Hats Off To Boaters That Trailer

[treeskier]

Kudos to all of you that drag your boat to and from the water to use it. Normally, our boat sits on our lift and only travels 4ft to get on the water.

However, my girlfriends son moved to Rumson, NJ and her grand kids wanted me to bring the boat from Ocean City, MD so they could boat by “their house”. So 2 new radials, boat buckles, a new winch strap and a bunch of marine grease in the bearing buddies and I’m off on a 360mi round trip for a long weekend. Well I’m cheating a little I put the truck and boat on the Lewes - Cape May ferry a nice break in the middle of the drive and I avoid the Jersey turnpike.

Once again I have a new appreciation for the dedication that those that trailer their boats and family’s to enjoy the water. It’s a lot of work.

 

[Phreddei]

Trailering is not so bad with a 5 minute tow to the ramp on beautiful Ossipee Lake NH.

 

[Billtex2000]

Nice job!! That's a great ferry trip. Have done it several times!

 

[Seadeals]

I like that ferry ride too and I really enjoy trailering. It’s about an hour to the lake and towing can be a fun challenge. Once we were so hungry on the way home I chanced a new Chick fil A’s drive thru that ended up being one of those narrow gauntlets with tight turning lanes curbed on both sides. In too deep before I could tell and no way to reverse out, so I committed and made it through coloring a little outside the lines. I also enjoy the launch and retrieval much like I enjoy taking off and landing a plane.

 

[treeskier]

Ok so after nearly 6 full summers using my boat exclusively from our lift we took our first major trip with the boat from ocean city, md to Rumson, NJ.

My girlfriends son moved there in the spring so we decided to trailer the boat up there to visit and explore the Navasink and Shrewsbury Rivers.

Ok first the drive was no issues just a small problem with a Bearing Buddy that was easily fixed with a quick trip to West Marine. Most surprising was how easy it was to use the neighborhood boat ramp (once we were informed of the requirement for a permit by the Rumson PD). Quick in and out it was nearly as quick as our lift and only 2 or 3 blocks from his house.

The rivers were great water for my smaller, lighter boat. The water was more protected than the open bays back home. We did quite a bit in the evening which had us returning after dark which we do often at home but it was rewarding to be able to navigate some new territory. Last night we checked out a nice boat bar restaurant called the Proving Ground.

Best of all was that EVERYONE was enthusiastic about going out on the boat. The weather was great and we used it everyday. I was truly dreading taking a 300 plus mile round trip and having it just sit. I guess a change of scenery can do wonders.

I am sure we will do it again soon.

 

[biglar155]

Back when I was still in school and living at home, we had our 17' Rinker on a lift at my folk's cottage - as you say, a four-foot trip to the lake. Now we drag our boat 75 miles one-way to get on the water.

These are two VERY different styles of boating. I agree that the trailer version is much more work, but - as you've discovered - it does open up a whole new world of boating possibilities.

 

[LukePrinsloo]

hour drive each way for me.

 

[2kwik4u]

We trailer. Always will. Will always store as local as possible as well. It's more work, but the options are worth it.

This Sunday was a great example. Didn't have all day to be on the lake, but had just enough to be worthwhile. Left the house at 9:20am. On the water at 10:45. Off the water at 2:00 back home and headed to the next event at 3:45. Almost a 50/50 split between prep/transport time, but anytime on the water is better than no time on the water.

I'm also a weirdo that finds some satisfaction in trailering. It's a somewhat unique skillset that I actually enjoy practicing. I think I'm just wired funny!

 

[treeskier]

I don’t find that weird at all. I call it a love for the complicated. We had such a great time we are going back the end of September. I got an amazon box today full of stuff to improve my trailering performance. I also take pride in the skills necessary make it happen. I give the credit for that to a dock guy at the ramp we use locally to put in at the beginning of the season and take out at the end. He told me to fold down the third seat and open the tail gate on my Yukon so I could see the trailer. Works like a charm I can back the empty trailer like a pro.

 

[Zizzou 192]

Took that Lewes - Cape May ferry a couple of times this summer. Took the smaller one in the early evening and was OK. The ride on the bigger one in the middle of the day had us rocking and running for the center of the ship! There seems to be a lot of rocking for such large boats in 2ft chop! I believe they sank one earlier in the year to make a reef.

 

[Whisky]

We live super close to the launch (3 minutes if I take my time).

We have considered mooring but instead of lugging everything we want to take to the truck, then to the marina, across the docks, and to the boat, uncovering the boat on the water, filling up at the expensive on water pumps and dealing with a boat so green that I weep for every other boat we pass moored to bouyes by the launch.

We uncover the boat on the trailer, load everything up, roll down, launch and enjoy our day on the water within 15 minutes of deciding to go.

Afterwards we can get cheaper fuel on land, wipe all the water spots away, flush and tarp within another 20 - 30 minutes.

For us it’s worth it, but we do sometimes still look jealously at those with lifts, or even better full serve rack storage.

 

[MattFX4]

We live super close to the launch (3 minutes if I take my time).

We have considered mooring but instead of lugging everything we want to take to the truck, then to the marina, across the docks, and to the boat, uncovering the boat on the water, filling up at the expensive on water pumps and dealing with a boat so green that I weep for every other boat we pass moored to bouyes by the launch.

We uncover the boat on the trailer, load everything up, roll down, launch and enjoy our day on the water within 15 minutes of deciding to go.

Afterwards we can get cheaper fuel on land, wipe all the water spots away, flush and tarp within another 20 - 30 minutes.

For us it’s worth it, but we do sometimes still look jealously at those with lifts, or even better full serve rack storage.

I'm jealous of your set up. I keep my boat in a covered wet slip on a lift, and it comes with a big price. I paid $5,000 for my lift and the slip fee is $3,500 a year. Gas is also $4.29 a gallon on the lake. I don't mind trailering but my wife really prefers to have the boat on the water. I will say it's nice when I want to go out by myself. Very easy to take cover off boat, lower in to water and go.

 

[Whisky]

I'm jealous of your set up. I keep my boat in a covered wet slip on a lift, and it comes with a big price. I paid $5,000 for my lift and the slip fee is $3,500 a year. Gas is also $4.29 a gallon on the lake. I don't mind trailering but my wife really prefers to have the boat on the water. I will say it's nice when I want to go out by myself. Very easy to take cover off boat, lower in to water and go.

Totally, that’s probably the one thing I just don’t do often because of it,I could launch by myself, but find that I usually just don’t. A lift would change that for sure.

 

[jeff_s]

Trailer mine to a public launch 3x (at lease) a week.

Public dock is only 2 miles from my house. There are 25 marinas within 15 miles of my house but they don’t have many floater I can use (I boat in the bay/ICW/Ocean).

If I could find a floater for sale for a reasonable price I’d consider buying it to eliminate trailering but after two years, I’m getting used to it I guess.

 

[JeffVans]

It takes me about an hour and 20 minutes from my door to leaving the ramp. It kinda sucks, but lake houses are expensive here since its close enough to DC/NOVA for those rich bastards to have a "weekend getaway" million dollar lake house!!! Anything that would work for my family would be ~400k and that aint happening... and my commute to work would longer as well. So, for now I'll just bite the bullet and trailer. lol

 

[treeskier]

It takes me about an hour and 20 minutes from my door to leaving the ramp. It kinda sucks, but lake houses are expensive here since its close enough to DC/NOVA for those rich bastards to have a "weekend getaway" million dollar lake house!!! Anything that would work for my family would be ~400k and that aint happening... and my commute to work would longer as well. So, for now I'll just bite the bullet and trailer. lol

Come see us at the Beach ...$400K with a lift on the bayside is more than doable (I know a great agent). It really is crazy how few boats we have out here except on holiday weekends...Sundays afternoons are almost always locals...last night I was the only boat on very flat water. I did enjoy my trailer adventure last weekend but a private dock with a lift in my backyard lets us use our boat a lot more than we otherwise would.

 

[JeffVans]

You see I would but....

 

[Peelz]

trailering is all I know.

I would honestly struggle with allowing my boat to be in someone elses care. or be unsupervised away from me.

Im thinking of finding storage for the off season this year, and its buggin me to think about not seeing it in the garage all winter LoL

 

[Peelz]

We live super close to the launch (3 minutes if I take my time).

We have considered mooring but instead of lugging everything we want to take to the truck, then to the marina, across the docks, and to the boat, uncovering the boat on the water, filling up at the expensive on water pumps and dealing with a boat so green that I weep for every other boat we pass moored to bouyes by the launch.

We uncover the boat on the trailer, load everything up, roll down, launch and enjoy our day on the water within 15 minutes of deciding to go.

Afterwards we can get cheaper fuel on land, wipe all the water spots away, flush and tarp within another 20 - 30 minutes.

For us it’s worth it, but we do sometimes still look jealously at those with lifts, or even better full serve rack storage.

We look at them jealously.... but only just for this short time of year. up here in the midwest, Starting in the next few weeks... its only really nice and warm from about 4-7pm. Boat on a lift would be swell, for after work dinner cruises maybe add to our season. rest of the time, I want the boat with me. Because we have a couple choices. River, or lakes.

 

[treeskier]

You see I would but....

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LOL ...we can do VA or DE very quickly in the boat...that's what we love about the DELMARVA ... homes available in all three