Trailer

Do you need temporary use of a trailer in the Pacific Northwest that’s capable of handling keelboats up to 30′ or so? My friend Sky has one, and it’s for rent. This is ideal for someone who wants to haul out and work on their boat without paying for lay days (or being stuck in a yard where DIY is not welcome). It is also available to those who need to relocate a boat to a different cruising region.

We bought this with Dervish, a Cal 2-29, when we were living together and I was immersed in Nomadness. She’s now cruising and living aboard her boat, and is casually in the trailer rental business; a welding contractor went over it with a fine-toothed comb, beefed up critical stress areas, and painted with a sealing primer. It was also rewired completely and provided with a breakaway brake controller, as well as new electric brakes, springs, and tires.

The unit works well – her 8000-pound, 29-foot Cal made the trip from the Oregon coast to Olympia without incident. After buying her the boat, I towed it another 20 miles or so to the Travelift with my Dodge Ram 2500, then unladen up I-5 to Camano Island. It tracks perfectly.

Overall length from hitch to stern is 30 feet, and the pairs of stands are at the following stations (measuring back from the hitch):

9′
12.5′
19.25′
27′

The two axles are rated at 5200 pounds each, so that’s 10,400. Subtracting the estimated weight of the trailer, that leaves about 8,500-9,500 pound capacity. The coupler expects a large ball (2 – 5/16″), and the connector is the 7-pin standard (one center round pin and 6 blades around the outside).

There is a wood landing strip for the keel, bounded by angle iron – this begins at 11.5 feet from the hitch and continues to the stern. The eight boat stands are fully adjustable: you can easily change pad angle, rotation, and height (about 3 to 6 feet).

The trailer is based in Olympia, Washington, and Sky has a simple pricing structure:

Daily rate: $80
Weekly rate: $350
Monthly rate: $750

(Prices do not include Washington sales tax of approximately 8.4% and if your run goes over 500 miles, she charges an additional $.05/mile above the flat rate to cover added wear and tear.)

A rental agreement will have to be signed, acknowledging that you have inspected the trailer and accept full responsibility for any mishaps that might occur… Sky can’t be responsible for damage to boats or other difficulties. Before each rental, of course, she will look it over carefully to confirm general condition as well safe operation of the brakes and lights. She also needs proof of insurance and a fully refundable deposit (depending on intended use and distance).

This is not a launching trailer, and may not be submerged (electric brakes don’t like that). Normal operation will involve a lift and boatyard. If you are using it for bottom paint or other messy work, that’s fine, but please make at least a cursory attempt to protect the finish with plastic sheeting (available at no charge if needed). She has ratchet straps and WIDE LOAD banners that you are welcome to use, though permits have to be arranged through the Department of Transportation. The trailer comes with a “kit” that includes those items, some rope, a spare tire, lug/stand wrench, and hydraulic jack.

As you can tell, this is pretty casual… Sky is flexible when it comes to timing, modifications, schedule slippage, and so on. Here’s what the trailer has carried so far:

Ranger 29 from Anacortes, Washington to Flathead, Montana
Olson 30 (Transpac winner!) from Seattle to San Francisco
San Juan 24 from Tacoma, Washington to Richmond, British Columbia
Cal 29 from Wilmington, California to McMinnville, Oregon for bottom work, then to Olympia, Washington for launch
Catalina 27 from Port Orchard, Washington to Portland, Oregon
Ericson 29 from Alameda, California to Flathead Lake, Montana
Islander 24 moved locally around Olympia
Newport 27 from San Diego to Portland

Please contact me via the comment form to inquire about availability or arrange a viewing to confirm that this is suitable for your application (I will not publish the comment, since it would expose your email address… just leave a note with contact info and I’ll forward it to Sky, who normally replies within a day). Here is a Ranger 29 that made the trip aboard the trailer from Anacortes, Washington, to Flathead Lake, Montana… this was taken just after the TraveLift, but before strapping for travel: