Comments below:
"Ante Topic Mimara" ] wrote in message
news:KMYSIKXQ38080.3344444444@anonymous...
Cindy Ballreich writes:

Ante Topic Mimara wrote:

I do not like to give this up, as it has been a life long
dream for me to have a small boat like this, but I do not
see how I can do with it what I wish to do.


There are smaller boats that would probably meet your needs.

I have looked at several web sites that sell boats, and I have
not seen anything much under 27 or 28 feet that looks like what
I was wanting. Almost all of these boats that are smaller than
this, are all open, and do not have anything inside to sleep
on, or eat, or have heads, or anything. If I could find something
like this, I would be happy, but I have not.

I have friends who used to own a 22 or 23' power boat with what was
called a Cuddy Cabin. I believe they are quite common. This cabin was down
below, forward of the cockpit, taking up perhaps the full forward half of
the boat. It had a Vee shaped birth that slept two comfortably, a sink, and
a dedicated space for a Port-a-potty (toilet). You could not stand in this
cabin but there was sufficient headroom for those sitting on the beds or
toilet. It had a door that closed it off from the cockpit for privacy and
an over head opening hatch plus windows (ports) on either side. Their
cockpit was open but they had a full canopy/dodger with side curtains that
ran from the windshield to the stern with standing headroom inside. On nice
evenings they would sleep in the cockpit on the main seats which folded down
into beds. They did their cooking in the main cockpit on a bar-b-que. This
all fit on a single axle trailer and they pulled with a Ford F150 (commonly
called a 1/2 ton) pickup truck They kept the boat on its trailer in their
driveway during the week and towed it where ever they wanted to go on
evenings or weekends. The boat had an inboard/outboard drive arrangement
with a V-6 engine.
Would something like this be enough to get you started into boating? It
doesn't meet all you expressed needs but is a good start perhaps. You could
move up to a bigger boat as your experience and preferences develop.
--
Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin
Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

Comments below:
"Ante Topic Mimara" ] wrote in message
news:KMYSIKXQ38080.3344444444@anonymous...
Cindy Ballreich writes:

Ante Topic Mimara wrote:

I do not like to give this up, as it has been a life long
dream for me to have a small boat like this, but I do not
see how I can do with it what I wish to do.


There are smaller boats that would probably meet your needs.

I have looked at several web sites that sell boats, and I have
not seen anything much under 27 or 28 feet that looks like what
I was wanting. Almost all of these boats that are smaller than
this, are all open, and do not have anything inside to sleep
on, or eat, or have heads, or anything. If I could find something
like this, I would be happy, but I have not.

I have friends who used to own a 22 or 23' power boat with what was
called a Cuddy Cabin. I believe they are quite common. This cabin was down
below, forward of the cockpit, taking up perhaps the full forward half of
the boat. It had a Vee shaped birth that slept two comfortably, a sink, and
a dedicated space for a Port-a-potty (toilet). You could not stand in this
cabin but there was sufficient headroom for those sitting on the beds or
toilet. It had a door that closed it off from the cockpit for privacy and
an over head opening hatch plus windows (ports) on either side. Their
cockpit was open but they had a full canopy/dodger with side curtains that
ran from the windshield to the stern with standing headroom inside. On nice
evenings they would sleep in the cockpit on the main seats which folded down
into beds. They did their cooking in the main cockpit on a bar-b-que. This
all fit on a single axle trailer and they pulled with a Ford F150 (commonly
called a 1/2 ton) pickup truck They kept the boat on its trailer in their
driveway during the week and towed it where ever they wanted to go on
evenings or weekends. The boat had an inboard/outboard drive arrangement
with a V-6 engine.
Would something like this be enough to get you started into boating? It
doesn't meet all you expressed needs but is a good start perhaps. You could
move up to a bigger boat as your experience and preferences develop.
--
Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin
Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

My impression on boats is that it's always a compromise.
What do you want
what do you need
what's most practical for local conditions
what can you afford
etc.
If a person can't work their way through above..best to stay away from
boats.

My impression on boats is that it's always a compromise.
What do you want
what do you need
what's most practical for local conditions
what can you afford
etc.
If a person can't work their way through above..best to stay away from
boats.

x-no-archive:yes


Ante Topic Mimara ] wrote:

Cindy Ballreich writes:

Ante Topic Mimara wrote:

I do not like to give this up, as it has been a life long
dream for me to have a small boat like this, but I do not
see how I can do with it what I wish to do.

There are smaller boats that would probably meet your needs.

I have looked at several web sites that sell boats, and I have
not seen anything much under 27 or 28 feet that looks like what
I was wanting. Almost all of these boats that are smaller than
this, are all open, and do not have anything inside to sleep
on, or eat, or have heads, or anything. If I could find something
like this, I would be happy, but I have not.

My SIL has a 26.5 foot catamaran motor boat with two outboards and it
trailers and also has a very shallow draft which is really good for
the south FL area. It has places to sleep, and they have a portapot
and cook on a grill.

There are tons of sailboats that have more facilities than that (he
also had a Catalina sailboat for awhile which he got at a sheriff's
auction for about $250 but he then had to buy a trailer for it to get
it home). It had a deck stepped mast so that he and my husband could
raise the mast before they launched it.

You might find it interesting/educational to attend a large
boat show or two. You'll be able to inspect many different
kinds of trailer-able boats and get a much better idea of the
features and specs you will need. You'll be able to get
information about proper tow vehicles and various state
requirements. It sounds like new boats are out of your price
range, but you can take the information you gain out into the
used boat market and shop with more confidence.

Thank you for this most excellent advice. I am still thinking
that I am going to give this dream up, as I do not think I will
ever find what it is that I looking for, and have had too many
people I have never seen give good advice, decide to call me a
troll. If they are what most boater-people are like, they can
have it.

I would hope that you are what most boater-people are like, since
you have given me good information, but I have seen too many people
be suspicious and hateful.

There are some big boat shows in this part of the country over the
summer, I think. I will do a search on the internet to find out some
more details, and then go and see what they have there.

Thank you again for your good helpful advice. I will take it.

Why not also go to yachtworld.com and do a search on power boats that
meet your specifications? I would be surprised if you don't find a
whole bunch.

grandma Rosalie

x-no-archive:yes


Ante Topic Mimara ] wrote:

Cindy Ballreich writes:

Ante Topic Mimara wrote:

I do not like to give this up, as it has been a life long
dream for me to have a small boat like this, but I do not
see how I can do with it what I wish to do.

There are smaller boats that would probably meet your needs.

I have looked at several web sites that sell boats, and I have
not seen anything much under 27 or 28 feet that looks like what
I was wanting. Almost all of these boats that are smaller than
this, are all open, and do not have anything inside to sleep
on, or eat, or have heads, or anything. If I could find something
like this, I would be happy, but I have not.

My SIL has a 26.5 foot catamaran motor boat with two outboards and it
trailers and also has a very shallow draft which is really good for
the south FL area. It has places to sleep, and they have a portapot
and cook on a grill.

There are tons of sailboats that have more facilities than that (he
also had a Catalina sailboat for awhile which he got at a sheriff's
auction for about $250 but he then had to buy a trailer for it to get
it home). It had a deck stepped mast so that he and my husband could
raise the mast before they launched it.

You might find it interesting/educational to attend a large
boat show or two. You'll be able to inspect many different
kinds of trailer-able boats and get a much better idea of the
features and specs you will need. You'll be able to get
information about proper tow vehicles and various state
requirements. It sounds like new boats are out of your price
range, but you can take the information you gain out into the
used boat market and shop with more confidence.

Thank you for this most excellent advice. I am still thinking
that I am going to give this dream up, as I do not think I will
ever find what it is that I looking for, and have had too many
people I have never seen give good advice, decide to call me a
troll. If they are what most boater-people are like, they can
have it.

I would hope that you are what most boater-people are like, since
you have given me good information, but I have seen too many people
be suspicious and hateful.

There are some big boat shows in this part of the country over the
summer, I think. I will do a search on the internet to find out some
more details, and then go and see what they have there.

Thank you again for your good helpful advice. I will take it.

Why not also go to yachtworld.com and do a search on power boats that
meet your specifications? I would be surprised if you don't find a
whole bunch.

grandma Rosalie

Sandy wrote:

How do you get the boat back on the trailer and
then get the trailer back on the hitch ball?

You basically reverse the process... The trick is that the trailer
needs to be designed with this use in mind. It also helps if the ramp
flattens out at the top so you don't have to block the trailer wheels
while on the ramp. To retrieve the boat, you launch the empty trailer
attached to the rope, until it sinks out of sight (as when you lauched
the boat)... ideally you have attached some floats that rise and serve
as a guide, letting you know where the trailer is when you inch the
boat forward. Some trailers have a tall (8 ft) step ladder close to
the hitch, and this portion projects out of the water. Also, all
trailers will need two guide rails to help center the keel onto the
cradle. Once the boat is centered over the trailer, you attach a rope
to the bow and attach it to your towing rope. You don't attach the bow
rope to the towing vehicle because you want some play as the bow will
tend to rise as the keel settles on the cradle when you pull the boat
out. You therefore have two ropes, one attached from the towing
vehicle to the trailer and a second rope attached from the bow of the
boat to the trailer towing rope at about the 3/4 point. You then tow
the ensemble up the ramp and onto the flat portion at the top of the
ramp. At this point you are free to block the wheels, remove the
ropes, and attach the trailer back on the ball. One of the things that
makes this whole operation work is having a third wheel at the hitch
end of the trailer. The cheap hard plastic (small diameter) wheels
work OK for very light boats, but for heavier keel boats you will want
a real inflatable (large diameter) tire which you can raise and rotate
out of the way when the hitch is back on the ball.

Bob Whitaker
"Free Spirit"



On 2 Apr 2004 22:32:12 -0800, (Bob Whitaker) wrote:
[snip]

As mentioned by other posts, you need to make sure the ramp at your
destination can handle the boat. With boats this size, you can not
"back up" your car until the boat floats. Instead, you need to launch
in several steps. First you back up the tow vehicle until it can't go
any further. At this point your trailer is mostly under water (but
the
water is probably just barely touching the stern of the boat). Then
you attach a long (strong) rope to the trailer and to your tow
vehicle. Then you lift the ball off the hitch, and you let the
trailer
keep on rolling down the ramp... the trailer will move rather slowly
because it started out partially submerged... Eventually the trailer
will be completely submerged, and the boat will float off... then you
pull the trailer out of the water with the rope. It is not uncommon
to
need about 30 feet of rope to get the boat to float off. Needless to
say, you need to make sure the ramp is long enough for this maneuver.

[snip]

How do you get the boat back on the trailer and then get the trailer
back on
the hitch ball?

Sandy wrote:

How do you get the boat back on the trailer and
then get the trailer back on the hitch ball?

You basically reverse the process... The trick is that the trailer
needs to be designed with this use in mind. It also helps if the ramp
flattens out at the top so you don't have to block the trailer wheels
while on the ramp. To retrieve the boat, you launch the empty trailer
attached to the rope, until it sinks out of sight (as when you lauched
the boat)... ideally you have attached some floats that rise and serve
as a guide, letting you know where the trailer is when you inch the
boat forward. Some trailers have a tall (8 ft) step ladder close to
the hitch, and this portion projects out of the water. Also, all
trailers will need two guide rails to help center the keel onto the
cradle. Once the boat is centered over the trailer, you attach a rope
to the bow and attach it to your towing rope. You don't attach the bow
rope to the towing vehicle because you want some play as the bow will
tend to rise as the keel settles on the cradle when you pull the boat
out. You therefore have two ropes, one attached from the towing
vehicle to the trailer and a second rope attached from the bow of the
boat to the trailer towing rope at about the 3/4 point. You then tow
the ensemble up the ramp and onto the flat portion at the top of the
ramp. At this point you are free to block the wheels, remove the
ropes, and attach the trailer back on the ball. One of the things that
makes this whole operation work is having a third wheel at the hitch
end of the trailer. The cheap hard plastic (small diameter) wheels
work OK for very light boats, but for heavier keel boats you will want
a real inflatable (large diameter) tire which you can raise and rotate
out of the way when the hitch is back on the ball.

Bob Whitaker
"Free Spirit"



On 2 Apr 2004 22:32:12 -0800, (Bob Whitaker) wrote:
[snip]

As mentioned by other posts, you need to make sure the ramp at your
destination can handle the boat. With boats this size, you can not
"back up" your car until the boat floats. Instead, you need to launch
in several steps. First you back up the tow vehicle until it can't go
any further. At this point your trailer is mostly under water (but
the
water is probably just barely touching the stern of the boat). Then
you attach a long (strong) rope to the trailer and to your tow
vehicle. Then you lift the ball off the hitch, and you let the
trailer
keep on rolling down the ramp... the trailer will move rather slowly
because it started out partially submerged... Eventually the trailer
will be completely submerged, and the boat will float off... then you
pull the trailer out of the water with the rope. It is not uncommon
to
need about 30 feet of rope to get the boat to float off. Needless to
say, you need to make sure the ramp is long enough for this maneuver.

[snip]

How do you get the boat back on the trailer and then get the trailer
back on
the hitch ball?

"Ante Topic Mimara" ] wrote in message
news:KMYSIKXQ38080.3344444444@anonymous...



I have looked at several web sites that sell boats, and I have
not seen anything much under 27 or 28 feet that looks like what
I was wanting. Almost all of these boats that are smaller than
this, are all open, and do not have anything inside to sleep
on, or eat, or have heads, or anything. If I could find something
like this, I would be happy, but I have not.


There are a number of boats available that are trailerable and have the
features that you say. For example, Bayliner has a "245" model that is 24
feet long, 8-1/2 feet wide (legal limit for towing) and weighs in at about
7000 pounds.

You would need to have a pretty big truck to tow this thing around, but you
could. The cabin is going to be fairly small, but you can sleep in it.

I have seen other boats of similar size. Like someone else suggested, a
boat show would be a good place to look.

If you need to be able to tow this rig yourself you are not going to be able
to go much larger than this. You can move just about anything down the road
if you get the right permits. The larger it is, the more restrictions you
will have.

Last summer I had a houseboat moved from Arizona to Stockton California.
The boat was 16 feet wide and sitting on the trailer it was 15'-4" tall
(that is after I removed the radar arch, bimini, etc.) The hardest part of
the whole process was getting the boat from the water onto the trailer and
then back into the water. As for the permits, the transportation department
of each state ("CalTrans in California, not sure what Arizona calls theirs)
issues the permits, which the truck driver picked up at the point of entry.

For loads that are just slightly over the legal limit the requirement is
just a sign that says "Oversize load". A little bit larger and you need to
get an escort vehicle that follows along behind and carries a sign
"oversized load ahead". Bigger still and you need an escort vehicle up
front. Bigger still and you need police escort.

For my rig, I needed the two escort vehicles. IF we had to venture off the
interstate in California I would have needed two CHP (California Highway
Patrol) vehicles as escorts. When the permits were applied for the width
and height had to be specified, as well as the origin and destination. The
actual route that was allowed was determined by the state. In my case, it
was south to Phoenix, west on I-10 to Los Angeles, north on I-5 to Stockton.
There were portions of the route that could not be traveled after 7 PM due
to construction. The section through Los Angeles could not be traveled
during commute hours. There were two bridges that were under construction
and the truck had to exit the freeway and then get right back on because the
bridge didn't have enough clearance.

Moving my boat was a bitch and I hope I don't have to do that again! I know
people who race hydroplane boats that are wider than 8-1/2 feet and they tow
them all over the place. I assume that they have permits that are good for
long periods of time (my permits were good for 5 days) or they are really
good at filing for permits!

If you don't think that you can be happy on a ~25 foot boat with an 8 foot
beam then my suggestion to you is to buy a boat that you think you will like
on a body of water that you think you would like to spend some time on. If
you get tired of that body of water either sell the boat and buy another or
pay to have the boat moved. A ten foot beam shouldn't be that bad to move.


Rod

"Ante Topic Mimara" ] wrote in message
news:KMYSIKXQ38080.3344444444@anonymous...



I have looked at several web sites that sell boats, and I have
not seen anything much under 27 or 28 feet that looks like what
I was wanting. Almost all of these boats that are smaller than
this, are all open, and do not have anything inside to sleep
on, or eat, or have heads, or anything. If I could find something
like this, I would be happy, but I have not.


There are a number of boats available that are trailerable and have the
features that you say. For example, Bayliner has a "245" model that is 24
feet long, 8-1/2 feet wide (legal limit for towing) and weighs in at about
7000 pounds.

You would need to have a pretty big truck to tow this thing around, but you
could. The cabin is going to be fairly small, but you can sleep in it.

I have seen other boats of similar size. Like someone else suggested, a
boat show would be a good place to look.

If you need to be able to tow this rig yourself you are not going to be able
to go much larger than this. You can move just about anything down the road
if you get the right permits. The larger it is, the more restrictions you
will have.

Last summer I had a houseboat moved from Arizona to Stockton California.
The boat was 16 feet wide and sitting on the trailer it was 15'-4" tall
(that is after I removed the radar arch, bimini, etc.) The hardest part of
the whole process was getting the boat from the water onto the trailer and
then back into the water. As for the permits, the transportation department
of each state ("CalTrans in California, not sure what Arizona calls theirs)
issues the permits, which the truck driver picked up at the point of entry.

For loads that are just slightly over the legal limit the requirement is
just a sign that says "Oversize load". A little bit larger and you need to
get an escort vehicle that follows along behind and carries a sign
"oversized load ahead". Bigger still and you need an escort vehicle up
front. Bigger still and you need police escort.

For my rig, I needed the two escort vehicles. IF we had to venture off the
interstate in California I would have needed two CHP (California Highway
Patrol) vehicles as escorts. When the permits were applied for the width
and height had to be specified, as well as the origin and destination. The
actual route that was allowed was determined by the state. In my case, it
was south to Phoenix, west on I-10 to Los Angeles, north on I-5 to Stockton.
There were portions of the route that could not be traveled after 7 PM due
to construction. The section through Los Angeles could not be traveled
during commute hours. There were two bridges that were under construction
and the truck had to exit the freeway and then get right back on because the
bridge didn't have enough clearance.

Moving my boat was a bitch and I hope I don't have to do that again! I know
people who race hydroplane boats that are wider than 8-1/2 feet and they tow
them all over the place. I assume that they have permits that are good for
long periods of time (my permits were good for 5 days) or they are really
good at filing for permits!

If you don't think that you can be happy on a ~25 foot boat with an 8 foot
beam then my suggestion to you is to buy a boat that you think you will like
on a body of water that you think you would like to spend some time on. If
you get tired of that body of water either sell the boat and buy another or
pay to have the boat moved. A ten foot beam shouldn't be that bad to move.


Rod