I paid $875 for winter storage this year up on the hudson where I bought my 1981 oday 25 cb last fall..I sailed the boat down the hudson, up the east river over to little neck bay in long island sound where she will be moored 5 miles from my house for $1625. I know that when september, october comes creeping around I will have to store the boat for the winter, which costs about $1200 around these parts..and so goes the cycle every year..I cant avoid the summer mooring because its great having the boat 10 min from my house ready to go but the winter storage fees are bugging me..Its also bugging me that I have a trailerable sailboat without a trailer.At first I thought I would buy a used powerboat trailer and modify it but after researching the used market have come to realize it is next to impossible to find a dually trailer in decent condition, and the couple that I saw were upwards of 2000 dollars.After I modify it, it will probably be nearing 3000. I also thought that buying a new sailboat trailer for nearly the same as what the boat cost was crazy.Now I am starting to think that if I keep the boat for 2-3 years or more the trailer pays for itself after factoring in the marina fees I avoided. It would also increase the worth as well as the desirability of the boat if I did decide to sell it down the road. As I see it the only way I would lose money is if I sold the boat prior to 2-3 years time. Has anyone else rationalized this similarly????Does anybody know any cheap manafacturer of sailboat trailers??I know that triad trailers makes the best quality stuff but they are also the most expensive.I do not need the best quality trailer. I just want something functional to transport the boat a total of 10 miles a year. Does any of this make sense to anyone out there?? I would rather buy a trailer than throw my money to the marina every winter or a transport company which costs about the same as the marina when you factor in the round trip..
cheap sailboat trailers
- Thread starter digitek718
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- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
Recently on Craig's list I have seen several Mobil Home trailers modified to handle sailboats. You have 3 axels and once you have the house stripped off, you have a good platform to add adjustable jack stands to it.
There was one forsale all finished with keel rollers and wobble rollers for the hull and ready to go for only $1350 OBO. All you would have to do is modify it for your boat. If you are a pretty handy DIYer, you could probably do most of it youself for a fraction of that. I bet if you checked around to salvage yards, there would be an old house trailer for not too much.
Tom...
There was one forsale all finished with keel rollers and wobble rollers for the hull and ready to go for only $1350 OBO. All you would have to do is modify it for your boat. If you are a pretty handy DIYer, you could probably do most of it youself for a fraction of that. I bet if you checked around to salvage yards, there would be an old house trailer for not too much.
Tom...
- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
Here is one that you could modify I bet...
Right in your neighborhood.
http://longisland.craigslist.org/boa/1742229116.html
Right in your neighborhood.
http://longisland.craigslist.org/boa/1742229116.html
- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
thanks for the replies..the first trailer is being looked at tomorrow morning by somebody who sounded serious according to the owner and the second trailer is not big enough for my 5000+ lb 25 fter but thanks for the replies...maybe I shouldnt give up on the used route after all huh..maybe I should keep looking at used up until maybe september, and if I cant find something at that point bite the bullet and buy new..
you might try the trailer mfg and ask them if they had any cancelations or repos .....they do have them from time to time ...some times a dealer go under and had the trailers on a floorplan and that means that the mfg some times has to buy them back from the bank ....give it a go what have you to lose.......good luck on your hunt
regards
woody
regards
woody
- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
I just did a very fast cursory search. If you got serious, I am sure you could find something by Sept.
Tom...
I looked high and low for a sailboat within 500 miles, never looked in Iowa. That is where I found mine back in Feb...
Tom...
I looked high and low for a sailboat within 500 miles, never looked in Iowa. That is where I found mine back in Feb...
Tek,
It is possible. I bought a used dual axle Easy Loader and raised the roller assemblies on steel tubes. I also built a roller bed for the keel. I had to replace the entire brake system too. Total cost around $1500. I found a boat like mine on a trailer nearby so I could measure everything. It made things a lot easier. I had two weeks to get it bought, designed, built and delivered to the marina to accept the boat. Oy!
It is possible. I bought a used dual axle Easy Loader and raised the roller assemblies on steel tubes. I also built a roller bed for the keel. I had to replace the entire brake system too. Total cost around $1500. I found a boat like mine on a trailer nearby so I could measure everything. It made things a lot easier. I had two weeks to get it bought, designed, built and delivered to the marina to accept the boat. Oy!
Digitek718,
Yup, it is hard to disagree with the $$$ assessment. A trailer will save you close to $3000 over 3 years of winter storage fees IF you have a vehicle that can pull the trailer (or access to one) and IF you have a good place to keep the trailer in the winter.
One other missing ingredient for this arrangement to work well is a good deep ramp. There is a ramp at Steppingstone Park (village of Great Neck owned) next to the US Merchant Marine academy - King's Point. I'm pretty sure they don't check for residency stickers before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. The tidal range there is about 8' and you would need to use the ramp near high tide.
How did your ride down the Hudson to the Sound go this spring?
Good luck.
Yup, it is hard to disagree with the $$$ assessment. A trailer will save you close to $3000 over 3 years of winter storage fees IF you have a vehicle that can pull the trailer (or access to one) and IF you have a good place to keep the trailer in the winter.
One other missing ingredient for this arrangement to work well is a good deep ramp. There is a ramp at Steppingstone Park (village of Great Neck owned) next to the US Merchant Marine academy - King's Point. I'm pretty sure they don't check for residency stickers before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. The tidal range there is about 8' and you would need to use the ramp near high tide.
How did your ride down the Hudson to the Sound go this spring?
Good luck.
Yes I'd like to know also. I've been wondering as we might make the trip in reverse next spring.
Good luck on the trailer deal,
Sum
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The trip from stonypoint to little neck bay was awesome...It was a very nice day with decent winds..unfortunately it was blowing from exactly the same direction we were headed..and we were on a time schedule.. but we did manage to catch a really nice tack for almost 2 hours all the way to the tappanzee..from then on though we were motoring..we overnighted at liberty landing marina.(slept on the boat for the first time)...ferries were not running so we couldnt go to the city..but we did have a nice dinner at the restaurant in the state park and the boat had minimal movement all night..It got just slightly hairy down by the battery..we dodged a big norwegian cruise ship..and then had to wait out a staten island ferry going out and one coming in..we timed hells gate just right and it was a peace of cake..I did feel a little more pressure on the tiller in comparison to the rest of the trip but it wasnt as crazy as I thought it was gonna be..It was a great trip....btw I went out sailing today and everything was like clockwork..I think Im finallly starting to work everything smoothly..like driving clutch..at first you gotta think about it a bit..but after a while it become second nature...loving the boat...just gotta find me a trailer
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