Advice request: Mounting sail box on trailer

I have an old style sail box (coffin style) and am now looking to mount it onto my trailer, which is a Trailex for a H16. (A good picture is at http://www.castlecraft.com/large_catamaran_trailers.htm It is the first picture, the TX-416.)

The trailer cross-bars are about 74" apart with not much room in front of the front cross bar. The box is about 134" long.

I am concerned about mounting it on the cross bars and have 60" of box hanging out the back. The other option is to mount it between the front diagonal and the rear crossbar, but the diagonal is on a different plane, ie. the box would have to be slanted unevenly unless i wedge it.

Does anyone have any sage advice regarding this?

Try this: Mount the rear of the box 24" behind the rear cross bar, and the rest forward. The physical mounting bolts will attach to the cross bars, even though the box itself will extend behind the rear cross bar and in front of the front cross bar. As long as the ends of the box are not in a position where they will cause a problem, you'll be okay.

I am assuming that the box has sufficient structural integrity to have two 'midpoint' mounting spots. If not, you'll need to build a frame (2 x 4's?), mount the frame to the cross bars, mount the box to the frame.

On my H18 trailer, the box extends a long way forward, almost to the front of the hulls. Hope this helps.

Stormy weather today - 51.3 knots at Nepean Sailing Club at 1.50 pm, as a big front rolled through.

Good winds

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

If you are really worried about the cantaliever you can run supports under the length of the box and mount the suppoert to the trailer and the box to the supports.

If you use wood, make sure it is painted or treated.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

Thanks!

The problem is I can't have the front of the box much beyond the front crossbar because the diagonal part of the trailer frame (see picture in the referenced web site) interferes. The diagonal is mounted on top of the crossbar.

I also don't want to go down the road with a large length of sailbox trailing behind the end of the trailer. That sounds to me like an invitation for trouble.

I just may have to use a wood frame, as suggested. Properly built, it would raise the box high enough so that trailer frame wouldn't interfere.

Does anyone here use a Trailex with a similar setup?

I have a Trailex for an H18, but the crossbars are on top of the frame. I have helped other H16 owners do this though, USe teh wood spacers and you will be fine.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO