I already had this old 4'X8' utility trailer and decided it could be my boat trailer. I built a wood rack out of 2"X4"s to set the boat on. Boat designer and author Jim Michalak mentions that he wonders why more home builders don't trailer the boat upside down as it would mean less hull distortion and stress. I like it upside down because if the tarp blows off during a storm the boat won't fill up with water.
Launching... I will slide the boat off the trailer from the side, flip it over, set it on wheels, and roll it to the shore like a beach cat or kayak. They say this boat is car toppable but I think I prefer the trailer method. Many of the launch sites around here are very shallow and a boat on wheels launch will work nicely. This trailer wasn't getting enough use anyway. :)
Here you can see that much of the boat is on the rear of the trailer. It does balance too light on the trailer tongue but some weight on the front of the trailer takes care of it. I'm only going short distances but once the bugs are worked out I know the trailer is good to go long distances if desired. This trailer has seen a couple thousand highway miles for sure. I like that I've got some room under the boat for storage.
Here's a pic of the boat with my brand new 10X20 tarp. Covers pretty well. The boat is gonna be sitting for a while. I'm going out of state for work and could be gone for up to five months. The sail and mast will most likely have to wait till I get back. But I'm happy to have gotten this far and like what I have so far.
I already had this old 4'X8' utility trailer and decided it could be my boat trailer. I built a wood rack out of 2"X4"s to set the boat on. Boat designer and author Jim Michalak mentions that he wonders why more home builders don't trailer the boat upside down as it would mean less hull distortion and stress. I like it upside down because if the tarp blows off during a storm the boat won't fill up with water.
Launching... I will slide the boat off the trailer from the side, flip it over, set it on wheels, and roll it to the shore like a beach cat or kayak. They say this boat is car toppable but I think I prefer the trailer method. Many of the launch sites around here are very shallow and a boat on wheels launch will work nicely. This trailer wasn't getting enough use anyway. :)
Here you can see that much of the boat is on the rear of the trailer. It does balance too light on the trailer tongue but some weight on the front of the trailer takes care of it. I'm only going short distances but once the bugs are worked out I know the trailer is good to go long distances if desired. This trailer has seen a couple thousand highway miles for sure. I like that I've got some room under the boat for storage.
Here's a pic of the boat with my brand new 10X20 tarp. Covers pretty well. The boat is gonna be sitting for a while. I'm going out of state for work and could be gone for up to five months. The sail and mast will most likely have to wait till I get back. But I'm happy to have gotten this far and like what I have so far.
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