Winter Hauling Using a Hydraulic Trailer

[Rick486]

Hi all:
I have been hauling my 44DS at a marina using a travel lift for 8 years now with no problems. Now I am looking at hauling at a different boat yard where they use a hydraulic trailer to do the haul and move her to the storage location where she is blocked just the same as with the travel lift. They bring the boat into their well area and guide her onto the submerged hydraulic trailer. When she is positioned they move the trailer out of the water as the boat settles onto the trailer on her keel and the trailer has hydraulic arms to balance her as they pull the trailer out of the water. My question is has anyone hauled using this technique on a large Hunter?
Thanks

 

[kito]

My mover used a hydraulic trailer to set up my H30 in my backyard and place on stands. I am not sure what your concerns are but they are pretty slick. No cranes, travel or fork lifts needed. Most haulers would rather not back their $90k hydraulic trailer into the water though.

 

[Capt jgw]

Not a Hunter but we did our Columbia 36 that way for several years. Our 5.8' draft was just about all that trailer could do, we had only a couple inches to spare with the arms all the way up. It looks a little scary when you're used to the travel lift, but it's probably harder for them to drop the boat that way.

 

[John T1594]

My yard started using a hydraulic trailer a few years ago. They first take the boat out of the water with a standard travelift and then drive a mobile hydraulic trailer under the boat and use it to place the boat for the winter. Both I and the yard people noticed that the hydraulic arms that stabilize the boat tended to cause oil canning of the hull, especially the aft sections of the hull. They tried to compensate by using straps to better support and shift the weight to the keel but the hull still had some deflection. The yard workers all commented that Hunters are lightly built. At my request, they no longer use the hydraulic trailer on my boat. BTW, I have a 2000 H340.

 

[bart]

My local yard said they had problem hauling out a 44DS with a trailer saying that the hull distorted. I'm taking my 41DS elsewhere.

 

[JRacer]

My beneteau First 310 was hauled out and travelled several hundred miles using a hydraulic trailer with no issues. Worked slick. Dealer was able to carefully position the bunks using the hydraulics. Assuming the hydraulic trailer is rated to handle the load, I would have no issues with that approach.

 

[kito]

If your boat "oil cans" on a hydraulic trailer then it should do the same on jackstands. Apparently the mover didn't know how to adjust the hydraulic arms properly. Especially pulling up a steep ramp.

 

[woodster]

my 30 ft s2 was hauled all the way from houston tx to atlanta ga on a hydraulic trailer with no adverse effects ....dividing the weight of a 10,000lb boat is not that easy with only 5 loading points (keel, and four arms) involved.....