Hauling a 27' fixed keel

Crazy Dave Condon · Jul 25, 2019

Raspa.
Ask around about American Marine & Sail Supply from Zebulon, NC now out of business. I was the Hunter dealer for NC THEN but now retired and know all the lakes and folks whom to talk to. Even had a dealership on Norman at one point. Even know your boat. Send me a private message with phone number
Dave

Justin_NSA · Jul 25, 2019

Congrats on the new boat!. Are you planning put it on the hard for a while to check out the bottom or just go back in the water? At some point you'll want stands. A trailer might cost as much as the boat did.

rgranger · Jul 25, 2019

I once hired a professional boat mover to take a Coronado 25 from Maryland to central Virginia (Smith Mountain Lake). I think it was in the $1000 range. Can I ask what lake you are going to? I know that Smith Mountain Lake is 3 hours north or Norman so if that is your destination, both @Crazy Dave Condon or I can tell you where to go to get service on your boat.

Crazy Dave Condon · Jul 25, 2019

could be Waterwee, Kerr Lake, Columbia, SC, East TN, etc.. Know em all

Project_Mayhem · Jul 25, 2019

Used trailers are hard to come by at a reasonable price. Even with that said you may not come out ahead in the long run. Here's an example of the rates I'm seeing in NW Indiana (cheaper than Chicago)

Trailer Purchase: $1800+$200 (title transfer and registration)=$2000
Trailer Registration renewal: $18
Haul & Launch Ramp Fees: $60
Summer trailer storage: $180
Winter storage: $250
VS
Haul out, winter storage and relaunch: $675

That comes out to $167 savings per year. At that rate it will take 12 years to break even on the trailer purchase and this doesnt include trailer maintenance. If you don't already own a vehicle that can tow you'd have to buy or rent one

rgranger · Jul 25, 2019

I have bought and sold a lot of boats.... one thing I learned about the used trailer market is that it is cheaper to buy a crappy boat sitting on a decent trailer than to buy a decent used trailer that is empty and being sold "as a trailer only". The crappy boat sitting on the trailer really brings the value of the package down. I got a nice dual axle trailer with a crappy fishing boat with blown mercruiser ... for $400. Stripped the boat of decent hardware, sold the hull for $100. Walked away with dual axle trailer and some boat hardware for an out-of-pocket of $300. But most used trailers in that range are closer to $1500.

heritage · Jul 25, 2019

Im sure your going to like the Hunter 27. A great size for a small family.
That said, I would not consider the H27 a trailer boat. At 7000#, 9.5 feet wide, and either 3.25 or 4.25 draft, it would be a real pain to get it on and off a trailer. In North Carolina you would need a wide load permit to drive on the highway. If this is a one time move, hiring a company to make the move would probably be the cheapest option. Does Lake Norman have a marina with a travel lift?

Crazy Dave Condon · Jul 25, 2019

@Raspa
Left message with contact numbers and names for hauler and service yard at lake Norman with the only travel lift. They are well known and respected. Only once did I do a delivery at lake heartwell on the border of SC and GA on I-85 but it was many years ago

Scott T-Bird · Jul 26, 2019

That's what happens when there is just one place on the lake that can handle your boat. Since they are only "asking" perhaps you can negotiate or … you might have to "suck it up, buttercup!"

It is a little steep - does it include taking the rig down, I hope? That's a couple of guys for a couple of hours (not cheap) … then you will have the cost to haul, cost to unload, cost to rig; all before you start paying slip fees. It adds up fast.

You have some work to do if you want to buy a trailer and do it yourself. You probably won't find a ramp where you can float the boat on the trailer, so you may be paying that haul-out cost regardless. I would also look at the other end as well. Does Lake Hartwell have just one or two marinas that can handle your boat or is there a multitude of choices? Moving a boat with fixed keel will never be as simple as it might seem. Once you are there, you might feel a little locked in.

We had the same situation when we moved our boat from the coast to Lake Hopatcong. I intended to make it a shorter stay on the lake than it actually turned out to be (11 years), precisely because it was not easy to make a move back to the coast. I lived with 11 years of some price gouging because there was only one marina that could accommodate my boat for winter haul-outs. You might have more confidence trailering than I would. I wasn't going to attempt it.

Funny thing is … my step-son just bought a new truck with 11,000 lb. towing capacity. I was only half joking when I suggested that I buy a trailer and we take our boat on a road trip to the Florida Keys this winter. It would have to be over Sue's dead body, but he and I might still give it some consideration.

rgranger · Jul 26, 2019

I hate to say this but... you might be better off selling and looking for a boat at Lake Hartwell. It will cost you at least $3K to get this boat moved and in the water at Lake Hartwell.

Scott T-Bird · Jul 26, 2019

Beware the hidden costs of boat ownership! There is a reason why there is a second happiest day.

JRT · Jul 26, 2019

I watch a couple of guys try to DIY a 27' fixed keel boat on a trailer and they dropped it about 20 feet from the ramp as it shifted and caused a lot of excitement. Boat was a total lose at that point and then they had to hire a crane to come in, lift it and repair the trailer. Pretty sure that cost them a lot more the $1k.

Crazy Dave Condon · Jul 26, 2019

That is the one but there is only one travel lift

PJL · Jul 29, 2019

On a regular basis I used to trailer a Catalina 27 (5 ft draft) without a hoist at any location. Had 2 long poles that were used as an A-frame so a halyard could be used to control raising/lowering the mast. Also equiped the mast with a hinged mast step. The A-frame was long enough to provide leverage and also prevents the halyard from flattening against the mast and becoming useless. As for the trailer, a 50' rope was tied between the trailer and the tow vehicle to be able to get the trailer far enough into the water.

BTW, we had friends trailer their Catalina 30s the same way. We were all on lakes that only had launch ramps and no hoists. For the 30s the owners built their trailers and hinged mast steps. Sometimes we took our boats to the ocean rather than just other lakes.

flynhi4u · Jul 29, 2019

Scott T-Bird said:
Beware the hidden costs of boat ownership! There is a reason why there is a second happiest day.

Hidden cost? You mean there are hidden cost? That explains the cobwebs in my wallet!!!

Sam

Patrick Boylan · Jul 29, 2019

Add me to the list of those who think a Hunter 27 should travel in the water. I'm probably prejudiced because I often enjoy saying that if I had bought a smaller boat it would have been more expensive since I would have needed to buy a pickup truck and a trailer.
I got my 2007 Hunter 27 in Toms River NJ. My 2 partners and I with a hired skipper power sailed it to Philadelphia. The hired skipper told the story of someone who tried to trailer a boat, the lowered mast snagged on something and ripped up quite a bit of the railing and stanchions less than a mile from the outhaul marina.

Patrick Boylan · Jul 29, 2019

heritage said:
either 3.25 or 4.25 draft

I always said my Hunter 27 had 4 foot draft. I measured it one day and got 3.5'. So why do I promise never to go shallower than 5' and still manage to run aground?
I have a friend who says his H 27' has deep keel, 5'. He also claims he holds to a 15' rule, never go shallower than 15'. His rule seems to work better than my 5' rule.