
It seemed kind of outrageous at the time, but essentially a complete rebuild with 3 - 6000lb 4"drop axles was a good plan for over the road security, and I'm darn glad I did it before all this tariff nonsense started.
Just because we're over width in every territory adjacent to us doesn't matter . Much.
 
May 8, 2018
98
Allied 42xl Galveston
Someone threw out...just get another sailboat. Found a Baba 35 in near pristine condition.......I went and looked at her. She sucked me in like a tractor beam. i was love struck on site. Smitten, I made an offer and in a final wiggle and flinch they gave in.....Survey scheduled for next week......Getting S2 on market
 
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
Good for you. Congratulations. The Flying Dutchman, has almost as much weight in the keel as your S2 weighs complete. Moved an almost new one from Fort Lauderdale around to Mobile about 1980. It will take you anywhere and it's got enough wood that you won't have time to get on any forums.;)