Trailer Questions

schult.cindy · Feb 13, 2012

Mine is on a steel trailer built by the same guys who built the trailer for Tarka the Otter and her current owner. Tarka's trailer's home is St. Maarten, NV - where I currently reside. It appears to have held up well. My trailer and Vega are awating my return to GA next summer.

I previously owned a trailer sailor on a steel trailer. That trailer held up well. The parts that failed would have failed if it were aluminum as well - lights and jack. And I always launched the boat rom the trailer into salt water. I learned to: 1) always rinse the trailer with freash ASAP when it comes out of the salt water. 2) rig the tongue jack top be removable (as in before you dunk the rig in salt water). 3) use magnetic (AKA removable) lights.

tim_klynn · Feb 13, 2012

I bought a EZ Loader trailer that was originally made for a NorSea 27. I made a few adjustments to it to fit the Vega.
I made the adjustments based on the the line drawings for the hull in the manual.
When I had the boat hauled out with a travellift and set on the trailer, I only needed to make a few minor (inches) adjustments.
If a non-trailer-making kind of guy like me can fit a trailer to a boat by using the hull drawings, I would think that a competent trailor shop

should be able to do the same.The EZ Loader trailer is not galvanized, but since I only dunk it in fresh water (in Colorado) it is no big deal for me.
However, I am currently working for the month of February in Md, and I have noticed that everything is Much Rustier here than in CO.

My Santana 20 trailer is galvanized, and I have spot on the bow support/winch upright that has rusted through from the inside.
Apparently water gets into this square tube and lingers., the rest of the trailer that drains out is fine.

I don't think the mast would fit on the trailer very well. For trailering, I made some boxes to carry the mast.
The mast hangs over the boat a bit on each end. If you placed the mast alongside the keel, it would project/cantilever out into the tongue section.
I suppose it would depend a bit on your trailer desigin if this would work. On my somewhat poled tongue trailer, it would hang out in space.
The stern of the boat also hangs off the trailer, so the mast would hang out past the end of the trailer as well.

You could make a cradle and put it on a flatbed trailer. The only problem I see with this plan is that unless it is a very stout and heavy trailer,

you will be setting up a center of gravity somewhat high compared to a boat trailer. If you plan to put it on a semi-trailer, it would probably be no problem.
If you plan to put it on a car trailer, it might not work so good.

I was pretty sold on getting an aluminum trailer, until I found such a good deal on the EZ Loader.
The only drawback on the aluminum trailer could be metal fatigue.

If your out in MD and want to go for a sail on your boat, let me know. -Tim________________________________
From: n4lbl alan.schulman@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 8:16 PM
Subject: [AlbinVega] Trailer Questions

I don't know a thing about trailers or trailering but it seems that now is
the time for me to learn.

We are currently in Marathon FL but without our Vega. Just about every
trailer here is made of aluminum. The (only) trailer dealer in town says
that neither painted steel nor galvanized steel will last here. I am
skeptical about the claim that galvanized is unsatisfactory. What do you
guys think? It seems to me that salt water is salt water and if galvanized
steel lasts satisfactorily elsewhere it should here too. Do I
misunderstand something?

If I were to buy a new trailer from a company that advertises that it knows
the exact dimensions to use for most model boats (e.g. Loadmaster in Ohio
or Triad in North Carolina) how likely are they to get it right? Is it a
reasonable assumption that I could make any minor adjustments to the pad
height? Minke us currently in on the hard in Maryland in a boatyard that
tends to be helpful. Are there things I need to worry about the first time
the trailer is used?

Is there an advantage to carrying the mast on deck or on the trailer?

In salt water I intend to just use boatyard launching. I don't intend to
dunk the trailer. I was thinking of having a trailer capable of launching
merely for it's resale value. In Colorado where I live boats and trailers
just about always go together. I want the Vega at home to work on it but
don't expect to sail there.

I was contemplating having a cradle made for Minke and fastening the cradle
to a flat-bed trailer. Any thoughts on that?

There are likely many questions that I should ask but don't know enough to
ask. Therefore, please, I'm interested in any and all comments and
suggestions.

thanx,,,
Alan
Minke #2505

--
Facts have a well-known liberal bias.

SVFlyAway · Feb 13, 2012

Many lifetimes ago I worked closely with Calkins Manufacturing. They
produced, amongst other things, boat trailers. I was kind of their contract
marketing guy. The trailers they build were painted steel. They did produce
a galvanized version for sales mainly in Hawaii. The painted steel held up
just fine in the Northwest, some are still around after 40 years. The
tropics is a little different because of the salt air and the heat (take
your boat to the tropics and things really take double the maintenance).

Bottom-line, galvanized trailers work just fine in the tropical environment
and are cheaper than aluminum. Plus the little extra weight is nice as it
makes the think a little more stable -- especially when towing unloaded.

I probably wouldn't go to a manufacturer for a new trailer, unless you are
in a big hurry. Poke around a bit on the internet, or this group, and you
can likely fine one that will work well for half the cost of a brand new
one. If you do get a used trailer, first thing to do is to breakdown the
bearings and check the brakes carefully. Even new trailers often don't have
the bearing greased properly -- unless they come with a buddy-bearing or
one of the oil hubs they have nowadays. If a trailer has been sitting for
any length of time go over everything, including the connectors and
lighting contacts also.

pjacobs55 · Feb 14, 2012

I maintained a steel ship in Florida and can attest that steel corrodes much
faster in a hot climate. That said, a galvanized trailer in occasional use,
rinsed off, is going to last a very long time - decades. And I would have to
wonder if aluminum is really strong enough for trailering a high heavy boat.
They'll tell you it is but steel welds are so much stronger.

Nicholas H. Walsh P.A.

120 Exchange Street

P.O. Box 7206

Portland ME 04112

207/772-2191

Fax 207/774-3940

This email is from a law firm and may contain material that is confidential
or privileged. If you suspect you were not the intended recipient, please
delete the email and give us a call.

dougpol1 · Feb 14, 2012

On 02/14/2012 08:53 AM, Nico Walsh wrote:

schult.cindy · Feb 14, 2012

Not everyone has the same situation. My Vega sits in storage for free because she is on a trailer. Her first ride on it was from MD to GA, and next summer I will move her from GA to AK. As for the truck - I already had it. I love the ease of taking her wherever I want to. For me it is money well spent.

sdunmeyer · Feb 14, 2012

Just to second the "used" option--I think these are not far from you: http://www.atomvoyages.com/cys/TrailersForSale.htm

frankdeba27 · Feb 14, 2012

What's up with this appearing in emails: "Facts have a well-known liberal bias."

SVFlyAway · Feb 14, 2012

There is another reason for trailer manufacturers pushing aluminum trailers
-- the cost more money, so the mark-up is higher.

tim_klynn · Feb 14, 2012

I bought the Vega and trailer just so I would have an excuse to buy diesel truck.

A side effect of having a diesel truck is that it makes me feel so much more manly.
I think you can get newer F150's that will tow 10K lbs.
(Of course, guys with diesel pickup's think F150's are 'girl trucks')
________________________________
From: n4lbl alan.schulman@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 12:47 PM
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Trailer Questions

Thanks for the well thought out response. I could go further and state
that it would also be cheaper to have the yard do all the maintenance than
for me to buy a truck, a trailer, and tow 2,000 miles one way.

If I didn't trail the boat I'd need a truck to carry all the gear back and
forth in one shot anyway.

I recognize that I'm being irrational. I think that trailering is what I
want to do.

thanx,,,

dougpol1 · Feb 14, 2012

Now there's a reason to own a Vega. To own a diesel truck you have to
have something to pull with it. You walk around your vessels stern kick
a trailer tire and pat her on the butt, light up a cigar, throw out your
chest, pull on your gloves fire up the diesel to the tune of rattle,
rattle clackity clack . While we poot lessor types lean against our
minivans and salute your smoke and Bravado as you motor off in the
Sunset . My hat goes off to you. Doug