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PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:00 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:52 am
Posts: 8
Hi everyone,

I had a question about which trailer to get for the Hobie wave.
I am taking delivery on a new 2018 Wave this spring.
I have never owned a sailboat or towed anything before (I'm very excited)
I have a small suv that I will be towing with.
We live in Portland, OR - so we will be using boat launches for the most part.
I don't know if the rollers make loading and unloading easier. (I'm a wimp)
Aluminum vs steel
Mast stand vs not
Is there a way to put cross bars on any of these trailers so I can attach a bike rack - Like a yakima or Thule kind?
Is there anyway to add storage (for sails and maybe some camping things?
And anything else I should be thoughtful of?

Thanks for your advice. Hope everyone had a great holiday season. I'm looking forward to a new year with a new Hobie!

-Audrey


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 1:57 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
Posts: 737
Location: Rockford, IL
Yay you! I love trailers. Almost to the point of it being a fetish. I mean, I don't have to drive a truck, and yet I can haul home a literal ton of drywall with my Scion!

In my experience, both rollers and flat bunks for the boat are equally easy. The back end will be underwater when launching and recovering, and you'll probably be winching the boat up to the front supports.

Galvanized steel or aluminum are equally fine. Aluminum (Trailex) is expensive.

I would use a front mast stand to get the mast above the back of your car, so you don't have too much sticking out behind you. You can mount a winch on the mast stand too, to help bring the boat up, and for a mast stepper if you need to use one.

Do you want to use it for bikes alone, or with the boat on? With the boat off, you can carry a luggage box, or bike racks easily. If you figure out a good way to carry bikes on it along with the boat, tell me how, I've never quite figured a good way for that!

Storage? Yeah, a cat box, or big sewer tube for your sails and rudders, etc. Search the forum for "sail box", people have all sorts of clever solutions.
If you are handy, you can build a wooden coffin style box that will carry anything. I build one for my old Hobie 17 that, when I wasn't using the trailer for my Hobie, I put a 5 boat kayak rack on, and could carry a ton of camping gear inside of it.

Be aware of hitch and ball size. If you have a 2" coupler, use a 2" ball, not 1-7/8". Some people will say, close enough. It's not.
I would look for a trailer with LED lights. Unplug the trailer lights from the car before dunking the trailer (don't forget to replug before driving away after you reload the boat), it'll help the lights last longer.
Get bearing buddies on your hubs and use marine wheel grease in the bearings. Refill before long trips.

The dealer probably can supply a trailer. I have a galvanized steel Genesis trailer, and it's great. My first trailer was a Shoreline, and it was pretty flimsy. I don't know too much about the other brands.

Have fun!

_________________
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


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:51 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 30, 2013 4:49 pm
Posts: 79
Location: Huron East, ON, Canada.
IMHO rollers for cat trailer are better than bunks. Justification:
1. Not all ramps and all towing vehicles are made equal. Sometimes it's hard to submerge trailer to the point when boat float off it. With rollers you could simply push boat out, with bunks - it will be harder :D
2. With rollers you can offload boat on to beach wheels and drug it to the water. More places to sail become reachable.

Few more points:
Re. lights: I'm towing (and submerging) trailer with regular bulbs for 6 years, changed only one bulb. IMHO type of lights is not decisive factor when choosing trailer. Disconnecting trailer lights before backing up is really good advice.

Re. bearing buddies: I didn't use them, but internet is full of discussions whether they good or bad. I'm lucky, I picked up trailer with so called EZ-lube hubs, if you have choice between trailer with such hubs or with regular one, choose EZ-lube.

And more:
1. Practice backing up trailer as much as possible and a thoroughly as possible before heading to the ramp.
2. Free boat ramp as soon as possible. It is valuable shared resource :)

Happy trailering and sailing!


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:15 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:52 am
Posts: 8
Wow, thanks for all this great advice. It’s really nice to have all of your insights. I’m going to search around the dealers in my area for what they have. The trailex does look expensive, west coast sailing is a dealer. They also have carnei. But there are other power boat dealers that have access to other brands.
Good advice for the mast stand, detaching the lights, and practicing.
As for the bunk vs rollers - i’m going to compare pricing. A few older post (like 10 years ago) mentioned catamaran kits that you could order that would have these parts, however, i couldn’t find one on - more internet searching to go.
And a cat box! Super smart idea.
I have a few months to wait but looks like i’ll be busy getting ready for sailing season!!
-Audrey


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:29 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
Posts: 737
Location: Rockford, IL
Here's a link to Castle Craft. They sell Trailex.
http://www.castlecraft.com/catamaran_trailers.htm

_________________
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


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:27 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
Rollers make getting the boat on and off the trailer easier. The only downside is that they can potentially damage the hulls because the weight is distributed over a much smaller area. This is especially true if you live in an area where heavy snowfall occurs. Be sure to remove the tramp and/or completely disassemble the boat in winter. Otherwise you will need to be dilligent about brushing off the snow. Also, don’t make the tie-downs too tight when securing the boat to the trailer or you can deform the hulls.

The main advantage of trailex is the light weight. Since the Wave is already very light to begin with, an aluminum trailer is probably not necessary, but still a nice to have. Galvanized steel trailers are perfectly acceptable and will last a very long time. Steer away from painted steel trailers. They require maintenance and are prone to rusting.

The mast on a Wave can be separated into two pieces, so a mast stand is not entirely necessary, however you will need some method for transporting it, even if that means strapping the halves to the forward and aft crossbars with a few pieces of carpet for padding.

sm


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2020 8:13 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 30, 2013 4:49 pm
Posts: 79
Location: Huron East, ON, Canada.
srm wrote:
Rollers make getting the boat on and off the trailer easier. The only downside is that they can potentially damage the hulls because the weight is distributed over a much smaller area. This is especially true if you live in an area where heavy snowfall occurs. Be sure to remove the tramp and/or completely disassemble the boat in winter. Otherwise you will need to be dilligent about brushing off the snow. Also, don’t make the tie-downs too tight when securing the boat to the trailer or you can deform the hulls.
It is a big concern for fiberglass boats. Personal experience with Wave on rubber rollers shows that you should more worry about keeping rollers round :)
Quote:
Steer away from painted steel trailers. They require maintenance and are prone to rusting.
If you have ability to store trailer indoors they are acceptable.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:43 pm 
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Location: Jersey Shore
CA Newbie wrote:
Personal experience with Wave on rubber rollers shows that you should more worry about keeping rollers round


https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=60838

Rotomolded boats are just as susceptible to deforming under continuous load as composite boats, perhaps moreso since the plastic is unreinforced. Plastics in general don’t like point loads- always better to distribute the load over as much surface area as possible and limit excessive loads from snow and tie-downs. Another option is to replace the single rollers with double rollers which will spread out the load and still allow you to use rollers to make loading and unloading the boat easier.

sm


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:46 pm 
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Wow, i didn’t know there was so much to think about bunks vs rollers. Good to know.
Got one more question regarding launching a boat. Thanks for the advice to get out quick.
Is it advised to rig up the mast and sail before launching? Or just the mast?
Also, do you use fenders when you secure it to the dock?

Thanks for all this wonderful insight.

-Audrey


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:41 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
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Location: Jersey Shore
Sails down is definitely preferred for ramp launching (although it certainly has been done with sails up). The problem with having the sail up is that the wind may not be coming from a “good” direction relative to the ramp. If that’s the case, the wind can tend to push the boat up the ramp, away from the ramp or into the dock, all of which will make launching and retreiving very difficult. The best is to put the boat on a beach and raise the sails and launch from there if possible (even if that means putting the boat in the water using a ramp and then walking or paddling the boat to a nearby beach). If you must launch from a ramp/dock, then put the boat in the water with sails down, position the boat on the downwind side of the ramp at an angle that most closely lets you point the bows into the wind. Then get everything else on the boat ready and hoist the sails only just before you’re ready to shove off.

Using fenders would depend on how much you care about the hulls getting scratched up and also the height of the dock. Docks for larger boats may sit too high in the water to contact the hull. Also some docks have rubber padding around them to help protect the boat.

sm


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:20 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
Here's another option in the roller vs bunk question. Plastic covered bunks.
I have flat bunks, covered with carpet, and I like that they don't deform my boats hulls. I'm big enough that I have no problem moving my boat on and off the bunks, but I hadn't thought about the carpeting catching dirt and becoming abrasive.
https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/a ... r-trailer/

_________________
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


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:27 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:13 am
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Location: Nepean S.C. Ottawa, Canada
SRM, with his experience, gives the best advice.

We learnt to sail cats, sailing off a beach. Face into the wind, rig the boat, do the final checks, and go.

It was a shock to us when we moved downriver to a Club with a dock. (http://www.nsc.ca)
Now this is a dinghy boat dock, with rubber 'rub' strips at exactly the right height, so bear that in mind as you read.
Plus, this is a floating dock, and there are no tides to consider.
To make things even simpler, our prevailing winds blow 'down the ramp', so usually we raise the sails on land, and wheel our catamaran down the ramp into the water and tie up to the dock.
Our righting line doubles as the painter.
At that point, we attach the main blocks and jib clew, lower the rudders, do our final check, and sail away.

The Albacores and 505's and Lasers do the same.

When the winds blow from another direction, life can get very interesting.
Often, we will slide the mainsail into the sail track, raise it about 24" or 36", and stop there. The jib is raised on land, and flapping freely.
Then we launch, secure the cat to the dock in a 'good' orientation to the wind, and continue the raise from there.

You should also be aware that when you launch, you have to return.
Sailing back to a beach is usually easy peasy - unlock the rudders and sail up onto the sand.
Sailing back to a dock can be a learning experience, especially if you are new to sailing and new to your boat.

In 'normal' winds, docking is easy. However, if the wind is the 'wrong' way, life again becomes interesting.
The water is only about 5' deep at our dock, and in the first year at our Club, a number of times, I had to jump off the cat and physically stop it from bashing into the dock.
Looking back, it helped me grow my sailing skills, and I continue to learn every time we go out.

We've been tourists in Portland, and we are jealous of the mighty fine sailing you enjoy on the Columbia River.
As I recall, the wind mostly blows upriver, so you may wish to inspect the launch points to check out the orientation.
Also, check out local sailing clubs, and see if you can join up for a 'learn to sail' program in Portland or up at Cascade Locks, or in Hood.

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.'


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 11:08 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:53 pm
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My boat came with a Trailex trailer with a mast stand that the guy who sold me the boat didn't use (He just took apart the mast and laid the two pieces secured on the tramp). He told me when I bought the boat that he couldn't go much over 55 mph without the trailer swaying all over the place and to take it slow. Sure enough, I had the same problem. It was my first time trailering anything like this so I was pretty clueless. The issue ended up being that the weight was overloaded in the back as the trailer was designed to have mast assembled and stored in the stand, hanging out forward over the top of the car. You can do a google search for the correct ratio of trailer weight to tongue weight for hours of fun reading. Anyway, I say all of this in case you have a similar problem. The mast stand enables much better weight balance and trailer performance (no more scary death wobbles) in my experience.

You're been given good advice for launching strategy. I sail on reservoirs in Utah where I almost never have the luxury of launching from the beach, at least not initially. It's almost always on a super busy cement ramp surrounded by power boats who often either intentionally or ignorantly disregard right of way laws. It makes the launch and getting off of the water by far the most stressful part of sailing for me. Like others have said, get the mast up and everything ready (except for raising the sail) with the boat on the trailer. Back into the water and get the boat off of the trailer. Hold fast while the second person parks the car and returns to the boat to help manage everything. Turn the boat into the wind, and only then raise the sail. Turn off of the wind enough to fill the sails and you're off! Be sure to time your exit accordingly when traffic along your intended route is minimized. How difficult the launch and return are depend a lot on wind speed and direction relative to where you need to go.

One time when it was really ripping I waited to raise the sail until paddling out of the busy boat launch area. It was blowing so hard, I couldn't get the boat turned into the wind enough to raise the sail, even with two strong paddlers, and had to get towed back to shore. So resist to go out with the sail down unless the wind is <10 knots, 15 max.

One more tip that helped me immensely when I was new (and still does) - Get some shiny tinsel, old cassette tape, or something similar to tape onto your forestay to give you an on demand reading of wind direction. The key for successful boat control when launching and especially returning to a rapidly approaching cement boat ramp with control is being able depower the boat, and the best way to do that is to turn into the wind. And to do that, you'd better be damn sure exactly which way the wind is blowing relative to how the boat is facing.

Good luck!


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 12:22 am 
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Location: BC, Canada
A bit of overkill for a Wave trailer I'll admit, but I use a 14' deck trailer with some slight modifications. For transport and storage only.

I raise the mast with the boat on the trailer. The winch at the front of the trailer pulls the mast tight forward when hooked onto the front bridle, and lets me hook onto the bow tangs with ease.

The rear gate drops, and I slide the boat onto a set of cat trax (with hand extension) and then I 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


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 10:10 pm 
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I bought a used personal watercraft trailer and made my own crossbars out of superstrut from Home Depot. I towed this thing loaded up with bikes and kayaks all over California for years and never had an issue. You don't need a mast stand for a Wave since the mast comes apart. My trailer was 13 feet long and the boat hung off the back by about 3 feet. My only other advice is always carry a spare tire and a can of Fix-a-flat. Good luck! You are going to love your boat.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gXoFfQuXLXkwtR7q8


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