Can you people who trailer wide cats, using "tilt" trailers feed me some intel on them. Do they pull funny, with most of the weight being on one side of the axle?
Are they prone to being tossed about by croswinds & wake from semi's, or do you recommend removing the tramp?
How do they store the mast, do you tilt the trailer, then secure the mast beside it?
Are they top heavy, requiring more care cornering?
Anything else that one should be aware of before heading down the highway with a 10' boat sitting on its edge?
Thanks
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
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The use of tilt trailers
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Posted: Nov 08, 2013 - 04:35 PM
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Posted: Nov 08, 2013 - 05:10 PM
Edchris,
I have never pulled one but being in the truck trailer design business I will give you my thoughts.
If the trailer is properly designed, the cat should be transversely centered on the trailer once raised. If that's the case, the weight transfer is equal on each side. Having one hull higher than the other doesn't affect the transverse or longitudinal weight distribution. Having the cat centered when raised implies it is off center when lowered and some trailer needs stabilizers to not tip on one side.
Once raised, the center of gravity is pretty high so I would tend to think that you have to be careful when cornering. the ability to corner is affected by the caractheristics of the suspension.
Those I have seen were storing the mast pretty much the same manner as with narrower cat. The front support is higher though.
Hope this help,
Edited by coolhead on Nov 08, 2013 - 06:53 PM.
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AB
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 05:41 AM
That makes sense now. The one I'm looking at is a custom built trailer, they put a tongue jack at each corner. When it was first described to me as, "we built it", I was kind of leery.
When I saw the actual product, it is impressive, they knew what they were doing. It has fittings to store everything, including the wings.
Nice extras include all aluminum welded construction, telescoping pole with electric winch so his wife could solo raise the mast, lights set into boxes that double as steps, a folding step to reach the mast holder, really thick wiring with heat shrink & grommets to prevent chafe, 2 lockable heavy duty storage boxes, plus a 10'4" lockable fibreglass sail box.
I'm either retarded, MLC, or have gone senile, because I just bought this package.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…ctures/?g2_itemId=106278
Edited by Edchris177 on Nov 10, 2013 - 05:47 AM.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 05:49 AM
That's funny. You bought it from Mr Smelko in ingleside. I went to see it and almost bought it but decide to go with the Nacra instead. His trailer is very well built. I almost offer him a job as a designer
Edited by coolhead on Nov 10, 2013 - 11:47 AM.
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AB
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 05:59 AM
He wants to concentrate on his 40' leaner. The boat was semi custom built for a racer, who campaigned it for 2 years, comes with carbon centre boards, & spin. They haven't sailed it in 3 years, really wanted it sold.
I flew to Kingston, borrowed my daughters car,(she is at Queens U) & drove another 1.5 hrs. The initial trip was to look over a Tornado, it turned out to have bent mast, one centre board incredibly reluctant to pivot, & needed some work on the decks, trailer was junk & boat had to be disassembled to fit on it.
I got tired of travelling to see really beat Tornados, & thought, since I was already far from home, I might as well go further, & look at this package.
It was just to good a deal to turn down...so now I'm going to learn a 20 x 10' beam boat with spin...though I think I'll leave the chute off for the first year. The kite is brand new, he only raised it once, they are in to confined an area to really make use of it.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 07:05 AM
WOW! That is a sweet setup. Now you can be the one to let the rest of us know how she tows.
There is a fairly recent discussion on Tornadocat about tilt trailers and how the boat should be supported by only one upright when tilted. Worth reading through the thread. I keep thinking about building a tilt trailer, but taking the boat apart has not been too time consuming with two people. Really interested in hearing how the boat tows with tramp on.
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 07:18 AM
pknapp66, could you post the link please.
Thank you,
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AB
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 09:20 AM
I asked him about that, he said they towed it with both tramps installed,(the front is an open mesh he had built by Sunrise, The factory installed the tracks & fittings for the front tramp). They didn't tow far, so maybe it was only on 80 kph country roads. The sad part is, the trailer will have little value for me until I sell the boat, though I'm thinking now of trailering this beast on a few short road trips, perhaps to Lake Ontario. Who knows, maybe I'll go completely mad & keep going til FLA.
If you want more detailed photos of it I'll email them to you.
The Tornado I originally went to look at was on a homebuilt, a bit decrepit for my liking, but it utilized an interesting design. It was only about 5' wide, with "flat" cradles to hold the inverted hulls, just enough space between them for the beams,boom & mast. At each corner was a 4' length of 4x4, hung in its middle by a through bolt & large washer/nut. This allowed the 4x4 to pivot at its centre. The owner would pivot each 4x4 90*, then insert a locking pin. This made the trailer 10' wide. He then rolled each hull 180*, outwards onto the 4x4's, then installed the beams & built the boat. He claimed just over an hour, including stepping the mast.
I'm going to pick up the 6XL in the next few days, going to be 11hrs driving, but that's only 1/2 of what we did to P/U a Nacra in Chicago a couple of years ago.
I may remove the tramp(s), as I won't be sailing it this season, it'll be stored for winter once I get it home. The Mystere tramps,(at least the later ones) are removable without touching the front beam. There is just enough room that they can be slid out.
This boat also came with the beams & rigging for the 8'6" setup. The rear beam even has its own Harken traveller, & there is a brand new Arriba FX hiking stik for the narrow setup. That tramp is brand new, still in the bag. I thought about setting up as 8.5', but what the hell, go big or go home, right?
I noticed on a 2003 that I looked at, many of the blocks,(downhaul exit, jib) were not Harkens, this one is all Harken.
There is a monohull winch in the main beam, installed so his wife could easily raise the main, I think I'll remove that.
It also comes with Hobie 21 wings, with Sunrise tramps. They modified them for the Mystere, & they can be removed without touching the beam attachments. I've never used wings, but I bet trapped out from them, on a 10' beam would be bloody scary, need to pack a parachute.
I got a beach trolley with it too.
The owner seemed pretty meticulous, he had a 50' tarp rolled out on the lawn, so the sails would not lay on the wet grass
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Posted: Nov 10, 2013 - 10:44 AM
http://groups.yahoo.com/n…versations/messages/5054
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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