Renting a sailboat trailer

[JonnyBoats]

I just purchased a used Rainbow 24 ft sailboat on eBay that is located in Annapolis, MD. It weighs about 2,000 lbs and has a finkeel that draws 3 ft 6 in.

I need to get the boat to Maine.

I have a full size pickup that should be able to tow the boat, if I can find a trailer.

Does anyone know of any place that would rent such a trailer? Alternatively does anyone have a suitable used trailer for sale?

Thanks.

[radicalcy]

That size trailer is pretty common on Ebay. Look under "other vehicles" . There are also thousands of trailers in the Annapolis area. Call around to the various boat dealers, and brokers.

[Rachel]

In the same vein, I'm thinking of trailering/transporting this Meridian back to NW Wisconsin to do the restoration work. I plan to have it back on the East Coast in the long run, but am now remembering how inconvenient it is to do a project away from a home base (or at least a good shop).

Just for my clean-out operations I've spent a bunch of money on things I already have - and would have with me if I were in a better spot. As it is, at this marina, there's no storage space for my tools and materials even if I did bring them out (although I have considered finding a used one of those "Haulmark" type enclosed trailers for that sort of thing if I do keep the boat out here).

Larry, I'm not too far from Annapolis, but since I'm not from here, I have no idea where to start looking for a trailer (and since there's no cell phone reception in the boondocks where I live, I don't have one, so just making 50 phone calls is not that appealing - pay phones seem to be going the way of dinosaurs these days :-).

Would you have two or three suggestions of places I could stop in or call? The boat (and me, at the moment) is between Annapolis and Baltimore, but I'm willing to travel. I've been keeping an eye on e-Bay, but the trailers seem to be mostly straddling what I need: ie. they're either triple-axle 10,000# jobs, or smaller than I need.

Also, I hope this isn't considered "high-jacking" a thread - but it seemed redundant to start another trailer thread when there already was one. Is there proper etiquette for this?

If anyone else knows of a trailer, the boat is basically Triton-shaped, but smaller: 24'9" LOA, 7' beam, 3'3" draft. Weight is supposedly 5400#

Or, conversely, if anyone knows of a shop/shed type space for rent in this area, I'm all ears.

Thanks --- R.

[jhenson]

Annapolis and Deale are amoung the most expensive places to keep a boat on the Chesapeake. My brother kept his 31 ft. boat at Deale for several years, but now has it on the Northern Neck section of Virginia at the lower Patomac and pays about half for marina fees. There are lots of small yards around the bay that might be better. You might pick up a spinsheet magazine and see what else you can find on either the Eastern shore or the south on the bay, epecially if you can float your way down the bay from the upper middle section. Deltaville Virginia is another place where there are several yards that might suit your needs. If the boat is already on the hard, this might not be that viable though.

Joe

[Rachel]

Hi Joe,

The boat's not on the hard now - I wish it were, but the yard won't haul it until at least early June. Meanwhile it sits in the water with the scariest-looking underwater hoses and clamps you've ever seen... Also, I'd like to see whether the hull is one big blister before I get too carried away here - that would definitely put this project over the top...

Spinsheet is a good idea - I'll look for one. I don't think I'm getting raked *too* badly for the slip ($100 per month) simply because the boat's in an undesireable shallow/small slip that not too many people can use. The main reason I don't want to stay at this yard is because I'd have to pay the slip fee PLUS $4/foot/month to have the boat out on the hard, and there are no nice little perks like storage sheds, etc.

I'd love to bring it to Deltaville - the boat I went cruising on is there on the hard at a fine spot ($70 per month and no slip fee concurrently); but at the moment I'm a bit leery of a 100+ mile trip in this boat. Perhaps I'll feel more up for it as time passes.

--- Rachel

[jhenson]

Rachael,

I understand your reluctance to make a trip without knowing the boat. I got my Triton home from the Annapolis area last summer. The first week with her home, while surveying the collosal work ahead of me, I discovered that all the hoses below the waterline would literally turn to powder when I handled them (my Triton had yet to be modified with seacocks).

My brother and I had contemplated motoring/sailing her to Reedsville, VA to save on haulout and transport fees to my home near Shenendoah National Park. Also, the gas in the tank was so contaminated that it wouldn't even run my riding lawn mower (let alone an Atomic 4). What kept her afloat at the mooring during her years of neglect, I can't say.

Though I don't know of any trailers available, I have lived in the area most of my life if you need help finding something. I'm sure there are others on this forum that have a more extensive knowledge of the Annapolis area than I have as well. Good luck with your new prize, if indeed you end up with her.



Joe