Hi folks, just curious...how many feet of your boat is sticking out behind the rear of your trailer when going down the road? Does anyone hang a light off the end of the boat? Thanks in advance! Jack Hart Hickory, NC
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Baby got Back!
My Hunter 26 has about 8 feet behind the trailer, including the mast. The MacGregor 25 I previously had must have had 10 to 15 feet from the back of the trailer to the end of the mast. I never put a light on the back, although I knew that I should. So far, nobody has run into the back of me.
My Hunter 26 has about 8 feet behind the trailer, including the mast. The MacGregor 25 I previously had must have had 10 to 15 feet from the back of the trailer to the end of the mast. I never put a light on the back, although I knew that I should. So far, nobody has run into the back of me.
Same here
I have a Hunter 260 and the boat itself sticks out probably 3-4 feet but the mast is at least another 4 feet. I have never hung a light nor a flag. I will actually be trailering through Hickory tomorrow morning on my way to lake Norman for a small friendly race. What kind of boat do you have Jack and where do you keep it?
I have a Hunter 260 and the boat itself sticks out probably 3-4 feet but the mast is at least another 4 feet. I have never hung a light nor a flag. I will actually be trailering through Hickory tomorrow morning on my way to lake Norman for a small friendly race. What kind of boat do you have Jack and where do you keep it?
My boat.
Hi Denis, I am in Bethlehem quite often. I have just purchased a 1975 Oday 22 in Michigan. Am negociating on a trailer as we speak. Hope to go up and get it sometime in December or early January. I saw it while working about two months ago, it is in good condition for the age. What is yours, it sure looks nice in the photo? And good luck tomorrow, let us know how you do! Jack
Hi Denis, I am in Bethlehem quite often. I have just purchased a 1975 Oday 22 in Michigan. Am negociating on a trailer as we speak. Hope to go up and get it sometime in December or early January. I saw it while working about two months ago, it is in good condition for the age. What is yours, it sure looks nice in the photo? And good luck tomorrow, let us know how you do! Jack
Duh!
Denis, I just reread your post, you said it was a hunter. DUH, well, I am a product of these NC schools! lol Jack
Denis, I just reread your post, you said it was a hunter. DUH, well, I am a product of these NC schools! lol Jack
Shoe on the other foot...
If you were driving behind a trailer that had a long aluminum pipe sticking out the back, wouldn't you want it to have some sort of marker to alert you to that fact? Regardless of the law (usually anything 3 to 4 feet past the rear lights), it's just good citizenship to let other drivers know that your load extends farther back. A white or dayglow flag (plastic or fabric) firmly attached to the aftermost projection might keep the guy behind you from punching out his windshield and keep you from having to pay for it, depending on your state's laws on the matter (most are pretty specific.)
If you were driving behind a trailer that had a long aluminum pipe sticking out the back, wouldn't you want it to have some sort of marker to alert you to that fact? Regardless of the law (usually anything 3 to 4 feet past the rear lights), it's just good citizenship to let other drivers know that your load extends farther back. A white or dayglow flag (plastic or fabric) firmly attached to the aftermost projection might keep the guy behind you from punching out his windshield and keep you from having to pay for it, depending on your state's laws on the matter (most are pretty specific.)
Been hit, got ticket
Back when I was a novice boat owner, '85, the ODay Mariner I had owned a year extended more than 6' from the end of the trailer. I recieved a ticket one night on the way home for a driver going over 3 feet under my boat and having the mast stand scratch his hood at a stop light. I went to court and had it thrown out but learned that I wanted lights right at the back of my boat attached to the bottom of the mast stand to alert any driver behind me exactly where the end of the load occured. That light bar I built has moved with me through several boats and has been used every time I trailer day or night. It has turned out to be the one set of lights I can always depend on the signal braking and turning to vehicles behind me in traffic. Now that I own a boat whose end of load is 32' behind my Suburban, the light bar helps immensely in interstate highway traffic. Al.
Back when I was a novice boat owner, '85, the ODay Mariner I had owned a year extended more than 6' from the end of the trailer. I recieved a ticket one night on the way home for a driver going over 3 feet under my boat and having the mast stand scratch his hood at a stop light. I went to court and had it thrown out but learned that I wanted lights right at the back of my boat attached to the bottom of the mast stand to alert any driver behind me exactly where the end of the load occured. That light bar I built has moved with me through several boats and has been used every time I trailer day or night. It has turned out to be the one set of lights I can always depend on the signal braking and turning to vehicles behind me in traffic. Now that I own a boat whose end of load is 32' behind my Suburban, the light bar helps immensely in interstate highway traffic. Al.
We won!!! (I think)
Hi Jack, It was a strange day with early rain and then fog but at the same time 12 knots wind. It was a blast and we finished first out of ten boats(maybe!). Being a local fun race there are still some discussions about the H260 Portsmouth rating, therefore we are not sure who won between us and a Soling.
Hi Jack, It was a strange day with early rain and then fog but at the same time 12 knots wind. It was a blast and we finished first out of ten boats(maybe!). Being a local fun race there are still some discussions about the H260 Portsmouth rating, therefore we are not sure who won between us and a Soling.
I hung some of those running lights
off the pintles. The kind that come three or four red lights on a piece of plastic. I guess maybe they are called clearance lights. I kinda mickey mouse'd em on the back of the boat, but they worked just fine. It wasn't a requirement for my Catalina 22 trailer, but I felt it would be nice a thing to do for others who couldn't quite see that stern traveling down the road...
off the pintles. The kind that come three or four red lights on a piece of plastic. I guess maybe they are called clearance lights. I kinda mickey mouse'd em on the back of the boat, but they worked just fine. It wasn't a requirement for my Catalina 22 trailer, but I felt it would be nice a thing to do for others who couldn't quite see that stern traveling down the road...
Load Lenght Behind your Trailer and Lights
One of the things the I found to be an easy solution, is to get an LED bicycle light. You can get them as red tail lights. Many of them have clips. I just clip it to the back end of the mast and turn it on. They are powered by a single AAA and will last for days. It will not provide you with a brake light but it will help others to see the mast hanging off the back of the boat. In California, I believe the law states that you must have proper lights at night if the load hangs over 4'. However, the maximum that your load can hang over is 2/3 rds. the wheel base from your truck rear to the trailer axle. If you have a tandem trailer, measure to the middle of the two axles. Danny
One of the things the I found to be an easy solution, is to get an LED bicycle light. You can get them as red tail lights. Many of them have clips. I just clip it to the back end of the mast and turn it on. They are powered by a single AAA and will last for days. It will not provide you with a brake light but it will help others to see the mast hanging off the back of the boat. In California, I believe the law states that you must have proper lights at night if the load hangs over 4'. However, the maximum that your load can hang over is 2/3 rds. the wheel base from your truck rear to the trailer axle. If you have a tandem trailer, measure to the middle of the two axles. Danny
MMMC
As a proud member of the Mickey Mouse Mechanics Corp, I came up with this for my Mac 25 that hangs a whopping 6'-6" off the rear of the bunks. It is hooked to the running lights and attached to my homemade mast support. The mast is over 9' behind the bunks and I hang a red flag off it day and night.
As a proud member of the Mickey Mouse Mechanics Corp, I came up with this for my Mac 25 that hangs a whopping 6'-6" off the rear of the bunks. It is hooked to the running lights and attached to my homemade mast support. The mast is over 9' behind the bunks and I hang a red flag off it day and night.
Reflector
I also made the masthead platform out of an old aluminum road sign with some mega reflective coating.
I also made the masthead platform out of an old aluminum road sign with some mega reflective coating.
trailer lights
I rigged up the lights and plate on my old trailer to a bar of shelf angle, the type that has holes in it for building shelves and such, set them up so they clipped onto the trailer when empty (or running as a flatbed) and had extra long wires on a spool, run through a length of nylon hose so I could clip them directly to the back of the boat when towing it around, lights and plate were always visible no matter what I had on it (towed a LOT of different boats) Used a couple strips of flat stock bolted to the angle, and covered with old cloth fire type hose then bent int a U so they would just clip on the transome, made it quick and easy to set the lights up. Here in Michigan it's 4ft of overhang and you need a flag or light, in a pinch I've used a flashlight stuck into a red dixie cup hanging off the back. Too much overhang is not too good on the boat or trailer. Ken.
I rigged up the lights and plate on my old trailer to a bar of shelf angle, the type that has holes in it for building shelves and such, set them up so they clipped onto the trailer when empty (or running as a flatbed) and had extra long wires on a spool, run through a length of nylon hose so I could clip them directly to the back of the boat when towing it around, lights and plate were always visible no matter what I had on it (towed a LOT of different boats) Used a couple strips of flat stock bolted to the angle, and covered with old cloth fire type hose then bent int a U so they would just clip on the transome, made it quick and easy to set the lights up. Here in Michigan it's 4ft of overhang and you need a flag or light, in a pinch I've used a flashlight stuck into a red dixie cup hanging off the back. Too much overhang is not too good on the boat or trailer. Ken.
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