"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Bryan wrote:
"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a
trailer with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp.
damage to the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?


Brand new to the trailerable experience, so my answer might be different
next year.

1. Haven't done the math yet to see if docking at our most local lake
would be cheaper than $10 per launch fee; probably cheaper to trailer
(but at $3 every 10 miles).
2. Most local lake most often, but will venture to other nearest lakes
2-3 times each per summer; would have to drive to one lake and load up to
take to another lake.
3. Believe that sitting in water is harsher on boat than sitting in
driveway.
4. Like the idea that I can go where I want at the drop of a hat, if I
ever decide to drop my hat.


There's no question that keeping a boat on a trailer ages it less than
keeping it in the water.

I keep Yo Ho on a trailer. I can launch and retrieve the boat by myself
when I have to, but it is at the margin of do-ability, and I can only do
it because the ramps I usually use are pretty wide and deep.

I'm thinking of a lift slip for next season. I've used one before, and I
prefer them to leaving the boat in the water.

Trailering a small, 20' or less boat, is pretty easy. Trailering a 25'
boat that thinks it is a 30-footer and weighs more than 7000 pounds is not
a trivial task, not for me, anyway.


Compared to my 25 foot trailer (camping) towing my Sea Ray 185 is playtime!