Does anyone trailer their Hunter 25.5? How difficult is it? Presently I keep my boat in a slip all year round but I am looking into buying a trailer to increase my range. I would like to trailer to some races and to places that I would have otherwise missed due to their distance. I am also thinking about keeping the boat dry on the trailer during the winter. I am trying to determine how difficult it is to launch and retrieve the 25.5. I have a shoal keel model with an inboard. Do I need to use a special deeper/longer ramp to launch/retrieve the boat. Or will the average ramp suffice? Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.
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Cliff Ruckstuhl
Do it
I just sold my 25.5 this past summer. We trailored ours 350 miles North two years in a row to sail on Lake Mich. It is not that big of a deal, yes it is a big boat and you will need a tounge extension on the trailor. But we did just what you want to do it we stored it on the trailor in the winter and it would have paid for it's self if I had kept the boat a few more years,meaning the trailor. The only thing is to have a big enough tow vechical to pull it with. But as far as in and out of the water it was know problem. You just need a good ramp but there all different anyways. Any more questions let me know. Cliff
I just sold my 25.5 this past summer. We trailored ours 350 miles North two years in a row to sail on Lake Mich. It is not that big of a deal, yes it is a big boat and you will need a tounge extension on the trailor. But we did just what you want to do it we stored it on the trailor in the winter and it would have paid for it's self if I had kept the boat a few more years,meaning the trailor. The only thing is to have a big enough tow vechical to pull it with. But as far as in and out of the water it was know problem. You just need a good ramp but there all different anyways. Any more questions let me know. Cliff
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Anthony Bavuso
wide load permits...
I called the Virginia State Police, the Virginia DMV, and VDOT to determine if I needed a wide load permit and how to get one. For those interested here is what I found. A permit is required for anything over 40' in length, over 8' in width, and 13' in height. I don't think these number are cast in stone because the state police told me 8 1/2', then VDOT told me 8', then the permit guy told me 8' 6". So if you exceed those numbers then you might want the check it out. The guy to call to get a wide load permit in Virginia is Theodore Taylor and his phone number is 804-786-7645. You can purchase a single trip permit for $12 or a blanket permit for $45/year. They tack on an extra $6 if you use a credit card. And from what Theodore told me they can process your application over the phone and fax you back a permit in 5 minutes.
I called the Virginia State Police, the Virginia DMV, and VDOT to determine if I needed a wide load permit and how to get one. For those interested here is what I found. A permit is required for anything over 40' in length, over 8' in width, and 13' in height. I don't think these number are cast in stone because the state police told me 8 1/2', then VDOT told me 8', then the permit guy told me 8' 6". So if you exceed those numbers then you might want the check it out. The guy to call to get a wide load permit in Virginia is Theodore Taylor and his phone number is 804-786-7645. You can purchase a single trip permit for $12 or a blanket permit for $45/year. They tack on an extra $6 if you use a credit card. And from what Theodore told me they can process your application over the phone and fax you back a permit in 5 minutes.
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Chuck Hastings
No Problem
A friend and I purchased a Hunter 25.5 shoal keel in January of this year. It had been sitting on a cradle in a pasture for about three years. The previous owner did not have a trailer and kept it in the water most of the time. However, to take it out he bolted his cradle to a flat bed trailer and had a tongue extension to get it deep enough to load and launch. When we bought the boat we had to get it 350 miles north to Hastings, NE so we bought his cradle and flat bed. I pulled it home with a full size 3/4 ton Chevrolet van with a 350 v-8. The trailer had no brakes. Initially the trailer had no tongue weight so we moved the cradle with the boat on it forward about a foot (using comealongs) until we had about 300 lbs tongue weight which was easy for the van to handle. Coming home we could only make about 45-50 mph without a lot of swaying but didn't have any problems other than speed. We have used that trailer to get it to and from the lake twice (75 miles one way) and took it on one road trip of about 200 miles one way. The trailer launches and retrieves great but speed on the highway is a problem and I would want brakes if I was going very far. We have ordered a new trailer which should be here next spring. The main reason was to have brakes and to have something which would trailer at 55 mph without problem of swaying. Other than the work of taking the mast up and down loading is not much of a problem. You do have to have a ramp which is deep enough to float it off but that has never been a problem for us. I don't have any problem pulling it with the van but if the ramp is real steep 4 wheel drive would help. If I have a steep ramp I will have a friend hook on the the front of the van to help pull it out. The van has the power but not the traction on steep ramps. I would'nt want to take it out every weekend but a couple of times a summer and for storage is no problem. I am going to sell the trailer in the summer if you are looking for something for short distances and for storage but I wouldn't recommend it for very long distances. Check your local laws as to requirements for brakes. The whole rig probably weighs about 7500 lbs. Let me know if you have other questions. We are ordering a new main. If you happen to know your tack angle (angle between boom and mast) I would be interested. Thanks
A friend and I purchased a Hunter 25.5 shoal keel in January of this year. It had been sitting on a cradle in a pasture for about three years. The previous owner did not have a trailer and kept it in the water most of the time. However, to take it out he bolted his cradle to a flat bed trailer and had a tongue extension to get it deep enough to load and launch. When we bought the boat we had to get it 350 miles north to Hastings, NE so we bought his cradle and flat bed. I pulled it home with a full size 3/4 ton Chevrolet van with a 350 v-8. The trailer had no brakes. Initially the trailer had no tongue weight so we moved the cradle with the boat on it forward about a foot (using comealongs) until we had about 300 lbs tongue weight which was easy for the van to handle. Coming home we could only make about 45-50 mph without a lot of swaying but didn't have any problems other than speed. We have used that trailer to get it to and from the lake twice (75 miles one way) and took it on one road trip of about 200 miles one way. The trailer launches and retrieves great but speed on the highway is a problem and I would want brakes if I was going very far. We have ordered a new trailer which should be here next spring. The main reason was to have brakes and to have something which would trailer at 55 mph without problem of swaying. Other than the work of taking the mast up and down loading is not much of a problem. You do have to have a ramp which is deep enough to float it off but that has never been a problem for us. I don't have any problem pulling it with the van but if the ramp is real steep 4 wheel drive would help. If I have a steep ramp I will have a friend hook on the the front of the van to help pull it out. The van has the power but not the traction on steep ramps. I would'nt want to take it out every weekend but a couple of times a summer and for storage is no problem. I am going to sell the trailer in the summer if you are looking for something for short distances and for storage but I wouldn't recommend it for very long distances. Check your local laws as to requirements for brakes. The whole rig probably weighs about 7500 lbs. Let me know if you have other questions. We are ordering a new main. If you happen to know your tack angle (angle between boom and mast) I would be interested. Thanks
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Mayona Austin
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Anthony Bavuso
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