posted 07-21-2009 01:06 AM ET (US)        

Maybe someone knows a solution that we've overlooked.
Here is our situation: Because towing such a vehicle on Southern California freeways would be no fun, and because our narrow, rural, hilly neighborhood affords us no place to keep her, and because we do enjoy the convenience of avoiding launch ramp mayhem, we keep our Revenge 25 Hardtop Walkaround in a slip year-round.

The (expensive) downside to this situation is that repairs require a haulout and then the pros do the job--even if it's something we could otherwise do ourselves.

We just paid $2400 for a repair. It was necessary, and the yard did workmanlike repairs..but only $300 of the bill was for parts, and the repairs were not beyond Rich's skills.

Is there some option I don't know about? Are there yards that will do the haulout and then allow DIY access? We have one friend with the same boat and a trailer, but it seems might tacky to say, "Hey there...can we borrow your trailer, and your tow vehicle?"

posted 07-21-2009 01:59 AM ET (US)            

Dad keeps his SeaSport in a dirty salt water marina (Ilwaco) 4 months per year and we are on year two since last bottom paint. Well, we did pressure wash and touch up a few spots.

Good luck. Enjoy.

posted 07-21-2009 10:52 AM ET (US)            

Bottom work is nasty and grueling. I sanded, faired and bottom painted a 30 ft Columbia sailboat with 2 other people one summer and it was hard work. Really hard work. In my opinion, your haul out and repair seems reasonably priced.

Does your marina have a boat yard? If so, and you had the trailer, etc., they should allow you to pull it and complete the work yourself. You will find it nearly impossible to do on a trailer, its too slow and back breaking to work like that. You still need someone to put it on stands on the hard.

posted 07-21-2009 01:22 PM ET (US)            

What about dry rack storage? These places usually have a wash-down area and racks for minor repairs.

A lot of yards don't allow for DIY grinding and painting because the EPA and state regulations are so tight that it they are tough to enforce. It is easier to fire a lazy employee than to yell at a customer because of over spray, and stuff.

But like the rest of us if you are in moorage, hang and haul is pricey. And if you have to go on the blocks, even more.

posted 07-21-2009 01:59 PM ET (US)            

You did not specifically mention doing a bottom job on your whaler so I am thinking that you are looking to do minor repairs (gel coat dings, waxing, drain tube replacement, engine maintenance, etc...) that are difficult to do in the water.

If possible, schedule your maintenance around the bottom job which you will be doing every 2-3 years. Check with the yards about hauling out on Friday and going back in on Monday morning. You will find that some yards will allow you access over the weekend if you are paying them to do the bottom job.

posted 07-21-2009 02:38 PM ET (US)            

I'd be looking for that guy and a parking lot, driveway or other open, flat space nearby that would allow you to park for the weekend to conduct repairs.

Also, if you feel cheesy about asking a friend to borrow a truck/trailer in a time of need to save $2,000, then they're not (yet) a close enough friend! A full tank of gas, dinner out at a decent restaurant as thanks and perhaps another small gift for their use on their boat should be less than $500 and get you the use of their rig in exchange for them using your slip for a short period. See if that works!

Dave

posted 07-21-2009 04:44 PM ET (US)            

If it was me, I would look into the cost of a trailer. While you would still need to find a place to work on it, if you had a suitable tow vehicle, and had a servicable trailer, you could probably save a lot of money on haul-outs and maintenance. You've surely got a friend or something that would let you use their driveway or back-40 for a day or two at a time. If a repair job is quick, you can probably find a strip mall with fire/delivery access around the back. No one ever goes back there in the evenings. You could just park back there and do your quick repair. If anyone asks, you just say you were on the road and had a problem and had to make an emergency repair. Of course, you've got to have a place to store the trailer the rest of the time. But, in my experience, it is a lot easier to store an empty trailer than one with a boat on it. Empty trailers can be parked on hills, shoved into bushes, driven up ramps, etc... Heck, I've even seen trailers stored vertically. Actually, come to think of it, you're in California, right? Why not just find a vacant foreclosure and set up shop in their driveway? You shouldn't have to look any farther than a few blocks in any direction, I would think.

posted 07-21-2009 07:09 PM ET (US)            

I'm not sure how we ended up going down the paint road...the repairs were replacement of the fuel lines, filler hose and vent hose.

But anyway. Owning our own trailer would mean buying, maintaining, insuring, and parking an appropriate tow vehicle and the trailer itself. I don't think my Tacoma (rated at 6500 lbs) will safely tow this boat.

posted 07-22-2009 12:40 AM ET (US)            

Beyond that they're pretty strict. Pulling the deck to swap out the fuel lines would definitely raise some eyebrows (at least) AND they're looking to rid themselves of the smaller tennants.

Off the water is the safest bet, for our being able to keep the slip, the environment and to be able to do the full gamut of repairs and mods.

posted 07-22-2009 02:48 AM ET (US)            

The salt water will eat your engine up faster than you want it too.

A leaky undetected or late detected drain tube could kill your hull or water log your boat before you knew it needed r&r.

Pulling around a 25’ Whaler on a dual axle trailer is way easier than you think. It is very easy and can be done with your current vehicle, imho.

Even if you cannot take it home, dry storage will allow your boat to last twice as long and ongoing maintenance will be 50% or more less.

Basically the trailer will pay for itself in less than two years.

The job you just paid $2400 for could have been done for the $300 in parts, so you almost paid for a used trailer right there.

With a trailer you can go from Morro Bay to Baja, MX and really learn to enjoy life on your boat in numerous locations.

posted 07-22-2009 11:08 AM ET (US)            

That being said, I'm in agreement with those who advocate buying your own trailer and stashing it somewhere when not in occasional use for maintenance haul outs, Sheila. I have the same 245 hp 6 cylinder 4x4 Tacoma as you, and with that torquey truck you'll have no problem whatsoever towing your big Whaler up the ramp and some short distance to a repair/maintenance location. You can probably find a raggedy-but-functional used trailer for very little money--it doesn't even have to be galvanized for such occasional use; just make sure you wash it down with fresh water after use. You can probably find a lot of some sort to store the thing near your marina.

Good luck with your decision on this, old friend. We missed you this year at the NorCal rendezvous.

posted 07-22-2009 01:21 PM ET (US)            

I agree that having a trailer is a good idea, as I stated above. However, I have my doubts about towing a 25' Whaler with a two wheel drive Toyota Tacoma. I'm not familiar with the tow rating, but there is a pretty hilarious video on YouTube of a guy in a PreRunner trying to pull a boat, much smaller than yours, out of the water with pretty sad results.

posted 07-22-2009 01:41 PM ET (US)            

Tony

posted 07-22-2009 01:50 PM ET (US)            

quote:

---

Lizard, nope. I have the v6 4 liter, Prerunner with the off-road package. The tow rating is as I stated [6,500#].

---

posted 07-22-2009 11:14 PM ET (US)            

Tony

posted 07-23-2009 12:09 AM ET (US)            

I have the ability to maximize my towing capacity by selecting the "override overdrive" on the shifter. There is also an ECT button, on the dash, that affects when the vehicle shifts, to improve towing. I have very low mileage 32,000 miles. It has regular service.

Most anyone on this site knows I love my Tacoma. They also know I have found the tow capacity both limiting and under-performing. When I tow my Montauk, fully loaded, I can achieve freeway speeds, slowly, on the flat. I can not imagine towing this up any respectable hill.

I can not imagine pulling Sheila's Outrage 25 out of the water with my rig.

Sheila- What year Tacoma do you have? It would be interesting, from an engineering standpoint, to find out what occurred in the motor, transmission and frame developments, between 2005 and 2006 to nearly double the tow capacity.

posted 07-23-2009 12:17 AM ET (US)            

I could not care less about the "look" of 4-wheel drive. I wanted the higher ground clearance, locking rear differential, and skid plate--without the gas mileage or insurance penalty of 4WD.

The road in and out of our neighborhood is too steep and narrow, with low overhanging trees, to ever consider bringing the Revenge in. Getting the Menemsha onto our lot was pushing that envelope.

posted 07-23-2009 12:30 AM ET (US)            

My boat is a Revenge 25 Hardtop Walkaround..she's a lot of boat. And with a tuna tower, she's a TALL boat.

posted 07-23-2009 09:51 AM ET (US)            

My 2005 Taco is the first year that Tacomas went 'mid-size.' The trucks are larger with much more powerful 245 hp motors (if you choose the 4.0 liter 6 cylinder option). And yes, the 'official' tow rating on mine is 6500 lbs, which among other factors is why I bought it. Great truck; not so great fuel economy whether towing or not.

posted 07-23-2009 02:42 PM ET (US)            

I wouldn't have any hesitation about towing a 25' Revenge behind my Tahoe around town and over short distances. But If I owned a 25' Revenge, and intended to use it as I currently use my Outrage (lots of towing over mountain passes), I would definitely be looking for a bigger, diesel, truck.