Trailer Question

I have looked at some of the other trailer threads and have not found the answers I am looking for. I have ordered a 2020 getaway that should be arriving some time in May (1-3 weeks). I have an older jon boat trailer and a decent amount of steel sitting around that I was hoping to repurpose since it has been sitting for a while.

Right now center of wheel to center of wheel I am at 50". Will that work or do I need to get a wider axle?

Does anyone know the measurement from the start of the arc in the back of the keel to the stern?

It is my understanding the keels are ~78" apart.

Based on the axle what seems to be a good center point for the Getaway (10ft forward / 7ft back)? I want to keep a little forward weight while not having too much hang over the back.

What height is a mast support typically? I thought I may need to wait for the Getaway to arrive before making this.

Current plan is two cross bars 8ft apart with rollers (single or hobie double, have not decided). Has anyone tried mounting treated boards with carpet to spread the weight out? I have a 20ft deep storage and am thinking once I get back home I will need to move the Getaway forward to fit in. Looks close. Mast is being storage on ceiling so no issues there.

Has anyone put kayaks under the Getaway? I was wanting to be able to slide a revolution, outback, or pro angler under the Getaway while heading out to the lake. It's ok, if this doesn't become and option. I thought it may put the Getaway to high up.

I doubt this is all my questions, but any help will definitely get me moving forward.

I've got a Wave, not a Getaway, but some of the concepts may be the same.

The boat slides great on partial sections of corrugated HDPE drain pipe. One of the best features is that it hides the screw heads.

Lots of room under the tramp to carry bikes or kayaks or what have you. But I don't launch from the trailer - I have a set of Euro Trax with a hand dolly. I slide the boat onto the dolly and hand launch.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6UCSS7QsrTVqqpTP6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/A5UyPCgg9fVWNNEJA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zdv8pz1ZnMMCvxwK9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cw4gFJauooiXxZdn9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ELUwRdgW3rRQ8CW46
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fViYrsfq6L4Fz4PN9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YEgzbGFHnUep6Ng98
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3mACWRSkdGHb68qRA

I don't have a getaway, but... I have 3 other cats.

Q1) Track Width:
My H16 and H18 trailers have a track width of 54.5", so you should be OK.

Q2) Hull measurements:

Q3) Boat position:
Play around with it and see what feels right. A good boat position on the trailer will:
1) provide the correct tongue weight. (10%, don't go under 4%, never ever ever ever go negative)
2) keep the bows from hitting your vehicle in a tight turn.
3) allow you to step the mast on an unstrapped boat without tipping the boat off the trailer.
4) allow you to climb on the bow of the boat without tipping the boat forward on the trailer.

Q4) The forward mast support should be tall enough that the mast doesn't hit the roof of your tow vehicle. Most cats are trailered with the mast overhanging the vehicle. In some cases the mast is short enough and the trailer is long enough that no overlap exists. I recommend placing the forward mast support in such a way that it acts as a forward stop, with the boats front tramp crossbeam resting against it.

Q5) I often stick a couple of yaks under my cats.


In my experience shaped carpeted bunks are the bees knees. They control lateral movement and don't seize up or scuff the hulls like rollers.

Thanks for the responses. This has helped me get moving. I am going to fabricate the trailer so it will accommodate rollers in the future if needed/wanted, but plan to use carpeted bunks to start. Maybe with corrugated drain pipe. I hadn't thought about using the pipe, but makes sense.

I have carpeted bunks on my Getaway trailer. They slide easily enough, and don't dent the keel like rollers can. I saw a thread about putting plastic on the bunk instead of carpet, because the carpet can hold sand and dirt. Something else that just this second occurred to me is the carpet can hold mussel spore and invasive weed bits, so there's another reason to avoid carpet.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

That is good input. When you say plastic are you referring to the drain pipe?

Now a question on how sturdy are the corrugated drain pipe once cut in half? If I put a 2"x6"x10' lengthwise perpendicular to my cross bars and bolt the half drain pipe down will the edges help guide the keel or should I consider a 4" PVC pipe with more sturdy edges?

The flexible pipe needs some assistance, but not too much as it keeps its natural curve.

I created the centering support simply by running a 1 1/4" "cant strip" down the outside top of each 2x4. Just on the outside of each. If you zoom in on the photos you can just make them out.

This kinda thing: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cant-Strips/3371624. I believe it's a roofing product. I got mine at Home Depot.

And I think I cut the pipe into 1/3 radius segments as opposed to half radius. I like the corrugated pipe because you can screw them directly down on the wood support and the screw heads stay in the valleys, while the hull rides across the top on the ridges. You can also hose them down from the side and the water can escape through the valleys.

I bought a new getaway last year and the dealer used PVC pipe for the boat to sit on. Seems to work pretty well. I’m attaching a couple of pictures.

Not finished with the trailer yet, but this is what I have so far. Hoping this week I can get the mast stand on, but we have lots of rain in the forecast. Still have to get all the wiring done as well and move the tail lights to the back.

I like the idea of the PVC. I have used that on my kayak trailer and it works really well.

Looks great so far!

You don't "have" to support the entire length of the skegs or floats. My trailer had 6" pvc pipes rigged athwartships with curves pointing up to help guide the boat onto the trailer after a sail. Issue, though, is that for long storage you have point loads on the skegs that might (and do) cause dents especially when the plastic gets soft during a hot spell. I simply put a board under the rear pipes/skegs for the hot months to spread the load (boat is very light as you know). Boat had very little friction getting on/off the trailer since there was virtually nothing supporting it for any length. Certainly was a cheap way to go. You can see them from the side in this video of mast raising--might also note that I added a rear mast support to the trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE9cmSG ... ex=3&t=15s

_________________
R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

I would suggest adding side roller guides too. It's tricky getting the boat on the trailer if there's wind or current.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Actually just got those on last night. Mounted the tail lights and got the mast put in place. Hoping to have the few things done this weekend and should have the trailer finished sunday. I doubt i will send it to galv for a while as i want to make sure everything is how i want it first.

I just took my side rollers off and replaced them with cradles. The side rollers scuffed up the hulls.