too big to drag around ?

[id. painter]

I know many of you salty brothers pull 26 ft. boats from port to port ,,,
you regularly launch and pull that size of boat ..

What are your thoughts about max size for towing one from port to port.

Is launching and pulling a 26 THAT much more effort than a 20 , 22 ,24 ?

id. p.

[fyshndad]

Chris
My Dad used to haul a 28 from astoria to Garibaldi
Yes it may take a few more minutes to launch/Load than a 22 like mine but it did not seem like it was difficult
Just had to be a lil more precise getting it on the trailer straight or the trailer would sway a bit when towed

[corrirod]

For me, its all about your tow rig. With Bob's Chevy dually, with the Duramax motor and Allison tranny, it makes pulling our big 26 Glaciers as easy as pulling a 15ft. Stabi.

Really the thing we have to worry about when towing the bigger boats is the height. It doesn't seem like you would need to worry but if you ever have to make a turn down an older neighborhood or in a small town, you'd be surprised how low some of the wires are! (don't ask me how I know this )

[HiTekRdNek]

I wouldn't say it takes that much more effort. But, it does take some.
You need a heavier vechile to tow it. You need to make sure ramps have enough water. Some ramps in Portland are barely long enough to launch. And you don't want to drop your wheels of the end. It could be a pain. Parking lots can be fun too. You always need to be looking as far forward as possible. And you might be taking up allot of spaces at Safeway to run in and get something. Same thing at Gas Stations. It can get tight for a Truck and boat that long. But, it's all stuff you get used to. And other drivers hate being behind no matter what speed your going.
As far as going up and down the coast from port to port. Hwy 101 is not a good stretch of road very uneven in places. But, it's all very doable with some fore thought.

[Metal Manipulator]

I only pull two times a year, Over to moorage and back. My trailer is less than desireable or I would consider travel to other ports. A bigger concern would be the width of the boat. On wide load permits there is a step up ruling, meaning that as you get to certain widths you have to abide by stricter rules. My boat is 9'6" wide so I have signage on the back of the boat and the front of the vehicle. I personaly like the room that the bigger boat has and would not mind the extra work associated with it.

One thing about the bigger boat is that in front of the shop the boat seems big but on the big blue pond it feels very tiny.

I agree with HiTechRedNeck.

[bobross]

Like the other guys said, it's more trouble, but worth it. I have a 26, 8 ft 6 in beam. Loaded, with fuel, ice and trailer, it is close to 10,000 lbs. Need a stout truck. My 3/4 ton Chev has a 7.4 engine, long bed, air bags on the springs, and just barely does the job. Wish I had a diesel dually, but, I'd end up spending as much for the new truck as the boat. this past summer I moored in Newport for a couple of months to save hauling the boat down from Portland and back every time, and it was worth it, probably in gas savings alone, not to mention the put in, take out, lines, etc. every time. The roads to Newport, Garibaldi and Hammond are all pretty good, though you will go a little slow over the coast range. You have to pick your boat ramps. Newport is good, Garibaldi less so, Hammond is nice. It's a bit more effort to take out (gravity does the work on the put in) but I am glad I have the bigger boat when I'm 40 miles out and the wind starts to pick up.

I guess I'm a little jaded about hauling. I bought the boat in Florida, and the first thing I did was haul it back to Oregon. After that, the trip to the coast is a breeze.

[id. painter]

Road trips will be the rule for a few years .

I wont have the option to get a slip and set her there,.
Ill be traviling back and forth frrom inland to the coast just as I do now.

Will there be a noticable advantage in having a 24 rather than a 26.
Do I still end up needing a bigger truck to haul with..?


24 vs 26 ...

id. p.

[retaliate]

Originally Posted by id. painter

Road trips will be the rule for a few years .

I wont have the option to get a slip and set her there,.
Ill be traviling back and forth frrom inland to the coast just as I do now.

Will there be a noticable advantage in having a 24 rather than a 26.
Do I still end up needing a bigger truck to haul with..?


24 vs 26 ...

id. p.

Depends on the overall weight, generally a 26' Boat will weigh more, & have more wind drag than a 24' Boat, It all adds up, I know when I go to a 22' boat vrs my current 19' Boat, I will need a bigger tow rig, the 4.3l in my Bravada struggles on hills even tho it has a much higher tow rating than my Boat & trailor weigh's. You might look at dry moorage, to save long Boat tow's from Idaho, reguardless weather you size up or not.

[ron m]

Originally Posted by id. painter

Will there be a noticable advantage in having a 24 rather than a 26.
Do I still end up needing a bigger truck to haul with..?


24 vs 26 ...

id. p.

For me, it's more about the weight of the boat than the length, though there is some correlation between the two. Fiberglass or aluminum also makes a difference. and of course the tow rating on the truck.
ron m

[Tip-Sea]

Think real hard about leaving it in the water. If you go out a couple times a month it's probably cheaper then towing the boat back home every time. I leave mine in newport half the year and drive my civic back and forth at 40mpg instead of the truck at 6 mpg. Another thought is paying for dry storage at the coast. Then you only have to tow it a mile or two.

[Grady252]

Bigger has all the things mentioned above...... think about a local storage lot if not moorage. Towing a large boat will eat you up in fuel and it does slow you down. I don't think there is much if any difference in a 24 and a 26, but minimal. 22 to 26 is a much bigger jump. a three hour trip becomes four hours each way...... making turns, getting in crowded parking lots etc, are always tough.... long weekends when the roads are very crowded it can get tight.....

As mentioned above low tide and some boat ramps can also be an issue, I screwed up two trailers backing down far enough to float the boat off the trailer and falling off the edge..... Garibaldi at low tide is bad, and also as mentioned Portland ramps can be tough.... bent fenders and axles are not cheap.

[id. painter]

I could drag the boat to Or. and leave it for a month in July ...

I will want to pull it up to Vancouver Island for Aug.
Then back to Idaho . for the winter

John (pilar) you pulled your boaterhome (26fter)up to BC ,,how was it??
id. p.

[fishbait]

Originally Posted by Grady252

think about a local storage lot if not moorage. Towing a large boat will eat you up in fuel and it does slow you down.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Originally Posted by corrirod

For me, its all about your tow rig. With Bob's Chevy dually, with the Duramax motor and Allison tranny, it makes pulling our big 26 Glaciers as easy as pulling a 15ft. Stabi.

Really the thing we have to worry about when towing the bigger boats is the height. It doesn't seem like you would need to worry but if you ever have to make a turn down an older neighborhood or in a small town, you'd be surprised how low some of the wires are! (don't ask me how I know this )

Now I have to snicker at that one Rod. Sorry. They do make a fold down tower for the GB.

[Two Fister]

Chris,
Something else to consider is the overall lenght when it comes to the ferry. If you are a foot too long the cost go up pretty quickly. When I had my Olympic behind an F350 crewcab with a long bed I was a foot too long with the motor tilted up. Added $40 to the one way fare. On the way home they let me tilt the motor down once I was onboard to save that cost. My friend with the cabin up on the North Island leaves his boat on the trailer in a locked yard up there to avoid having to haul it back and forth.

24 or 26 you're going to need at least a 3/4 ton if not a full 1 ton truck. It's a lot of boat to get moving, but even more to get stopped fast.
TF

[tracker]

I think for the most part thet there are few that tow the miles I do during the year. Loaded "Just Keep Fishing" comes in at about 10,000lbs. I launch it often by myself and retrieve it now and again. Sure there is more work to it at the launch but the difference between a 24 to a 26 would not be that much nor worth taking the cut in size if you do not need to. The truck you are pulling with is as mentioned the big thing. Get a deisel and live happily! Depoe is about 250 miles one way for me. I have been known to do that for the weekend and then go home only to see the SST's and reports and head right back down for tuna tuesday! Towing the boat is the least of my worries most of the time!

[Chase'n Tail]

Had no problems pulling the 26GB with the "02' Powerstroke. The GB had all eletronics and the custom rod holders deisgned for towing from port to port. You should always be looking up anyway, and I towed the 26GB all over the coast this spring, summer and fall from the Rainier area down 30 to 101 Hammond, Garibaldi, Newport to all our boat demo days and to all the OTC events, and never was uncomfortable with any height issues.The 26 GB is taller than some of the other boats in the same size range, but you can lay it out ahead of time to be sure. Please feel free to call or pm me if you have any questions.Good luck, and you know we have some boats in your size range, congrats on getting the nod to move up. Give a call AJ @ AMAN MARINE 503.939.3483

[Hoghunter]

id: Towing a 26 to BC is no problem. I've been towing my rig to BC and back, Oregon and back many times a year for year's and never had a problem.

The ferries will hold boat's up to 14'4" high and will take them as wide as you care to pay. It's advisable to make reservations for over wides and for that matter any boat and trailer. The reservation only costs $12 and you don't have to sit in line forever if the terminal is busy. I've towed up and down the whole island and into Esperanza, Coal Harbor, Port Alberni and Gold River.

I towed a 27' boat with an 8'6" beam for years with no problems using a 3/4 ton pickup.

I've been towing a 30', 10'7" beam boat now for the last 4 years. I've made numerous tows every year to Vancouver Island and to Garibaldi. The boat and trailer weigh in at close to 15,500. I tow with a 1 ton Chevy dually with Duramax and Allison tranny. It tow's the boat down the road and over the mountains with no problems. I even have to watch my speed on a regular basis as it will easily go faster than legal.

In fact towing the boat to Garibaldi only takes 45 minutes more than driving the truck there without the boat.

[Booja 1]

I thought this thread was about big Yellowfin..............

[Zodiac-Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Booja 1

I thought this thread was about big Yellowfin..............

When are you going COW huntin amigo"""

[id. painter]

This is about big yellowfin,, and the boat to get them from.

Sounds like 26 is doable with the right truck .


It is going to take me two years to get ready for this jump ,,,but when time
rushes past like it does now ,that a short wait...

Ill trade in truck and current boat ,,,,same year...

Then hit it hard for a decade....

id. p.

[OceanBlue]

Chris, if you're going to get a boat that big/heavy, make sure you get a super beefy trailer to haul it. Bigger boat = more gear = more weight. The miles and miles of roads between ID, OR, BC and especially VI are hard on trailers. Being stranded with a broken one is a vacation killer. Been there a few times now

[Pilar]

Chris, I've done this twice now. The ferry is no big deal. They load Semis on there and most any boat will fit too. As mentioned the length, height and width matter on the price. Over a certain size and it's like $3 a foot. Last time it was pretty close to $200 each way. More now no doubt due to the dollar exchange rate.

On both trips there were issues with the trailer. Repairs are not impossible but you have to bring parts/tools and the brain damage can be pretty high. So a new trailer, although expensive is a must. Long hauls on freeways are hard on tires with heating and wear. Even a few pounds under pressure will wreck a tire. It's about 1200 miles round trip from stumptown to Port Mc Nowhere.

The roads are pretty good on WCVI as you know. And between the central coast and Idaho they are pretty good too.

For local fishing I try to leave the boat at S. Beach in dry storage. I have a 10 x 10 unit also so I can secure everything and have it ready to go. This saves me about $60 a trip in diesel fuel to and from Portland. Throw in a night on the boat instead of the motel and the monthlly bill for storage is a good deal. Now that I am only an hour from Newport I can leave work and be on the boat at the transient dock or Depoe parking lot by 8 with little trouble. Fishing Sunday is also now possible.

If I never make the trip from Portland towing a boat again it will be too soon.

As far as the size goes. I heard once that the size of the boat is of little consequence up to about 18 feet. After that the PIA factor doubles for every additional foot. Most of the additional pain is on launch and retrieve, the gas station and of course towing. I quickly forget all that when we are far offshore cooking breakfast for the crew on a flat ocean.

SO now you have the bigger boat and the new trailer with 4 wheel disc brakes and the 6000SUX giant pickup.

What more could you possibly need?

You and yours are welcome to fish with me anytiime. No boat required .. she is waiting for us only a mile from the ramp.

Originally Posted by id. painter

I could drag the boat to Or. and leave it for a month in July ...

I will want to pull it up to Vancouver Island for Aug.
Then back to Idaho . for the winter

John (pilar) you pulled your boaterhome (26fter)up to BC ,,how was it??
id. p.

[id. painter]

Great thread and thanks for all the input .


The unpleasent realization that I cant keep my parents place on the Island is forcing me to rethink my situation and how to plan for the future.

I am going to have to make a shift ,,, My time and energy needs to be spent setting myself up for summers on the Or. coast.

Ive been working this problem hard for a considerable time now .

The bigger boat will sit in Or. for the summer months...July ,Aug, Sept...


id. p.

[id. painter]

I just may take you up on that John ..

Im gonna pay down debt and that will include a vacation cut back for a couple years....

Thanks much
id.p.

[Something Good]

I tow a 26' 9000lb boat to the coast from Portland any weekend the ocean invites me. It is a big pain in the...but it's all worth it for me and friends to enjoy a safe comfortable trip out to sea. The more you tow it the smaller it seems to get. Take her slow and easy. Practice defensive driving to the extreme. I want to avoid even having to avoid an accident when my boat weighs 2000lbs more than my truck.

[HugeDuckFan]

33' Striper, 11-2" beam, 18,200 trailer/boat + 2K if boat is topped off @ 365 gallons up, '07 Dodge 3500 with a "little" work done. I pass people eastbound from Clatskanie. Add another 1000# in gear if I'm fishing with the Chas'N'Tail boys!