I'm in the process of buying a 1990 25-foot Wellcraft Sportsman which
comes with a 32-roller Karavan tandom-axle trailer that looks like it
also is about 25 feet long. I noticed today that the stern of the boat
extends about 3 feet past the last roller and the boat has a big 225 HP
outboard. It doesn't look right to me. The current owner left the
boat on a mooring and said not to worry about it - he only used the
trailer twice a year and supported the boat with jack stands during the
winter.

Am I okay to tow it home like this? It's a 25-mile highway tow. Or
should I insist on trying to set things up better first? This would be
kind of a pain where the boat is sitting right now but not impossible.
I could gain maybe a foot of adjustment so the transom will still be
sticking out by 2 feet. Over the winter I will come up with a permanent
solution, perhaps extending the tongue.

Thanks,
Scott

onoahimahi wrote:
I'm in the process of buying a 1990 25-foot Wellcraft Sportsman which
comes with a 32-roller Karavan tandom-axle trailer that looks like it
also is about 25 feet long. I noticed today that the stern of the boat
extends about 3 feet past the last roller and the boat has a big 225 HP
outboard. It doesn't look right to me. The current owner left the
boat on a mooring and said not to worry about it - he only used the
trailer twice a year and supported the boat with jack stands during the
winter.

Am I okay to tow it home like this? It's a 25-mile highway tow. Or
should I insist on trying to set things up better first? This would be
kind of a pain where the boat is sitting right now but not impossible.
I could gain maybe a foot of adjustment so the transom will still be
sticking out by 2 feet. Over the winter I will come up with a permanent
solution, perhaps extending the tongue.

Thanks,
Scott


I'd find a knowledgeable dealer and ask. I've read that the rollers can
cause an indent in the hull re the setup you mention.
My 1300 lb sailboat also hangs over it's rear bunks by almost 3 feet...
but I don't tow with the 6 hp outboard hanging off the transom and the
heavy keel keeps the balance of weight about midships.