The boat travelled really well and was particularly stable at rest - it was a good balance between beam and length.

In terms of towing the extra beam was quite noticable and required quite a bit of extra care around narrow and winding roads.  My worst experience towing was across the centre lanes of the harbour bridge - they are really narrow, there is a large concrete kerb on one side, usually trucks in the other lane and only 150-200mm of room each side.  Always made sure I used the clipons after that.  Legally, the rules are quite relaxed - between 2.5m and 3.1m you only need over width flags and headlights on.  Over this you need a pilot and there are restrictions on times that you can travel on some roads.

Weight is the other thing you need to be careful of, most 9m+ cabin boats would be over 3.5T on the trailer which is the point at which they (should) become a heavy vehicle.  Mine was 3.3T across the axles (as measured on VTNZ's rolling road at WOF time) so just squeaked in.  This was with empty tanks.

Adding an extra 1/2m of beam to a boat makes a huge difference in the volume as well as helping stability. Once you get over ~8m or so the beam on a trailer boat is a compromise purely to keep it road legal. Having said that, you may not notice the stability difference very much as you cruise around, but when trolling or at anchor the extra beam and associated weight is a nice thing to have.

I have a 5m tinny and couldn't be bothered with towing thru Sydney & lining up at boat ramps anymore.

Will obviously cost more than my current boat to run each year, but am happy to pay for the much more enjoyable boating experience.

attitudes change with age.

Cheers
Craig

 

If you have a decent 8.5m boat then it's a good safe boat and as mine is moored 10mins from my house I can find a park for my car, grab my dink and walk past the christmas hords lining the ramp and spend the day fishing alone! try that with an 8.5m trailer.

 

Also and to me most importantly my boat is 8.5 by 2.8 so is a bit wider than most trailer boats.

I think the extra beam is huge in terms of comfort and use.

My cockpit is roomy as.

 

I have the comfort of glass and I only tow it home once a year for two months so don't care about weight but it's not that heavy anyway.

 

When my mate takes his 5.3m tinnie with a 90 yam 4 stroke out to the garden patch and I take my boat he goes 20knots (gotta be calm as) and I go 15 or so and we use the same cost of fuel. He burns about 80bucks in petrol and I burn the same in diesel! and my engine is old school.

He is cold in winter, hot in summer, beat up and cramped for space and I still match him for fuel.

If you use your boat a lot like I do you will spend a lot more on fuel with an outboard boat for sure.

 

BUT I do have to anti foul each year and it takes one tin and takes half a day.

I also remove the leg and clean it down and re fit it each year.

I made a jig for this and it's pretty easy but you might skin a knuckle and swear a bit so it's not for everyone.

I do my own repairs as much as I can if needed and all maintainance.

It's MUCH more work for me than an outboard but very cheap doing it myself.

I know my leg and engine now and it's not a problem to me at all but you might not be keen.

I would say if you plan high use lots of trips or big distance diesel is the better fuel, if you are not going far or often petrol, but why have a big boat then?

If you have mates to share fuel cost and they go a lot get an outboard if you prefer.

As to cost my boat cost $50k and about $20k to update electronics etc and had only 450hrs on the volvo.

It had never been anti fouled and was dry stacked before I got it but had sat in the sun unused for 5 years so could use a paint.

I am happy to go far and wide in it and I spent about the price of a new engine and running gear on the whole thing.

You have to be Honest with yourself about your intended use and reqirements or you won't get the right boat that's for sure.

I would never trade my boat for a trailer boat for my use, end of.

 

I am fishing and diving thursday morning then bringing it home soon so if the weather is ok after this crap goes through on the weekend come up for a blast early in the week one morning before I haul it. It goes back in the water in October. I think looking at it sitting in the yard is one thing but you need to get as many guys to take you out as you can for a run.

Most like me will tell you the bad as well as the good and that's got to help you decide.

 

 

I'd go for a skid trailer next time over rollers.  Skids get the boat 100mm closer to the water so launching is easier.  It's also more risky to drive big trailer boats on to roller trailers because it's so easy to bend roller arms due to the force the boat carries with it even when moving slowly.  I had a 9000lb Superwinch which retrieved the boat onto the trailer quicker than a 6m with an armstrong.  At a reasonable ramp with a pontoon I could easily launch single handed and often did.

The MOST important thing on the trailer though is good brakes.  Mine had big diameter Kodiak discs that would pull my whole rig (car and all) up on steep declines.  Expect to spend at least a day or 2 a year maintaining the trailer (or paying someone else to do it).

Economy wise I will never experience such cheap boating again, mine was a diesel sterndrive and I could cruise at 25-27 knots using 30-35lph and troll all day at round 7lph.  I did 5500nm in my boat over 5 seasons and used 6700l.  That's less than $1 per nm.

Our struggles have all been around me putting the skid type trailer in the water too deep.

Well so my wife tells me anyway!

We have no guide poles, and have no experience of them. I see many White Pointer trailers with them fitted.

A good ramp is a great start. The one at Opua Marina is a treasure!