Best boat transport? Key questions to ask?

gtg

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Sep 12, 2019
103
Catalina, Hobbie 22, 16 Windycrest
From California to Oklahoma. 30' catalina. Fixed keel.

Other hitch: Drop it in on one side of the lake, raise the mast by hand after I move it under a bridge to my marina, is that even possible? Im guessing a boat this size has to be crane lifted in or hoisted in rather than launching via ramp? They tell me its too big for boat trailer and must be blocked. My marina is launch only.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Unless the ramp and the trailer are designed to ramp launch a boat your size, it will need a crane. The ramp would have to be fairly steep to get the boat to float off of it. The bottom of the keel will ride a foot or two above the road bed and you have about 5 ft draft, so the middle of the boat will need to be in at least 6 to 7 feet of water to float it. And you have to have a driver that is willing to put his trailer in the water.

They tell me its too big for boat trailer and must be blocked. My marina is launch only.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Does the marina have a hydraulic trailer to move boats around the yard?

How do you plan to winterize the boat? Leave it in the water? If not then it will have to be lifted out each year and launched again in the spring.
 
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Jul 22, 2011
146
Mariner Yacht Co.(NH) Mariner 28 Atlantic Highlands, NJ
I am fairly certain the C 30 had a Keel stepped mast. Which means it will have to be place in the boat by a crane. As a point of information, we dropped the mast on a Catalina Capri 26, by hand, two guys on the boat, me, 6'3" 195 lbs, holding the halyard to lower the mast. When the two guys on the boat had to step off the deck, I tried to hold the mast steady, but it lifted me 6 or 8 inches in the air and several feet forward. Fortunately there were some bushes which caught the mast. A C 30 mast is longer. Leverage is a funny thing. Done plenty of mast raisings on 19-25 foot boats with no issue. Are you going to Lake Hefner in OKC?
 
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Jan 21, 2009
253
Catalina 30 Lake Perry, KS
It is possible to be done. I am posting a link of a company which I was impressed with but have not used. I am also not associated with this company. I saw him bring in a Catalina 30, step the mast and launch it single handed in a very short time. He had the equipment and knowledge. You may have to have the boat craned onto the trailer since it is in salt water.


 
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Jan 13, 2009
391
J Boat 92 78 Sandusky
Wow. Catalina 30 is deck stepped mast. Boat must be launched with a crane. Stepping mast with a gin pole possible. Winterizing engine in the water is easy. Shut off water intake seacock. Disconnect hose. Stick hose in bucket of marine anti freeze. Have helper turn off engine when fluid coming out of exhaust is the same as what was in the bucket . 2 gallons should do it. Use -100 degree marine anti-freeze not automotive, Cradle for dry land storage is recommended. Jack stands work but only on level paved surface.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
This summer I saw something amazing. I wish I had filmed it so I could post it here. At my marina I watched two different boats in the 30' range step their masts in the water. Here is how they did it. They rafted the boat in need of a mast-job in between two other sailboats at the marina. One was tied to the pier, the mast-job boat in the middle and then one more boat outbound. They secured all of the cleats together with dockline and then using the halyards of the two outside boats, they lifted the mast of the middle boat. The halyards were secured to the mast at a position about 6' from the base of the mast and then lead back to the winches on the outbound boats and then easy-peasy (a little at a time) they raised the mast of the middle boat. The tip of the mast was "picked up" by using the halyard of the middle boats mast and the jib's stay was used to keep it from tipping backwards. This job takes at least five guys (or strong persons:biggrin:). As I watched I thought you could make the job easier by tying the lifting halyards a bit higher but then you would need a bosun chair to go up the middle-boat's mast to untie the halyards of the lifting boats once the job was done.
 
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Mar 13, 2011
175
Islander Freeport 41 Longmont
Buddy of mine transported his 30 on a trailer, with his Dodge 2500 diesel PU, from southern NM to Northern Colorado. He ramp launches it each year stepping the mast with the help of a gin pole at the club. Not that hard and not too difficult with the help of a few friends. The mast is heavy and will require the help of about 4 people, you won't be able to raise it from the deck without some sort of lifting mechanism - gin pole or crane.

The ramp launch is pretty simple just like any other ramp with a long strap and some good blocks for the trailer.

good luck.
 
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Jan 8, 2015
360
MacGregor 26S, Goman Express 30 Kerr Reservoir
From California to Oklahoma. 30' catalina. Fixed keel.

Other hitch: Drop it in on one side of the lake, raise the mast by hand after I move it under a bridge to my marina, is that even possible? Im guessing a boat this size has to be crane lifted in or hoisted in rather than launching via ramp? They tell me its too big for boat trailer and must be blocked. My marina is launch only.
Nah, it can be done. I've done it. I will admit it was quite a bigger challenge than I was counting on. Even though posters on this forum tried to explain it to me, I couldn't fathom how much more effort trailer launching a 30' boat was over the 26' that I had done many times. A tongue extension helps greatly. Once past the bridge, if you can get close enough to shore, a 65' man basket will work to step the mast.

Sailors moving Sailors (Sailboat Transports) is another mover to check out. (I will caution you that it will be expensive)

PS Where in Oklahoma are you moving the boat to?
 
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gtg

.
Sep 12, 2019
103
Catalina, Hobbie 22, 16 Windycrest
Unless the ramp and the trailer are designed to ramp launch a boat your size, it will need a crane. The ramp would have to be fairly steep to get the boat to float off of it. The bottom of the keel will ride a foot or two above the road bed and you have about 5 ft draft, so the middle of the boat will need to be in at least 6 to 7 feet of water to float it. And you have to have a driver that is willing to put his trailer in the water.



I'm not sure what you mean by this. Does the marina have a hydraulic trailer to move boats around the yard?

How do you plan to winterize the boat? Leave it in the water? If not then it will have to be lifted out each year and launched again in the spring.
Im thinking its a 18 wheeler trailer.
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
1/ for transporting a 30' catalina w fixed keel, check that the carrier will put it on a low belly trailer. 2/ for unloading, boat will not go from low belly into h 2 0. the trailer/truck assembly will position your boat onto jackstands or a cradle . their travelift then takes u into the h 2 o. once yr in the h 2 0 u usually step your mast w. help of mast crane and do yr rigging. at our yacht club the hauler / trailer operator will not put boats directly into h 2 0 unless they're less than 20 ' long.