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JeanAndre
Navigator

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USA
224 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/21/2013 : 18:55:56

Hello fellow C25 Owners,

I was looking for a trailer for my C25 but I was not in the mood to spend over $1,500.00 for it.

So I found a solution to my problem and it worked beautifully:

I bought on Craigslist a 21feet Jon Boat trailer with title for $450.00 and for another $60.00 I bought 30´of tubing at Lowes and extended the bunks up to my needed height.

It worked pretty good, I will have pictures of it this next weekend.

I am pretty sure if you have boat stands or a cradle you can make it work for you too on top of a flatbed trailer.

May Aeolus grant us all with fair winds throughout 2013

Cheers

I am Captain ! !
Yelled I to my wife and daughter...

Jean André - St. Louis - MO
1981 C25 SR/SK - OH LALA #2591
1977 C25 TR/FK - CLARICE M. #0042
2011 9.8 Nissan XL shaft
USCG Master, sail and tow endorsements
ASA instructor
Aspiring boat designer (Westlawn)

Edited by - on

sailboat
Navigator

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USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 01/21/2013 : 19:36:26

Was that Jon boat trailer equipped with double axles rated at 3500 lbs each.

Thanks, Mike

Edited by - on

NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 05:13:29

^^^That was my exact thought.

Edited by - on

JeanAndre
Navigator

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USA
224 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 07:16:23

According to the seller yes. And it had surge brakes too. The trailer was advertised as a Jon Boat trailer but I think it was beeing built for something a lot bigger and heavier by the looks of it.

This trailer will be used mostly to take the boat from shore storage and launch it down the ramp.

All lights are working great and everything seems to be in order.

I will make upgrades as needed. I know I can find 3500# axels for 200 a pair on craigslist if needed and that will still leave me under my budget.

The boat is already sitting on the trailer so I will have more updates on this as things progress.

Pictures next week.

Cheers

Edited by - on

sailboat
Navigator

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USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 08:07:28

Jean, thanks and look forward to the pictures. I priced trailers and was shocked at what I found. One place in Oregon would build a trailer to suit but I first had to supply a used powerboat trailer to them...their price for conversion $1800-2200. Two companies, one in Ohio and one in NC quoted, depending on options, $4500-$6200. Yikes.

Edited by - on

sailboat
Navigator

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USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 08:22:20

Edited by - on

szymek
Navigator

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Canada
209 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 08:46:41

sailboat: that sounds about right. I've been planning to buy a trailer for 2 years now as I have access to a farm where i can store the boat for free over the winter (about 60 km from the marina). The quotes that you got are pretty much the same that I got around here in Ontario. Finding used one in Ontario or within reasonable distance to me is next to impossible. :-(

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 13:30:13

7k# Jonboat.....that's one hell of a jonboat......

Edited by - on

JeanAndre
Navigator

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USA
224 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 13:46:48

Hi Joe Diver,

I don´t think this was originally a Jon Boat Trailer.
The trailer has all the fittings for what I think was a 23foot twin engine runabout.

I think the guy that sold me used to have a boat repair facility that was hit by a storm he ended up with parts and he put a Jon Boat on this trailer and called it a Jon Boat trailer...

I din´t need any modification other then readjusting the height of the fittings to fit my C25.

The main reason I created this thread is that if you find a regular flatbed or any other trailer able to support the 6000# C25 weight and you have boat stands or a cradle, you have yourself a trailer for less than 1000 bucks for sure!!

Next week I will have pictures of the whole "transformation"

Cheers

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2013 : 18:31:20

I picked up my trailer 3 days before Hurricane Ike hit. It was built for Hunter 260, was less than 2 years old, and has less than 200 miles on it. Its also never been in salt water according to the broker I bought it from (they sold the guy the boat and he didn't want the trailer).

I picked it up for $1,500. There are deals out there, they just don't come along very frequently.

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2013 : 08:40:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JeanAndre
 Hi Joe Diver,

I don´t think this was originally a Jon Boat Trailer.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No, I wouldn't think so......but I have seen some really big Jon boats!

Edited by - on

jrchase11
1st Mate

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35 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 14:01:51

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sailboat
 Jean, thanks and look forward to the pictures. I priced trailers and was shocked at what I found. One place in Oregon would build a trailer to suit but I first had to supply a used powerboat trailer to them...their price for conversion $1800-2200. Two companies, one in Ohio and one in NC quoted, depending on options, $4500-$6200. Yikes.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I can attest to these prices. Had one custom made two years ago cost me over $4600. For sale now on Swap Meet.

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26079

Edited by - jrchase11 on 01/26/2013 14:02:15

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 02/04/2013 : 23:37:58

In 2006, I went shopping for a new trailer for Quiet Time and was quoted $8500 by a local trailer fabricator. That price included 6000# axles, load range "E" tires, disc brakes (surge), full hot-dip galvanizing, and roller bunks. That was $2000 more than I paid for the boat itself, so I kept the old trailer and put $3000 into repairs. There are very few used "surplus" boat trailers on the West Coast, and finding one purpose-built for a C-25 Wing Keel, would be like winning Super-Lotto. My ideal trailer would be an E-Z Loader, as that company uses structural tube steel for the frame instead of the cheaper and less rigid channel iron that most boat trailers are built from, but cost would be prohibitive, probably $12,000 for a galvanized one will roller bunks and disc brakes.

Edited by - on

hubbardbilly
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2013 : 06:31:41

Great thread here. Gary B, you picked up a trailer that was sized for a Hunter 260. Did you have to do any mods to the trailer to fit the C25? I know you have a wing keel, so not exactly the same as my potential boat. I found a trailer for $1,500 and it currently holds a Bayliner Buccaneer 25. They have a "shoal keel". Anyhow, I'm most curious about the bunks. The trailer i'm looking at has roller bunks that are high enough for the bayliner's hull to keep the keel off the frame. I'm guessing that since the bunks are hinged, they will conform to the shape of the C25 hull. As for the keel, I'm guessing I'll just make sure there's something there like treated wood for the keel to rest on when on the trailer. Don't want to stress the cable.

Any thoughts?

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/06/2013 : 18:45:13

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 02/06/2013 : 19:27:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by hubbardbilly
 Great thread here. Gary B, you picked up a trailer that was sized for a Hunter 260. Did you have to do any mods to the trailer to fit the C25? I know you have a wing keel, so not exactly the same as my potential boat. I found a trailer for $1,500 and it currently holds a Bayliner Buccaneer 25. They have a "shoal keel". Anyhow, I'm most curious about the bunks. The trailer i'm looking at has roller bunks that are high enough for the bayliner's hull to keep the keel off the frame. I'm guessing that since the bunks are hinged, they will conform to the shape of the C25 hull. As for the keel, I'm guessing I'll just make sure there's something there like treated wood for the keel to rest on when on the trailer. Don't want to stress the cable.

Any thoughts?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yes, I had to get some longer bunk supports and I added an additional cross-beam that sits directly under the keel to support it.

I've only had the boat on the trailer long enough to get the bunks adjusted. I've never actually moved the boat anywhere with it.

I mainly have it so I can pull and run if we have another hurricane headed our way.

Here's my trailer the day I bought it and before I modified it. If you scroll down the 1st page to Jeffriday's post my trailer now looks very similar to his.

One thing I like about this trailer is it's longer than I need and tows really nice plus I will be able to get it farther down into the water before having to use the extension.

[url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=18647&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=Trailer"]My Trailer[/url]

Edited by - GaryB on 02/06/2013 20:08:25

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