My friends and I just purchased a used boat from a neighbor, I’ll be going by Captain Bongmaster from now on.
Its a 17’ Wellcraft in ok shape. It fits nicely in my driveway but man is it a hassle to get on and off the trailer. I have gone out twice, both times with my pair of friends and we were able to manage ok. We’d all like to be able to take our wives and kids out but I can’t see loading and unloading the boat with just my wife and I.
We were thinking about docking the boat somewhere for the spring so any of us could just hop on and go. Could anyone here give me an idea of the costs involved with that?
It’s very regional and depends on the number of slips/moorings available. But it’s probably unpleasantly high. For example, this marina seems to charge around $1900/year. Usually you’re charged on a per foot basis, however there may be a minimum charge. (A 17 foot boat is actually pretty small.)
I’m a bit surprised that a boat that size is giving you much of a hassle pulling it in and out of the water. It may be that the trailer is not set up properly or you need a trailer hitch extender. You should be able to do a boat that size by yourself (unless it’s one of those jobs with two ginormous engines on the back)
I have a friend with a ski boat that’s around 20’ long. Based on how often he uses it and what it would cost to keep it in the water, he figures he saves over $100 each time by trailering (which is in line with what Finagle suggests). YMMV.
Some boat ramps suck too. Try getting the boat in and out of the water using whatever other ramps are available in your area. Your boat should be easy to get on and off, unless you’re stinking rich and wanna dock it.
I find its easier to get the boat on the trailer when its not drifting downstream by itself while I back the trailer into the water. See what I mean? Someone has to keep the boat from drifting.
It sounds like this is going to be expensive, especially if its saving $100 putting it on the trailer each time.
Ouch, too much. But mostly I’m interested in finding a spot on the Delaware river around Trenton/Morrisville. I had hoped to find a cheap spot to keep it for the spring/summer.
OK, you’ve got me puzzled here. I’ve done a lot of boat trailering/fishing/boating by myself. A 17-ft. boat should not be a problem for one person to launch from and return to a trailer.
If using one or two lines to tie the boat while you’re moving the automobile around won’t work, can you explain why not?
I’m wondering the same thing. If backing the trailer is difficult, taking it to a big, empty parking lot for practice is worth the effort. I have also seen folks mount a hitch to the front of their tow vehicle to make launching easier (although my friends laugh at those people). And ropes (lines, sheets) are your friend!
IANAL, but I believe it depends on local ordinances.
In Virginia, it is (normally) legal to park a non-commercial vehicle on a public street; the theory being, our taxes paid for it. Coomercial vehicles are supposed to be parked on commercial property, the theory being, it’s the cost of doing business, and one shouldn’t, for example, operate a rental-car lot on a residential side street. However, I seldom see anyone ticketed for using a single vehicle for professional purposes, such as a pickup with “Bob the Handman” stenciled on the side. I think people don’t want to hassle hard-working folks.
However, in recent years, obeying the principle that “no man’s life or property asre entirely safe while the legislature is in session”, Virginia has passed a statute that permits localities to forbid the parking of “boats, campers, and recreational vehicles” in certain areas. Judging from the discussion that took place in my condo association meetings, the thinking seems to be that the presence of boats and campers adds an air of redneck poverty to the property, devaluing the resale prices of homes in the neighborhood. Presumably Lexus SUVs do not count as “recreational vehicles” either under the statute or for redneck zoning purposes.
So after a series of meetings with our local county representative, some planning board people, and some neighboring homeowner associations (in order not to merely dump our boats onto our neighboring blocks), the state put up signs in certain areas around my neighborhood banning the boats and jet-skis, and they all were moved into special rental lots, towed out the country homes of relatives, or sold off; and now Lexus SUVs sit smugly in their former spots.
I’m a little confused on this point as well. Is there a dock where you are launching? Can’t you just tie the boat to the dock while you go get the trailer? A tree? A rock? There must be something around for you to secure the boat to. If not, maybe another launching facility would be more ideal, if that’s possible.
My husband and I had a 26’ boat that we trailered and launched all over with no problems at all. He went out several times by himself with no trouble. I know it’s a little intimidating the first couple of times around, but a 17’ boat really shouldn’t be too hard for one person to launch and return to a trailer.
I’m obviously not the most knowledgable person about boating!
To clear up the confusion, no, there is no dock, just a (very nice) paved ramp that leads down to the river. I don’t see a way to keep the boat in place unless someone stands in the shallows with a rope and holds it on the ramp while another person backs the trailer down the slope. I’m afraid to bring the boat in too close to the shore and scrape the bottom…what if it gets stuck there? In addition it takes two people to make sure the boat is centered on the trailer. I can’t see how you guys do it with just one person.
A thought just occured to me. It may just be low tide causing the problem. When the river is higher I imagine the raised concrete along side the ramp might act as a good dock I could step onto from the boat. The last two weeks its been pretty low…maybe thats my problem?
