How do you get a 28TE on the trailer?

[Captain Starbucks]

Hi all,

I've been on and off this board now for quite a few years. Someday I'll end up with one of these boats. My kids are getting bigger, and we're taking more people out on day trips. I'm hoping my kids will want to do some overnighters in the coming years.

I would rather trailer up here in the PNW due to all of the different fishing spots all over the state. After looking at several pics of the 28TE's on trailers, I've noticed I haven't seen any bow eyes for winching the boat up on the trailer. What's the mystery? Strap around the transom and then through the winch?

Thanks,

Rob

[Pitou]

You're not going to be winching that boat on to a trailer .. drive it on.

[RobS]

Travel lift.

[Norseman]

Speaking of truck and trailer: I bought a new truck 6 months ago: An F-150 with the max towing package @ 13,200 lbs.
Easy work towing my Albin 28TE, but I ain’t got no trailer.
Anybody in SE Florida got a trailer for a 28TE I could borrow for a day or two just to inspect the bottom and swap a prop, etc.

[Captain Starbucks]

Thanks Pitou. That's how I get my Shammy on the trailer. Drive it on, then engine power + one guy on the winch.

I guess my real question was how do you get the boat secured. Since now matter how close you get the roller on the bow, when the stern settles, there's always going to be 4-6" gap between the bow and the roller. I normally take care of that in the parking lot with a Brakes -CHECK! And that usually shores it up to the roller.

Thanks,

Rob

[Tom Un]

I built a tow eye for my 2000 TE 28 with 2" x 1/4" welded to 1/2 x 2" " and 1/4" backing plate. All stainless steel. Work great.

Tom U

[Robb]

Hey Rob in Tacoma,

I trailer my 28 occasionally and she is not the kind of boat to easily trailer. I power her on to the trailer and have installed a bow eye that I got from Fisheries. Yes, when things settle there is a 2-3" gap at the bow from the winch pad. I put 6 large ratchet straps on it and have not had any problems. Been doing this about 7 years.

That said, she is a PITA to trailer for short trips and you will piss people off if your in the busy line at Westport or Neah during a halibut opener weekend. Launching and especially recovering takes awhile.

I was keeping my boat in the water in Tacoma during the summer and found it easier to just run it out to Neah or LaPush on the water to fish.

Robb

[Jaredh]

I use a fork lift or travel lift only. ~$150 each in or out and I never have to dunk my trailer!

[Morgan]

Hi, I’m looking at a 28TE that is on a lift in FL; I’m in SC and am leaning toward an aluminum EZ tilt 3 axel trailer. I’m hoping to be on the boat 1 week out of every month. I have a place to park the boat and trailer on land for the other 3 weeks of the month. Is ramp launching it with a 2500 or 3500 truck a reasonable idea or does it really need to be launched at a marina on a travel lift? Thanks. Morgan

[pkdiver]

My boat is a 2005 28' TE flush deck. I have a GMC 2500 Dura-Max truck and it is no problem to launch and load the boat on the trailer as long as there is a decent boat ramp where I am going. It is also no problem to haul the boat to other ports with my truck once you get used to driving it around in traffic. My trailer is a Pacific trailer but I did install sliders on the bunks to make it easier to launch and reload the boat. I still do power the boat on and off the trailer depending on the boat ramp. When I bought the boat new in January 2006 I had Bellingham Yachts install a bow eye on it so that I can hook the winch to the bow eye. All I do to further secure the boat is to use a tie down over the transom.

[Mntry_Goodson]

Piece of cake. Go to West Marine and buy a 3" u-bolt eye with about 4" legs. Drill two holes in the bow into the anchor rope compartment and mount the u-bolt. Use about a 12" custom plate located in the inside to distribute the load to the hull. It's plenty strong.

Your trailer needs to have a long neck to the truck hitch to allow you to back it down the ramp far enough that you can float the boat onto the trailer. The trailer must have carpeted bunks; not rollers. Use a heavy duty boat winch (manual) with 1" steel chain with hook to connect to the new bow eye. Pull the bow up onto the bow roller, put your Dodge 3500 in 4x4 low and pull it out of the water.