Heigth on trailer

[colbachlaw]

I just got back from marlin fishing in Cabo and I have the bug pretty bad (hooked 25 our last day).

I have a 24' boat down there now, but would really like a bigger flybridge boat.

I don't want to pay for moorage ($2K a month) for my 35' Bertram that I keep in OR, so I am looking at a 31'.

My storage yard tells me that they can handle a 31' on a trailer, but the height restriction is 4.8 meters.

Anyone know about how tall a 31' is on a trailer without a hardtop? With a hardtop?

I am just looking for a general idea, as obviously I don't have the boat or a trailer yet, and I it looks like there are a lot more hardtop boats for sale than boats with bimini tops.

Thanks,

Mike C
mike@colbachlaw.com

[BCBertie]

I have a 28 FBC on a trailer; it's 4.1 meters without the radar arch. The guy who built my trailer (West Coast ABT) builds them for 31's all the time, and I believe the 31's are a little shorter. So, at least on his trailers, you should have no problem at 4.8 meters (that's nearly 15.75 feet).

Cheers!

John

BTW, there is a link to West Coast ABT on the links page. Give Alex a call.

[colbachlaw]

John,

Thanks for the info.

That would be great if I could get a 31' with a hardtop that would meet my height requirements.

Any ballpark number on what a trailer runs?

Thanks,

Mike C

[In Memory Walter K]

My memory tells me that the boat from keel to it's highest point cannot exceed 13'. In NY I was told it has to do with the height of overhead wiring. I don't know if that varies from state to state but worth double checking. I've known boats that have hinged towers and arches to address that problem. There are also width regulations as a B-31 might classify as "wide load". Again, check the regs on a state by state basis on your route. Walter

[BCBertie]

Hi Mike-

I guess I wasn't clear enough. My '28 has a flybridge and is 4 meters. You won't have any problems on height, at least with a trailer designed for a Bert and a removable or no radar arch.

As far as trailering goes, for the Federal Interstate System the regs are 13.5' height, 8.5' wide. Beyond that you are supposed to have overheight/overwidth permits as appropriate. Once you leave the interstate, you will likely also have to satisfy local and state requirements. Check with the jurisdictions you will be traveling through.

I bought my 28 on Long Island, and tried to bring it across the country legally. I used a permit service to secure permits in every jurisdiction other than NY, where they refused to help. I spent a week in Freeport before I figured out that NYC was deliberately running me around. A guy who moves boats up and down the eastern seaboard finally clued me in on how to get to NJ, and I didn't slow down until I hit West Virginia.

So now I regularly tow up and down the West Coast- I just came down from BC in October. I don't use permits, even though the boat is 11' wide, and I haven't yet had a problem, even on the BC Ferries. The important things are that your boat, trailer, and tow vehicle all are licensed/registered in the same state, and that you clearly look like a guy who is towing his own boat (i.e., not commercial). As always, proceed at your own risk, YMMV, etc.

I paid about $9,000 for a custom-built and fitted aluminum trailer. While you can get much cheaper steel trailers on the east coast, that would have put the total pretty high for a tag-along. By using an aluminum trailer I don't have to worry about emptying out the boat before I tow.

Cheers!

John

[Rocky]

For 90 dollars a year in California, I went to Cal Trans and they issued me a wide load permit. From the ground to the top of my windscreen, I have exactly 12'5". That is with an ABT trailer. I would definately go with ABT as they really know the load points of the B31 and proper support for hull. Rocky.

[Ric]

I moved my 31 F.B.C from cracker boy marina in riviera beach in 96, The over the road maximum height is 13'6"..thats the maximum allowed, in all states
at that time my boat came with a 4 axle aluminum frame trailer .I moved the boat on the 4 axle trailer from loxahatchee florida to cracker boy marina and put the boat and trailer with tuna tower off of the boat and engines out of the boat on the Low boy all of it
Chuck tayor trucking riviera beach, 2500 hundred $
Riviera beach florida to just north of boston mass.
2 years ago chuck moved a 30 ft luhrs express (annother luhrs "sinker" from cracker boy to newburyport Mass for a friend of mine for 5k,,,,,,,,if at all possible look for somebody "dead headin" either to your area ,,or out of your area,, where the boat is located ,,price of fuel is down and economy is tight good time to buy, good time to move,good time to make a move
happy holidays and best wishes to all.,.,18 inches on the ground here in new hampshire,,, More to come,,why am i still up here and not in lauderdale. with my toes in the sand,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.I'm working on it

[BCBertie]

For 90 dollars a year in California, I went to Cal Trans and they issued me a wide load permit. Rocky.

Yep, that's right in California. In Sacramento County (where I live) that permit is only valid for the freeway. To leave the freeway to go the three miles to my house requires another permit that has to be issued each time the boat is moved or even touches a public street. Oregon, Washington and BC are much easier...

But Mike's original question was just about the height for storage purposes at his yard. I think we all agree that he won't have any problem even with a flybridge.

Cheers!

John

[colbachlaw]

Thanks for all the great info guys.

As I would be only going 5-10 miles in Cabo, I am not too worried about anything but damaging the boat.

Any idea what how tall a 31' with a hardtop would be?

It sure would be nice to have a hardtop and most of the boats I see on yachtworld seem to have hardtops.

Thanks,

Mike C

[Harry Babb]

Here are pics of DeNada on her trip to my shop. Its not my trailer. I hired this guy to bring DeNada to the shop and unload her.

I led the parade from the marina to my shop and watched every move in my mirror. Other than dodging low tree limbs thru a residential area the rest of the trip went flawlessly.



[/img]

Harry

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Mike - maybe I missed it along the way, but are you talking about a B31 with a flybridge and then determining height adding on a fixed half tower vs. a folding bimini top? When you say "hardtop" I'm a little confused. The flybridge models (FBC and Sportfisherman) are taller than the express model like Harry's.

UV

[Rocky]

Cal Trans gives you ALL MAIN roads and conditions for driving on these roads wether a pilot car is needed and if you can drive on particular road at all. (red color is no travel authorized). Permit comes with large easy to read MAPS that cover from Oregon all the way to Mexico with the colors right on the roads. http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/permits/
They really made it easy and legal to tow this monster. About the height with hardtop, you have to know your particular hardtop's height due to variations in design. ( there is no one fabrication of hardtop).
Rocky.

[BCBertie]

Cal Trans gives you ALL MAIN roads and conditions for driving on these roads wether a pilot car is needed and if you can drive on particular road at all. (red color is no travel authorized). Permit comes with large easy to read MAPS that cover from Oregon all the way to Mexico with the colors right on the roads. http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/permits/

Rocky.

From Question 15 of the FAQ:

"15. Any other requirements?

Caltrans only has authority to address size, weight, and times of movement as to safety. An oversize or weight permit does not relieve the applicant from any other rules, conditions, state law or federal law that may be applicable. In addition, Caltrans can only permit on State Highways. Travel on city streets and county roads must be accomplished under permit of the appropriate jurisdiction."

Like I posted previously, Sacramento County requires a single-use permit to leave the freeway and proceed to my home. Or to go from my home to a boatyard, or launch ramp, etc.

Merry Christmas!

John

[colbachlaw]

Vicroy,

I mean a fixed half tower on a FBC.

I am sure a Bimini top boat will work, but they seem to be few and far between on yachtworld.

My 35' has no sun protection, which is fine for OR tuna fishing, but it gets pretty hot in Cabo, so I need a bimini at the minimum. A hardtop with an enclosure would be nice, as the 31's seem to be a lot wetter boat than my 35'. I really wanted a 31' when I bought my 35' (Shake N Bake), but a wet boat just doesn't work in the Pacific NW.

Thanks for all the info.

Mike C

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Mike - thanks for clearing that up. I totally agree that in the tropics you need all the sun protection you can get. My B31 FBC Another Joy has a Pipewelder's half tower with a four sided enclosure and is snug as a bug on the snottiest days in the northern Gulf and gives excellent sun protection. I also have a bimini style cockpit sunshade that is essential down here.

As I remember, most guys remove the half tower for any long distance trailering and also remove the FB windshield too... Seems like the height to the top of the FB - minus windshield - sitting on most trailers is about 13' 5".....It has been discussed in years past.....Faithful, am I dreaming the 13-5????

UV

[In Memory Walter K]

You and I are remembering the same, long time ago thread. 13' 6" is the max allowable height. Walter

[Capt.Frank]

From what I remember on a trailer the top of the windshield is approx. 13'. I measured my top and I beleive that to the heigest point, mine is approx. 16 1/2' off the ground. I would like to have my pulled on a hydrolic trailer and placed in my yard. But the wires on the 1 3/4 mile trip will not let me.
Good Luck
Frank

[In Memory Walter K]

The 13' 6" maximum is based on the standardized height of telephone pole/electrical line wiring in the US. The boat moving guy would not even consider moving my boat that was (at that time) just an inch or two over that.

[Capt.Frank]

Walter you are right about that. To move a boat to Mexico by land the top would have to come off. There have been guys here in Wanchese repoing boats. They take evrything off put on trailer and to Ohio they go to store.