Trailer and boat ramp
 

Well looks like next week if all goes well I will have my first Seacraft boat!!

The current issue is the boat has no trailer and I am trying to find a used one. Denny who has wealth of knowledge recommends wheels rather than bunks but they seem to be difficult to find in the used trailer market. I have included pictures of the public boat ramp in St Marks that I will be using. If anyone has any leads on a inexpensive used trailer let me know.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1575/...bd9784c6_k.jpg20160325_183649 by TomParisOBC, on Flickr

and this is the inlet going out

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/...6827abb7_k.jpg20160325_183621 by TomParisOBC, on Flickr

I don't think wheels will help you much there.

Loading/unloading without docks
 

As opposed to Florida where I could load or unload the trailer when my kids were small because there were adjacent docks, when I first arrived in SC most ramps didn't have adjacent docks and many still don't. Some have docks 100 plus feet away. So we started leaving a driver & passengers in the boat. The advantage it speeds up the turnover at the ramp because you're not waiting for the dock to clear before you can launch or retrieve.

The right side of your pic didn't show on my screen earlier and it looked like the whole river was off limits (no entry). I don't see why a roller or bunk trailer would not work there.
We looked for weeks at the area to the southwest of you to possibly relocate and have access to deeper water quicker. Looked at Mex Bch. Wewa. up to Sopchoppy. Nice area. but didn't happen. I remember seeing a trailer for sale around here last week. I'll check to see if it is still there.

I love the roller trailers ... for launching and loading by myself it was great !! but they are pricey to maintain....

Best advice I can offer is: Don't skimp on the trailer. Spending significant money on something like a trailer seems crazy, but a poor one or one not well adapted to the ramp you are using can be an ongoing PIA that can really hurt your boating experience and cost you a lot of days on the water.

Looks like you have an excellent ramp. Bunk will work fine. I'm a bunk fan, but Denny has shown that rollers can work great. One thing for Dennys advice, If the ramp gets deeper very slowly (designed for bunks and looks like yours) can you get a roller trailer in deep enough to launch without getting the brakes/springs wet? If not, go bunk.

Otherwise, does the trailer fit the boat well, correct capacity, good tongue weight, etc. A bad fit and it will trail like a wild horse (been there) and can be hard to launch and recover(been there too).

Thanks for all the replies, I agree on the trailer advice, it seems the good Aluminum bunk trailers that are used and in good shape are over 1k. I am desperately trying to get a descent trailer and then going down to pick up the Seacraft.

Are you buying a 20, 23, 27 or the elusive 15 Scamp ?? :eek:

Also check around the area where the boat is located..
If it is around any area of our clan, there will surely be a warm body to
go check it out for you !! ;)

No Bones, Terry England dispatched Doug to look at the boat for me, it is a 20 Seacraft Seafari. I found one trailer here in the area, trying to get it, if not then yes I will have to find one there. I am planning on taking the day off from work tomorrow and heading down to buy it and hopefully can find a trailer to bring it home on.

On second thought, after reviewing the photos provided by Doug, I decided it needs more work than I can do and at the cost and aggravation its not worth it.

You're probably no where near SC but here's one.
http://www.charlestonfishing.com/for...OPIC_ID=156215

Heck, Tommy, I'd make that run just for those Chuck Town Shrimp and Grits! The trailer would be a nice option - kind of a Quinella! Cam's got some mighty good food around those parts.

Might want to call on this one. http://ocala.craigslist.org/boa/5512292458.html

Flexpat that is a nice trailer! Thanks for looking everyone, but for now I am standing down on the boat that needed a trailer.

That's good advice from Connor. A bunk trailer is probably easier to set up, but if going with a roller type, I think the EZ Loader, with it's patented balanced roller system and pivoting cross members, is well worth the extra $ over a cheap imitation. Mine was about $1800, but dollars were much larger 1985! NO maintenance required on either the rollers (aluminum shafts w/nylon bushings) OR springs or bearings!

Regarding shallow ramps, the NPB Village Ramp pictured below which is close to me and the one I use most, has two different slopes. If tide is very high, trailer will be on shallow part of ramp but I've never had a problem launching there with the roller trailer at high tide, although the boat won't just roll off trailer when I release winch brake like it usually does . . . have to pull out winch cable by hand and push boat back a couple feet until CG gets to aft cross member with the big racks of 16 rollers. At that point, the rear cross member then rotates, and I have to use winch brake to keep it from coming off trailer too fast!

I had a bunk trailer with my first boat, and at extremely high tide at that ramp, I could not get it deep enough to float the boat off, even with wheels of the car in water!