Storing a Boat On a Trailer

[Simon391088]

Hi All,

After selling my sc35 a few years ago I now find myself plotting my return to the water.

This time though I want to avoid unnecessary expense... (especially seeing as I only got use from the boat in the summer months and perhaps 1 week at easter).

For me that means having a single outboard and keeping it on a trailer.

That will save the huge amount of servicing, antifouling and storage fees I paid on my previous boat.

I'm looking at a Finnmaster T8. Initially I was thinking of dragging it back up the A36 each time, but I'm now thinking that it's probably best to keep it somewhere near the marinas.
This can be either Solent or IoW.

Any suggestions for a secure yard somewhere on the south coast / IoW where I could leave a boat on a trailer?

Any thoughts welcome,

Simon

 

[sarabande]

See what there are in the way of good caravan storage sites. Some of them are purpose built with good security, and not just farmers' fields.

 

[ontheplane]

But don’t discount farmers fields - I once found a farmer who let me keep my boat in his Barn! Cost about £20 a month and worked fine for me. Have also kept boats at Caravan places, perfectly good. Also, get a cheap all over tarp to cover the whole boat and canopy etc for when it’s stored which to take off before you move it. This will protect from sunlight and bird muck etc....

 

[madabouttheboat]

Some storage places are so expensive, you may as well keep it at a marina or boatyard on its trailer. Personally, I would take it home. The biggest hassle is the hitching up, launching and recovery and you will be doing all that anyway. The drive home may be a little slower, but it really adds very little to the hassle factor, assuming you have space at home that is. The joy with it being at home, apart form the zero cost, is that care and maintenance is so much easier. The other option, which saves you the cost and maintenance of the trailer, is dry stacking, although this is getting towards marina berth costs, so probably not what you are looking for. How about a combination of Drystack in the summer and home for the winter. Drystacking is such a convenient way of using this kind of boat. No launching or recovery, just turn up and use and still no antifouling etc.

My second thought would be that 8m is quite big to tow regularly. It is 8.1m long 2.7m wide and 2.2 tons from the factory. Going to be getting towards 3 tons with fuel and kit onboard. Is there a reason why the T6 or T7 have been discounted?

 

[simonfraser]

Find a local park and ride boat yard, easiest way, no point taking the money with you in a coffin

 

[ontheplane]

Depends how far "home" is from cruising ground, but agree that's a big old boat to trail everytime.

Drystack would be my choice for that size - I have trailed before, but it was a smaller lighter boat. Towing a 3500kg rig is tiring - you have to look massively further ahead and then deal with the total idiots that think you are silly sticking to 60 so pass at 65, cut in then slow to 59mph themselves - thus meaning you are constantly braking or tailing off to maintain the safe gap - no wonder lorry drivers get so pee'd off with them.

I always wanted to be able to have a huge sign on my car that when people did that lit up saying "Are you too stupid to see I'm towing a HUGE trailer - D1ckhead?" but thought it might be a bit inflamatory.......

So whilst possible, it's probably not something i'd do for long distance.

But a park and launch or drystack works, park and launch has advantage the boat's on a trailer so if something breaks at the weekend, take boat home, fix it, take it back next time....

I think i'd consider 20' or thereabouts and 2000kg a kind of nominal cut-off for towing every time...

 

[Simon391088]

Thanks for the replies.
Firstly - I hadn't thought about caravan storage sites - that's a great idea.
I live in Bath which is a very poor drive down the A36 for the Solent. (Ok you can go M4/A34 which is better but miles longer).
My plan is to take it down at the start of the season and keep it in the Solent area until Sept when I'll take it back home for storage.
I don't want to be towing from home every time I want to use it.

T8 rather than T6/T7 because it has a decent toilet and an extra double berth - which is essential.
It's basically the biggest boat that can be towed - and looks good too.
(Would be better if it had a proper galley though).
I just don't get to use it enough to justify proper marina berthing.
Dry stack would be ideal, but I just cant justify the amount they charge.

Thanks
Simon

 

[Ian h]

Thanks for the replies.

Dry stack would be ideal, but I just cant justify the amount they charge.

Thanks
Simon

Give Southampton Dry stack a call, Not as expensive as the MDL OR PREMIER you may be surprised, A very friendly bunch there.

 

[stelican]

Eastlands Boatyard top of The Hamble do trailer Sailor (trailered shore storage and launching) see website.

 

[Simon391088]

Thanks - i'll take a look at these.
Simon

 

[BartW]

My plan is to take it down at the start of the season and keep it in the Solent area until Sept when I'll take it back home for storage.
I don't want to be towing from home every time I want to use it.

thats what we did with our Karnic (8,5m, twin diesel, over3,5T on a trailer)
not the solent, but zeeland south holland, 140km drive from home.

on one bussy summer, (boat used several weekends in row) I left her in the water for 5..6 weeks, without antifouling
but that was a bad idea re branacle growth on the hull.

we loved trailer boating !
we towed our Karnic all over europe. now she is for sale.
boat is 13 yo, never been antifouled.

 

[chillee]

Give Southampton Dry stack a call, Not as expensive as the MDL OR PREMIER you may be surprised, A very friendly bunch there.

Plus 1 for SDS

 

[chillee]

I used to keep a previous boat on its trailer at trafalgar wharf. As well as the dry stack they had a trailer park too , and a big slip. Prices then were very reasonable.
You are limited quite a but by tide from the slip. Or were, unless they have resolved that.

 

[ontheplane]

Those Finnmasters are lovely, but wow, quite a price!

How about something like this, still could be kept on a trailer (I believe it’s under the threshold), still water sports performance, but much lower cruising costs (appreciate service cost may be slightly higher) but proper second cabin (which you said was important)..... Same boat Aquaholic has and he raves about it - and he’s seen a few!


Jeanneau 805 Leader Used Boat for Sale 2001 | TheYachtMarket. Although I note it’s under offer now which is wasn’t yesterday so that might fall through

Or this - realise there is now VAT to pay on it, but at this price almost worth it! —.

JEANNEAU LEADER 805 Used Boat for Sale 2002 | TheYachtMarket

Might keep money better (older less depreciation) plus these are usually 40-50k in UK so this seems a bit of a bargain even when the VAT added?

 

[ontheplane]

Or this if you prefer petrol - it’s british owned and VAT paid but currently in Spain. I don’t know the VAT rules, but couldn’t the owner ship it back here with no VAT before the end of the year?

Jeanneau Leader 805 Used Boat for Sale 2003 | TheYachtMarket

I’ve seen Aquaholics reviews of them, they do seem an almost perfect sportsboat, and very well priced these days....

 

[ontheplane]

That’s about 25% of the cost of the Finnmaster!

 

[madabouttheboat]

Edit

Edit 2:

The Finnmaster is a lovely boat. Enough said.

 

[ontheplane]

I agree it certainly is - not sure how much they are new - but a nearly new one I saw was £108,000 - that seems a helluva lot of money for an outboard powered trail boat to me - but then I don't have that kinda money to spend on a boat!

 

[madabouttheboat]

I agree it certainly is - not sure how much they are new - but a nearly new one I saw was £108,000 - that seems a helluva lot of money for an outboard powered trail boat to me - but then I don't have that kinda money to spend on a boat!

Jenaneau don't make the 805 anymore but the nearest Jeanneau equivalent I can find to the T8 would probably be the Cap Camerat 9.0WA. Big bigger, i'll grant you, but a base price for that boat is over £90k. Finnmaster T8 seems to start at just over £100k, but then its like comparing a Vauxhall to a BMW and I guarantee you that the base T8 would also come with stuff that will cost extra on the CC9.0WA. Horses for courses, of course, and a diesel powered 805 for circa £35k would tick many boxes for many people.

 

[ontheplane]

Yes, I must confess I'm toying with the 805 one in France - a KAD 43 powered 27' sportsboat would perform well, and have pretty good economy too, should be just about trailable (need to check that) with the right truck and that means I could go and get it myself.

However with all the Brexit issues, and everything else there is just that worry about buying it and getting it over here. How to deal with all the paperwork. But it's up for EU30k which is about £26k UK - so if I managed to get it for say £22k ?? Then the VAT would be £4400 so it would owe me £27000 there or thereabouts - I just can't see how that would be a bad value - I think I could sell it for £30 ish almost the next day (not the intention, but I'm just making sure I don't buy something worthless!)

My point on the Finnmaster was that the OP said he wanted to keep his costs down as he didn't use it very much - so for a day / weekender, I guess I was just pointing out that he could have a really nice boat that did same job for about 50% of that kind of spend - however it depends if he will only buy new of course.

I never personally see the point in buying new. Many posts on here tell tales of new boats being unreliable and having lots of teething problems (although many dealers do seem pretty good at fixing those issues) - so not sure of the benefits over a really well kept used one - I suppose the warranty has it's benefits, especially on the engine - but if you want to keep your costs down, £100k + seems a dear way to do it lol!