Hobie Cat Forums

From what I have read, the 21SE is 9'6" in width. How is it managed on a trailer? Is this width legal?

Thanks for your assistance.

I purchased my 21SE 2 months ago. I have a trailerx aluminum light weight trailer that expands to the proper width. I have been trailering full width as the setup would take quite a bit more time to rig. When purchased I drove the boat 225 miles. I even had a state trooper pass me. So far I have been lucky. The lake is 25 miles away thru some city streets in Seattle. It might be that it looks small behind my van



If i needed to reduce width every time, I think I would rig a tilt trailer similar to a Tornado trailer as the rig time would make it not worth it.

I would also like to hear others that trailer full width.

We used to tow our 21SE full width from the shop to the ramp, but that was about it. Watch for toll booths! They are not usually wide enough I hear!

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Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

I have not taken my 21se apart in probably 15 years or more.I always trailer it wide anywhere I go,from Florida to Michigan.I have had trouble at toll booths and they told me to simple use the outside lane which is where the wide load go.......good luck,Stars and Stripes 404

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Bill 404 21SE

I have trailered large no problem on the interstate
Small SC roads to Edisto Island sometimes white knuckle
Many large trees right beside the road and some bridges very narrow

This is food for thought
What would happen if the boat was welded where the taper pins are placed
This would get rid of a little rig flex

A wide load permit is pretty cheap to get from the DOT

Gary 21 SE

Gary, I have not yet seen a 21SE so these taper pins you mention, is this how the boat is suppose to move in and out? How much flex is there? Do you notice this while sailing or does it affect anything while on the water?

t-bone

The taper pins are in each corner of the front and rear crossbar
They are rather large machined pins that wedge the crossbars to the boat
The nuts also serve as a tie for the tramp corners
DO NOT OVER TORQUE THE NUTS
I do notice some boat flex in large waves but I do not think it is due to the pins

I think the whole boat is flexing The boat is really long and really wide much of the time I carry four or more adults and a lot of gear. Every Hobie I have ever had has flexed to some extent depending on wind and wave.

I guess every captain has their own method of rigging.and de-rigging
I have found the worse thing is over extending the hulls past the holes for the taper pins I have marked the crossbars with white paint marker where the correct position
I start by removing or getting really loose the center tramp lacing
I secure one hull to the trailer with straps
I remove trailer pins on one side and slowly push rhe hull out
A good push point is the dolphin striker bar on the front and the motor mount on the back
I then repeat for the other hull
A large dose of silicone spray really helps

Welding destroys the heat treatment of the aluminum and creates a strength discontinuity in the welded parts - especially bad for thin aluminum structures, like crossbars.

I trailered my 21 from Raleigh to and from Miami once full width. Only place that was tight was toll booths in Jacksonville. I wouldn't advise it though but that was mostly on Interstate. A tornado had wrecked the dealership and I pulled a new boat out of the boxes, assembled it, and went to a Prosail race leaving the place literally in pieces on the ground. The tornado picked up my race boat and dropped it Salvador Dali style across a dump truck several hundred yards away. We cobbled up another trailer to pull to Miami.

Later, I built a custom trailer that can carry 2 21s stacked and made it easy to raise masts, carry the two boats, and telescope in and out. I still have that boat and trailer but it's seen little use since the Prosail series. I built the trailer with wide flats for the front crossbars. The flats are wide enough so you can slide the hulls out without worrying about having to slide the crossbars out at the same time. It has an A-frame that is used as a gin pole to attach trap wires to winch the mast up.