Trailing a Ty

[Bruce Cumming]

We have considered purchasing a Typhoon a few times in the recent past.
The one thing that causes hesitation is a concern for launching. Many of the boats we see have trailers that have the boat sitting up rather high.

We would prefer to be able to trail rather than leave the boat in a marina for the summer. The distance to the marina makes the cost of a slip fee difficult given the number of times we can make it there in a summer.

We have an Aquasport Osprey 175 on an EZ Loader trailer. This trailer has curved cross beams and axle which allow the boat to sit lower on the trailer. Just wondering if anyone has experience with these.

I am also aware of extention tongues and would consider a trailer with one.

Thanks, Bruce

[jim ventrilio]

I have a float off trailer; the boat sits on bunks. The trailer has an extension tongue, almost six feet long when extended. This is a big help when floating the boat on/off the trailer when the tide's on the low side. The Typhoon is a heavy little boat.

[sloopjohnl]

have you considered a roller style trailer? mine is a load rite with an 8' extension that slides into the tongue when not in use. the receiver end is bolted to the end of the extension and the extension is bolted to the tongue portion of the trailer. the extension simply slides in and out and acts as an integral part of the tongue. very compact and no man-handling of a robust extension. there is also a keel support that cranks up and down - up to support the keel when boat is loaded and down for ease of launching. i also crank up the keel support to take the weight of the boat when it sits in the backyard to avoid possible dimples from the rollers. easily launched and loaded with a hand-crank winch.

[Dino]

We have a trailer with a tongue extension to launch our Typhoon but it never seems to be long enough to keep the vehicle out of the water so we use a tow strap instead of the tongue extension and it works very well.

To launch, back the trailer down to the ramp and stop with the trailer just barely starting down the ramp slope. Using wheel chocks, block the trailer. Lower the third wheel. Remove trailer from hitch. Drive forward. Attach tow strap to hitch and trailer tongue. Take up slack. Pull forward just enough to remove chocks. Slowly back up, trailer will roll down ramp until boat floats off trailer. Stop. Tie up boat. Pull vehicle forward until trailer is clear of ramp and on level ground. Attach tongue to hitch. Park trailer.

Retrieve is similar to above, in reverse. Once trailer is off ramp slope and on level ground, remove tow strap and back vehicle up to attach hitch to trailer tongue.

It looks a bit strange but works very well. No tongue extension needed. No need to back down ramp.

[jim trandel]

I have a Ty on a Triad trailer. The launch and retrieval is dependent upon the ramp slope, ramp length, and the depth of the water. Not all ramps are created equal and water depth is not always a constant. I recommend checking out the ramp(s) before the launch or retrieval and measure the water depth needed float the boat and from that point to the waters edge. This will tell you if the tongue length is needed or is adequate or how far your car will need to back into the water. Make sure that you always back the trailer into the water rather than pull it.

Please note, some ramps are corrugated and will need the metal tongue extension. A rope will not be able to push your trailer over a corrugated ramp.

Also, the depth of the water varies with tidal timing or, in my case, I'm on Lake Michigan and water depth on the ramp can vary greatly with wind direction (an east wind can vary water depth by a foot at the west end of the lake.

Best regards
Jim

[bamabratsche]

I do not have a trailer (but have been considering going that route), so this may be a dumb question: can a Typhoon be launched from pretty much any ramp, given the proper trailer/tongue/tow strap configuration, or does it take a particularly deep ramp to make it even worth giving a try? Although 2.5 feet is a pretty shallow draft, it's still a lot deeper than most of the [power]boats I see going into the water at the ramp at my marina.

[swhfire21]

Has anyone installed a trailer eye on their Ty. I just got a trailer for mine, but see that there is no eye for the winch cable to hook to. Wondering what others found (ease/problems) when doing so.

[Oswego John]

Steve,

The trailer winch should pull almost horizontally from the trailer frame to the bow cleat. Some times you have to install the winch higher up on the frame or install a block above the winch to change the pull from vertical to horizontal. A little downward pull is okay, actually desirous.

Maybe someone might have installed a bow pulling eye. I have never seen one.

Good luck,
O J

[Skeep]

This is a perfectly relevant conversation thread. And a picture is worth a thousand words:



As you can see, the ole BMW is about to jump into the lake, and the Ty is yet to float off!

I'm in conversation with Road King Trailers about this, and they agreed, after seeing this proof, that an extension was definitely in order. The problem, too shallow a ramp.

Since I was raised by a Hillbilly Mother, I've come to resolution, at least temporarily, with my "non float-off" trailer, by spraying my bunks with Liquid Roller product (as advised) and using a little bit of snap and jerk. Aware of my exhaust tips, I give Baggy Wrinkles about 2 feet of roll then brakes, and she scoots off those bunks like a thief leaving the bank.

However, I'd enjoy a more pastoral launching with a deeper water float off. I've been advised that the nylon strap/rope method is effective, but I'm too scared to do that. I'm too old for such drama!

Hope you enjoy the predicament we all, trailer sailors, seem to find ourselves in!

[Broncology]

I just installed a 10ft trailer extension on my typhoons trailer. I would not be able to launch or retrieve without it (reasonably) on any of the ramps in my area. I have done the tow strap and unhook the trailer tongue method, and that was not any fun!

[bamabratsche]

Skeep--can I ask what the towing capacity is on your vehicle, and is it enough to get her back up the ramp without issues? I have seen folks using small SUVs, etc., to pull boats out at the marina, and that would probably be mostly what I'd be doing if I end up getting a trailer. Our CRV is only rated for about 1,000 lbs, though, so that has been part of my hesitation (aside from the cost of getting the trailer itself).

[Skeep]

Towing seems to be a world wide web mystery and towing with a BMW is something akin to an Industry Secret. All I can say is my BMW 328xi is about 4800 pounds and my Dory on the trailer is 2500 pounds, with a 200 pound tongue weight.

I have absolutely no problems yanking that little Dory out of the lake, or trailering uphill or downhill. I have a Step-tronic transmission so I go to 1st gear and yank her out with no problem at all. During towing, I always remain in Sport Drive to maintain positive power at all times. I burned more gas but lost no power ever.

BMW N.A. advises against towing. But when I researched this last fall, it was rather apparent that while in Europe the Euros pull everything behind their Audi, BMW and Mercedes' Wagons, in this country, USA, we have TRUCKS. And that is that.

Hope this stirs the water!

[ariasis]

A trailer tongue extension is defiantly good. I'm with Skeep on towing you don't need a truck. We pull our Typhoon with a Subaru wagon. 2000 Lbs capacity. I love watching the trucks down on the boat ramps spinning their back wheels to pull out a fishing boat.

[swhfire21]

Mike,

Can't figure out how to respond to your message. $1875 before taxes. Load rite trailer with extra long tongue, LEDs, keel guides and 2,960# GVWR. I'm dealing with a tidal swing of 3 to 3-1/2 ft and only need it for winter and storm storage, so I figure I should be fine without the tongue extension. Bought at Tuckerton Marine on Green ST. in Tuckerton, NJ.

Take care,