BYYB Forums

First off, I've had the fortune to find a second boat, one better suited for serious cruising on Lake Erie, however, the seller's truck is not going to be able to tow the boat after all, so an alternative means of transporting it home is needed. The boat and trailer weigh in at about 4,200 lbs. All the rental trucks we could find did not have hitches, which I had expected, and I'm currently looking at U-haul style vehicles, which come in at abt $300 plus gas and fees for the trip I'm looking at. I also have to get the measurements for the bow of the boat which slightly extends past the hitch, to see if anything aside from a pick-up truck is feasible.

So, in summary, do you have any other ideas for transporting a boat like this? (From Holland, MI to Akron, OH)

She is a 1968 Islander Bahama 24, in excellent shape.

Secondly, this is the end of my first year with my Weekender, I started construction on her in January during my first co-op (internship) semester, and had her on the water by the 4th of July. After my first summer and fall taking her out I have to say I'm impressed. My experiences have been on inland lakes (Mosquito lake and the Nimisila Reservoir for those familiar with Ohio), but she's handled well both under sail and with my 45 lb trolling motor. She also draws quite a few spectators at the ramp and on the water. I expect that she'll see the water next year even with the new boat, the weekender's perfect for taking out just for an evening if you're close enough to suitable lake.

There are some pictures of her on the water and during construction here:
http://photos.yahoo.com/thefalco7

Further, thanks to all those here on byyb.org, the forums helped greatly while building and sailing my weekender!

-Ben

Well, once you get it home, how do you plan on taking it out for a sail?

Are you going to leave it at a marina and have them launch and recover for you? Leave in the water on a mooring or slip?

Getting it home is just the beginning unless you opt for marina storage and service.

If you're going to need a tow vehicle after you get it home, I would look at finding an appropriate one now and get an appropriate hitch on it.

If you're going to marinna it, maybe the marina you plan on using could go get it for you. They must have some down time right now.

I moved quite a few boats in Michigan from Traverse City to points South, East and West. Most of them were borderline "too large for conventional transport" and would be launched at an marina even though they had trailers to move.

Having said that a number of the truck rental firms have rigs that have hitches sufficient to haul a 24' on its own trailer. Penske, Ryder, etc.

My best bet was with the companies that more mobile homes. They generally have a number of contacts that have tractors available that can pull the trailer and they generally charge by the mile. Often they can offset their return trip by coordinating another haul headed back so it wasn't all that expensive to use them. There are also Boat haulers that do that essentially the same way. Check a local marina for contacts.

Hello Ben,

If you have not sailed Pymatuning reservoir in your Weekender you do not know what you are missing. Sailing out of the Jamestown campgrounds off of rt 322 is as good as it gets for these boats.

What is the distance from your place to the boat in Mich. I am up in Parma, have a truck with a 9,000 lbs. tow capacity and am looking for some boatbuilding cash, maybe we could work something out.

Jim
Vacationer "Rudunyet"

After I get it home, I have a friend with a truck capable of getting it up to the marina, however he isn't comfortable with hauling the boat all the way back from MI.

Right now I'm waiting for the dimensions that determine the curve of the bow so I can determine if the U-haul option will work (Rent one-way to cut costs).

So far the quotes from boat haulers have been more than the cost of the boat, so I'm still looking around in that field too.

I bought a Wayfarer/Islander 21' sailboat from the sixties and was impressed with how well it had weathered time and abandonment. SWMBO named it doghouse and it ended up going to a friends house to be refurbished and I never saw it again.

BTW, Pymatuning is the best sailing lake around and Jamestown campground in Pensylvania is a great campground with a protected lagoon perfect for our boats. I plan on driving up sometime in June and meet a bunch of BYYBrs and CABBS (Cleveland Amature Boat Buidling Society) there for a weekend sail. Maybe I will see you and your Weekender?