Phil T--your advice is excellent. If the thread originator ever gets back to read the replies in this thread, he will be enlightened by your comments.
Also, to add a bit more to what Phil has said, the general hull shape of a Boston Whaler boat does not have much hull flare outward above the chine line. Generally the hull sides of a Boston Whaler boat above the water line are just about vertical with little to no increase in beam as the height above the waterline increase.
As a result, the hull width at the chine line is typically what determines how low onto the trailer the boat can be situated, unless the hull's beam is so narrow it can fit between the fenders of the trailer.
If the boat can't fit between the trailer fenders, then that interference is probably going to determine how far the boat can be lowered to be carried on the trailer. If the trailer is a bunk design and the boat is loaded very level onto the trailer, you only need a vertical clearance of an inch or two between the fenders and hull.
Generally the trailer width is going to be limited to 102-inches so that it conforms to most state laws about exemption from "over-wide" classification. Depending on the design of the fenders, they may be 8-inches wide or more. If we consider the trailer width was maximized to the 102-inch limit, then subtracting 16-inches (or more) will give an estimate for how much room remains between the fender, which would be 86-inches or 7-feet 2-inches. The specified beam of an OUTRAGE 17 II is 7-feet 0-inches, so it might be possible to fit between the fenders, but the clearance would be very small, perhaps just 1 to 2-inches.
On my own trailer, I have lowered the boat so that the chine line clears the fenders by about 1.5-inches, and I have never had a problem with the boat hull has coming in contact with the trailer fenders during loading (or launching).
There are several reasons why carrying the boat low on the trailer is better than higher. The lower the boat sits on the trailer:
- the easier it will be to float off the trailer during launching;
- the easier it will be to float onto the trailer during loading;
- the lower the boat the lower the center of gravity of the boat-trailer rig when on the road, leading to more stability when towing on the highway; and
- the easier to climb into or climb out of the boat when it is on the trailer.
Reasons 1 and 2 will be important because they may keep your towing vehicle from having to back down a launch ramp and get the rear axle into the water to launch or load the boat.
Reason 3 has no downside, except if the hull is so low on the trailer that the engine must be tilted up to avoid striking the ramp pavement during launching, loading, and when traveling on roads where there is sharp transition to an incline or decline.
Reason 4 is actually quite important, as boat that is stored on its trailer during boating season is going to be climbed onto and climbed off of many, many times. With my trailer, I get on or off the by stepping from the fenders and then over the gunwales, and similarly for getting off the boat.
