The Steamboating Forum

I need trailer for a boat I am building (assassin by Wes Farmer). It is 16feet long double ender. The trailer I am looking at (Sea Lion s-16-1200) will have the boat hanging off the end by one foot. Will this be a problem? I have never towed or launched a boat. Are there advantages to having the boat overhang , easier to launch?

Sure it's OK to overhang as long as the hull will not be damaged by that overhang. The more important consideration is that the boat is located over the axle(s) so the trailer tongue weight is correct.

If your boat is coming in at anywhere near the designed displacement (~700 lbs) that trailer will work nicely. I'd definitely avoid wrapping the rear bunks up too far as it makes them difficult to launch w/o a steep ramp. I'd also put some guide bars that contact the boat amidships to help center the boat during recovery.

- Bart

Thanks for your response. When I get the trailer ( May delivery) I will be asking for advice on setup of guides and bunks.

Tradeoffs for me, on both my 25' steam launch and my 25' "Pocket Trawler", have been between not having the rudder lower bearing drag on the ground when going over curbs in such things as gas stations, v.s having the boat up higher from the ground and drowning my tow vehicle brakes on launch ramps.

My compromise is to have a tongue extension on the trailer so I can keep my trailer further away from the truck. A bunch of extra fussing particularly when there is ramp congestion!

I see that your rudder bottom bearing has an extension to reach the strap. You may find that bending that strap up closer to the bottom of the rudder is worthwhile when towing over curbs and the like.

Mike

Didn't Will Weidner(sp?) place the bow low and stern high on the trailer with his launch 'Equinox'? I think the thought was the boat would be nearly level in the water when she touched, needing less of the tow vehicle near (in) the water.

My travel trailer use to bottom out sometimes when backing down my driveway depending on my approach angle so this may be an issue with this boat.

Lopez Mike wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:33 am

Tradeoffs for me, on both my 25' steam launch and my 25' "Pocket Trawler", have been between not having the rudder lower bearing drag on the ground when going over curbs in such things as gas stations, v.s having the boat up higher from the ground and drowning my tow vehicle brakes on launch ramps.

My compromise is to have a tongue extension on the trailer so I can keep my trailer further away from the truck. A bunch of extra fussing particularly when there is ramp congestion!

Hear, hear, Mike. I'm probably fitting a tongue extension this Spring for those crazy Maine tides ...

- Steve