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Author Topic:   Hauling Montauk to Florida
PMehegan posted 07-24-2014 09:31 PM ET (US)   Profile for PMehegan   Send Email to PMehegan  
The wife says sell the Montauk. Simplify. I'm resisting. She's right that trailering the boat isn't as much fun now that I'm past threescore and ten. But I'm thinking I might haul her to Florida where I've been wintering recently but confined to a tiny kayak I need a crane to access.
I know there's much to consider. My one attempt to haul a battered tin skiff from Mass. to Florida ended in a mini disaster---a busted trailer axle that forced me to give the old boat away to the only tow truck driver who'd come to my aid in western PA. So...a few questions:
* Should I ship the boat (cost)? or buy a new trailer ( mine is 10 years old) and try to get to greater Naples behind a Subaru Outback?
* If I make it, where the heck can I keep it around Naples? I know there are a zillion boatyards and storage spaces. Any suggestions? Would one just park it for the year, cover and "winterize" in summer. What would you do if you wanted to play with a Montauk in the sun for five or six months and then leave it safe and secure over the summer?
Maybe she's right. It'd be easiest to sell. But we both have life in us yet!

Jkcam posted 07-25-2014 05:02 AM ET (US)     Profile for Jkcam    
Naples is a great place for a Montauk. Bring it down. Having owned a 2011 Outback, I would say it is iffy. I believe max tow for the 2.5L is 2700lbs, and that may require trailer brakes. Check your Subaru manual. It would be a long 2-3 days. I would certainly have my trailer serviced prior to the trip, and carry a spare with hub attached, jack, tools, etc. I use to tow a new style 15Montauk, from Stuart, FL. to Annapolis, and it is a long ride, especially with the crappy roads in SC.

If the budget allows, shipping would be my first choice.

Another very viable option in the Stuart area is a boat club. You join, and for guys in our situation, use during the week, and let the still employed fight it out on weekends. Little hastle, and some very decent boats around here.

During periods of storage I have found CubeSmart mini storage facilities to be great for storage when you are out of town for months. Reasonable price and secure.

As far as Marina's, you need local insight, either here, or thehulltruth, or Florida Sportsman forums.

Have fun.

myakka posted 07-25-2014 05:36 AM ET (US)     Profile for myakka  Send Email to myakka     
You will regret not having that boat down here!I towed my 18 Outrage from the South shore(Marshvegas) to Englewood(wrinklewood) about nine years ago. I had Drinkwater trailers in Pembroke go through the trailer and repair or replace everything necessary for the trip. Except for my apprentice missing the turn onto rt75 from rt10, while i slept, the trip was uneventful. I did look into having Daly and Wanzer, in Hull, ship the boat and trailer down for me. Can't remember the price. Good luck
jcdawg83 posted 07-25-2014 10:45 AM ET (US)     Profile for jcdawg83    
Unless your trailer is in bad shape, I would not hesitate to pull a 10 year old trailer that far. Make sure the bearings are greased, the tires are in good shape and properly inflated, maybe spray a little oil on the springs, check the lights, and get on the road. I'd make sure I had a spare and maybe a spare hub and the necessary tools to work on the trailer and wouldn't worry about the distance. As long as you don't try and drive 80mph, the Subaru should do fine.

As far as what to do to store the boat for the summer, I guess it would depend on your engine most of all. If you have a four cycle engine, I would run most of the gas out of the tank, disconnect the fuel line (if possible), run the gas out of the motor, put a cover on the boat, either disconnect the battery or turn the battery switch to "off", lower the engine and forget about it until next year. When you got back in the fall, take the cover off, put fresh gas in the tank, pump the bulb and start the engine.

Dave Sutton posted 07-25-2014 11:28 AM ET (US)     Profile for Dave Sutton  Send Email to Dave Sutton     
I'd tow it with the Outback without a second thought. We've got a Subaru Forrester in the family (same platform) and tow the 'Tauk 1000 miles whever the mood strikes without any difficulty at all on its 26 year old trailer that has been salt-water used for decades.

Grease up the bearings, and tow at a reasonable speed.

Don't push things and enjoy the trip.


Dave

.

Jay Fitz posted 07-25-2014 11:51 AM ET (US)     Profile for Jay Fitz  Send Email to Jay Fitz     
I recently toyed with the idea of bringing a Revenge 22 W/T w/ WD up to Boston from Port Charlotte. I went onto the U-Ship website and had a quote within an hour or two. And it was a tad less than I thought it would be. There are always trucking companies making the trip from up here to FL looking to bring something on the dead end of the trip....should be worth getting a quote, there is no commitment.
Jeff posted 07-25-2014 12:11 PM ET (US)     Profile for Jeff  Send Email to Jeff     
U-Ship is a good resource. Before agreeing to use someone on there, be sure to check all of their licensing, insurance / bonding and background.

Outside of that, Like Dave, I hauled my 17' Newport 1000's of miles without a worry behind my 2004 Subaru Forester XT 5spd.

Buoy posted 07-25-2014 12:45 PM ET (US)     Profile for Buoy  Send Email to Buoy     
I've always thought of trailers as a good investment and cheap insurance. I'd purchase a new trailer and tow your Montauk down, your Montauk might love Naples, give it a shot.

Trailers maintain their value fairly well so you can always sell the package down there if it doesn't work out for you, there's always a market for a good Montauk and trailer package....everywhere.

Binkster posted 07-25-2014 01:03 PM ET (US)     Profile for Binkster  Send Email to Binkster     
Why not sell the Montauk and trailer and on the way down buy my 13' custom Whaler and trailer (Tampa). It nothing like the uncomfortable normal 13 footer, and will turn heads at the ramp. Having lived in Naples, its all the boat you need down there for two people.

rich

Binkster posted 07-25-2014 01:11 PM ET (US)     Profile for Binkster  Send Email to Binkster     
I just thought about selling this boat this morning.

http://www.whalercentral.com/infusions/personal_page/view_personal_page. php?user_id=802

rich

Dave Sutton posted 07-25-2014 01:27 PM ET (US)     Profile for Dave Sutton  Send Email to Dave Sutton     
Come on, guys... trailers are for towing. A 10 year old trailer is nearly new. Anyone who's not able to hook up their Montauk and drive 1000 miles at the drop of the hat is suffering from a confidence problem, not a technical problem. Good bearings, lights that work, and go drive. Between Jitka and myself we trailer over 12,000 miles a year with 4 trailers and loads of different sorts. Hauling a 'Tauk from *anywhere* in the USA to Florida ought to be a no-brainer. I just hauled an enclosed car trailer with a car inside it from Milwaukee to California thru Denver and over the Rt 70 pass thru the Rockies (10,000 feet elevation) and never sweated. A Montauk, which is a SMALL BOAT behind a Subaru? I'll drive it for you if you don't want to do it yourself. Piece of cake. Two days and I'll see you there. Join AAA and call them if you need them.

"Buy a new trailer"? That's absurd.


Dave

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kwik_wurk posted 07-25-2014 03:30 PM ET (US)     Profile for kwik_wurk  Send Email to kwik_wurk     
A 10yr old trailer that is in decent shape should be no problem. If you are concerned about it's material condition, have it serviced (mainly bearings repacked). -- If you can afford it, U-ship, let someone else deal with it. If you can really afford it, buy a second Montauk for Florida, and book a marriage counselor.

I just hauled one of the Montauks on two 260 mile trips in consecutive weekends with full saltwater dunks on each end, and now have a ~800 miler over the next week. (So that's a 1300 miles in less than a month...) -- Luckily so far the bearings have been flawless, in fact the bearing hubs are always cooler than the tires themselves. (Tires actually get rather warm.) -- I have a little laser temp gun, and shoot the truck and trailer tires (looking for deviations), and the bearing hubs and axle (again looking for highs/deviations).

Trailers are for the road, not as boat storage racks.

Just plan your travel (days on the road) and avoid the Baltimore/DC mess if you can.

deepwater posted 07-25-2014 06:52 PM ET (US)     Profile for deepwater  Send Email to deepwater     
You might want to look up mikejana in here,,He and the family just towed my Montauk from Maine to Florida that trailer was 26 years old
contender posted 07-25-2014 10:05 PM ET (US)     Profile for contender  Send Email to contender     
Dave what kind of trailer is it? If it is not a float on type or a roller with bunks and made out of Alum or Galv. I would not bring that trailer down here. Purchase a new one. You need a trailer that will last in the salt water. Your little truck should be find to tow, once you get going the stress is taken off the vechile and the boat wieght is on the trailer. And since (I think you would) be coming down the turnpike your stops would be few. There are plenty of places to keep the boat in south fla. It basically comes down to price and what you want to pay. You do not have to have your engine winterize down here thats just one of the perks of south fla. I would be more important to keep it covered from the sun. I can not help you with a place to keep the boat for I'm a Ft Lauderdale/Keys person, but like I said you should not have a problem finding a place to keep the boat.
jimh posted 07-26-2014 10:12 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
If you want to be a trailer-boater, you have to keep three elements in top shape:

--the boat

--the trailer

--the tow vehicle

If you set out to take a trailerable boat on a 1,000-mile highway trip to a vacation spot, if any of those three experience a failure, your vacation will not be very much fun. Fix all the problems before you leave, not on the road.

Jefecinco posted 07-26-2014 10:18 AM ET (US)     Profile for Jefecinco  Send Email to Jefecinco     
I would not hesitate to do the tow with a 10 year old trailer and your Subaru. I'm 74.

Keep the speed at a reasonable level, stop frequently to do a walk round, use an IR temperature gun (very reasonably priced at Harbor Freight) to check hub temperatures when you do a walk around. If you want to be extra cautious carry a spare hub with new bearings installed.

Butch

PMehegan posted 07-28-2014 11:08 AM ET (US)     Profile for PMehegan  Send Email to PMehegan     
Thanks to all for the tips and the contacts. Need to mull this over a bit more. Once burned on a boat hauling trip as I was makes one gun-shy. If I don't ship her and opt to tow myself, I'll probably replace my old Load-Rite trailer after a decade in the salt. I do bearings yearly but it's getting tired. Thanks again, folks.
Pete
billsa posted 07-29-2014 06:59 AM ET (US)     Profile for billsa  Send Email to billsa     
Pete
I have been towing my 2003 150 Sport (same weight as a classic 17) for 9 years now with our 2005 Subaru Outback without any problems what so ever. I would not hesitate to tow our boat 1000 miles after the usual trailer prep was completed. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.
EJO posted 07-30-2014 09:02 AM ET (US)     Profile for EJO  Send Email to EJO     
Many times in the answers (advises) above are tire and bearing temperatures mentioned. I do know those are important but what I don't know is what temperatures are you supposed to be looking for that are "normal" operating temperatures for both the bearings and the tires.
I just went on a day trip 70 miles 1 way with one of my other dinghies. I always feel my bearings and they were easy to touch with bare hands but than I touched my trailer tires and they were very very hot.
My mistake I didn't check the tire pressure on the trailer after it had been sitting for over a year. Both tires had low pressure (25 psi instead of 45-50 psi) causing the tires to heat up too much.
Again using IR temp gauge what are the temps we should be looking for in bearings and tire surface????
Plotman posted 07-30-2014 11:08 AM ET (US)     Profile for Plotman  Send Email to Plotman     
Q: What is realistically the worst failure you are likely to have with a trailer?

A: If the frame is sound, it would be something having to do with one of the wheels.

If you carry a spare wheel and a spare hub, and a few tools, you have everything you need to fix pretty much anything that could go wrong in under an hour.

Dave Sutton posted 07-30-2014 11:23 AM ET (US)     Profile for Dave Sutton  Send Email to Dave Sutton     
^^

This.

If you look at the bearings before you go, you're not going to need the hub. There's no more chance of a bearing failure than there is on your car *if they are good to start with*. Tires are no more likely to fail than on your car either, *if they are in good shape to start with*. So start off right.

Trailers have a bad reputation because they sit a lot, for years, making the annual short drive to the ramp, and are not maintained. Tires get dried out, bearings never are looked at and rust, and the result is predictable.

RUNNING a trailer is the best way to keep the tires good and the bearings running well. Tires have a waxy protectant incorporated in the rubber compound. When you run them, it's exuded out to the surface as the tire flexes. This protects from rot. Let them sit and they don't exude the stuff as the tires aren't flexed. That's why they rot when sitting. Bearings don't rust if greased and RUN. They rust when they sit unused.

So check your tires, check your bearings, and run.


Dave

.

PeteB88 posted 08-03-2014 02:14 PM ET (US)     Profile for PeteB88  Send Email to PeteB88     
We just towed an 86 Montauk with a 98 Avalon a big circle from Milwaukee, west almost to Madison, south past Rockford, IL, to East of Chicago, lousy traffic and heavy rain and it pulled like a dream. Seriously blew us away - 86 Montauk and Avalon tow vehicle.
Dave Sutton posted 08-03-2014 05:25 PM ET (US)     Profile for Dave Sutton  Send Email to Dave Sutton     
Last 'Tauk I bought I picked up in Milwaukee in February and drove thru a blizzard to NJ and then to Rhode Island a day later, starting off right thru Chicago. Never worried about a thing. Pulled it with a Subaru Outback.

Funny... now it's back in Milwaukee.

Glad the retrieval went well.


Dave

.

jimh posted 08-03-2014 09:42 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
When we were up at Tobermory last week, we stashed our truck and trailer in a special parking area. There was a trailer parked in there, and I am guessing it was there for the whole summer. The owner had covered up all the tires with some sort of covering to keep them out of the sun. My boat trailer spends almost all its life indoors, out of the sun, except for a few weeks each summer. Tire life has not been a problem for me. The trailer racks up several thoundsand miles of highway travel per year, too.
Ridge Runner posted 08-04-2014 09:31 AM ET (US)     Profile for Ridge Runner  Send Email to Ridge Runner     
I tow my 170 Montauk from NJ to FL in the fall and then back to NJ in the spring - about 5,000 miles a year - counting regular usage. I use to have a Chevy Suburban but recently down graded to a new 2013 Volvo XC90 (5,000lb tow rating with AWD).

I "upgraded" the original 13" factory wheels/tires (24" diameter - 1,360LBS) to 14" rims and Kumho Radial 857 tires (185R14 - 25.6" diameter) - this is a Q-speed rated (99MPH), load range D tire (65PSI - 1,874LBS). Upgrading to a radial tire and adding 1.6' in diameter really increased the smoothness in towing plus I have a much higher margin in load capacity and speed rating.

My "road kit" includes a spare wheel/tire, pre-built replacement hub, extra bearing buddies, grease gun, aluminum jack stands, bottle jack and 12"x12"x3/4" section of plywood to place under the jack if needed for soft surfaces. I also carry a can of fix a flat - just in case. The spare tire mounts on the trailer - the rest fit nicely in an old milk container.

I keep the boat in the garage in NJ and in the drive way in FL. If I am not going to used the boat for an extended period of time I will put the boat/trailer up on the jack stands. In FL I always cover the tires with tire covers to keep the sun from directly effecting them: http://www.easternmarine.com/ rv-wheel-covers-1-pair-19-to-22-wheel-diameter-76220

blacksmithdog posted 08-09-2014 06:42 AM ET (US)     Profile for blacksmithdog  Send Email to blacksmithdog     
Ridge Runner:

I have some questions about the modifications you did to the trailer for your Montauk 170. I sent you an e-mail.

Thanks

bretm1 posted 08-12-2014 11:27 PM ET (US)     Profile for bretm1  Send Email to bretm1     
You can do it. I have used U-ship twice with no problem from FL-MA.

Have also driven from MA to NC to pick a boat up.

Happened to see this when doing my nightly browse of craigslist. This guy is close enough to you. I do not know them but figured I'd forward.
http://capecod.craigslist.org/boa/4590049462.html

kwik_wurk posted 08-13-2014 08:31 PM ET (US)     Profile for kwik_wurk  Send Email to kwik_wurk     
To respond the EJO on tire (trailer temp), my repsonse is based on experience not industry expertise.

With the Montauk I have never seen anything above 120F on the center of the tire treads, and 105F on the hubs. This was towing on a 97F day hitting speeds in the 70s with tire pressure in the 42-48psi range. Typically the tires are around ~95-100F and the hubs ~80-85F. The important thing is look for deviations in temp across all wheels and the between the hubs; I also expect the hubs to be no more than 5F higher than ambient (at least that is what they have always run at). Anything tire deviating more than 5F and I check tire pressures (or decide if the sun is causing the deviation). Low tire pressure will cause higher heat readings and the deviations.

For what I have read tire temps above 150F is a concern.

EJO posted 08-14-2014 10:56 AM ET (US)     Profile for EJO  Send Email to EJO     
Thank you kwik_wurk
That is what I was looking for.
Powergroove803 posted 08-16-2014 08:50 AM ET (US)     Profile for Powergroove803  Send Email to Powergroove803     
I have Boat US insurance and I believe trailering insurance is $41 a yr and will cover you for a breakdown on the road. towing and/or repair for any breakdown if Im remembering correctly.

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