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Wanted: buy / beg / borrow a trailer

T

talonf4u

Sun Fast 3200 "Barcanova"
I am in need of some wheels for my Sun Fast 3200. She's 32' and 7500lbs. The boat is in Houston and coming to the Bay.

Ideally, I'd like to buy a solid trailer.

Failing that, I would like to rent, borrow, or lease one that will get her here.

If option 2) occurs, then I become in the market for a potentially less capable trailer that would serve to get the boat back from Hawaii.

Any leads would be deeply appreciated. This has turned into a way harder process than I had imagined it would be.
 
In case you have not noted, there are width and height restrictions on the highways. The designation of width over 8 1/2 feet is considered oversize. The specs for your boat are 11.42 ft max beam.

The regulations may change state by state.

It may be useful to find the rules that apply. Depending on the finding, a shipping/trucking service may have advantages.

But, you're making progress toward the starting line!
 
It can be done, but you'd have to get permits from 4 states, meet 4 states' regulations, etc. Daytime driving only - dawn to dusk? There might be a driving license requirement, too. I'm assuming Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California. 30 or so years ago a friend wanted to do a similar tow home after the Panama Canal to Houston. He gave up & shipped the boat. I agree with Ants that checking with a licensed shipping service might be the way to go.
 
That trailer would likely fall short..... your boats base weight is 7500, plus gear, sails, etc. Have you had it weighted in full trim or otherwise? I have a similar trailer and the tires are rated at 2500lbs max. I think you need quite a beefy trailer.
 
Redtim--great lead, but unfortunately Solo is right; I'll need something with a bit more heft. I have to assume the boat with all the gear is approaching 8500 lbs, which means I'll need about 12k min capacity to haul the boat as the total rated weight includes the weight of the trailer, which will be 2k+ lbs.

I've done a bit of looking at the permit situation. I believe if I am under 12' wide and 13'6'' high, then the requirements are not too crazy. There are companies that, for a few hundred bucks, will pull the permits for you and hand you a route with all of the appropriate restrictions. As I understand it, most insurances won't cover that kind of towing, but I have a friend that's done a few trips back and forth with his big boat and he's already got the commercial coverage. Fortunately he is also sort-of retired and willing to help me do the move! Just a matter of finding the wheels!
 
I'm also interested in a trailer for an 8500lb class boat, approximately 35' length. One came up for sale on sailing anarchy but it's already sold. Interested in a partnership or rental situation to deliver my boat back from socal this summer.
 
Thanks for the lead! That one turned out to be a bit light for my boat, but it was a great lead and almost happened!
 
That one's bigger, but sure has a lot of rust for three grand. If you happen to be nearby, I'm curious...but don't go too far out of your way. My main concern is the keel bunk being above the axels--fine for shallower boats but a real problem for deep ones like mine.
For the crowd: the permit process is no big heartache. I called a pro recommended to me and within minutes she had the answers I needed. Most states won't require anything crazy for a load under 12' wide and 14' tall, and permits are about $70ish a state. Total cost for a service to route me, name all restrictions, and get my permits from Texas to CA is ~$300. Travel is easiest on weekdays and generally requires daylight hours for a boat of my size.
 
I bought a trailer for my capo30 which weighs about the same so I can bring my boat back from Hawaii. If you want to rent it, we can talk. George
 
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