Launching And Retreiving a 7000lbs 25b inboard Chris Craft

"I know this is off topic. I h

"I know this is off topic. I have an opportunity to get a 25' Chris Craft with dual inboard V6's. the boat weighs in at 7000lbs. Also has a 10' beam.

What do you think of me being able to launch something like this from a trailer? do most people launch 25' boats? What would i have to look for when trying to determine if this will work?

I love this boat, but i'm not sure i would be able to dock it. do you know the normal prices to dock a boat this big?
I would love it to be feasible to just trailer the boat as the marina isn't far from my house and would be much cheaper.

I have a new nissan xterra V6 4X4 which pulls the boat really nice. I haven't tried to launch with this but i have gone up really steep hills just fine with this car. i can even stop and get out of the car on the incline and it holds great.
I can also use a dodge ram 1500 V8 4X4 to launch it if i had to.


Thanks for any advice."

"I have a 25 ft C-Hawk with Ho

"I have a 25 ft C-Hawk with Honda 225 Outboard on a motor extender, which makes it over 28 feet. The boat has a 9'6" beam and weighs about 5,000 lbs loaded. I don't normally trailer the boat. But when I do, launching is somewhat of a pain in the tail. It just takes time and forethought. A good electric wench is a necessity and someone to help you manage the boat while you're backing it in and pulling it out. I also find it helpful to have a good set of guides mounted on the side of the trailer so you can run it on straight. Finally - make some sort of reminder to make sure the drain plug is in before launching. A very large number of sinkings of trailered boats is due to the operator forgetting to insert the drain plug before launching."

Thanks for the response. Do yo

Thanks for the response. Do you have to launch and get it back only in high tide? what type of vehicle do you use? do you think it is too much of a pain to trailer a boat this big?

"At 10' wide, it is wider

"At 10' wide, it is wider than is normally allowed on the road, so to move from point a to b could be quite a hassle requiring a special permit or even escort vehicles depending on the juristiction.

That baby was really meant to live it's life at a full service marina that has the capablility to launch for you at the start of season, and pull her out at the end.

She is really meant to live on the water - definately not something that you want to try and trailer from spot to spot on a regular basis."

"Kevin, I really do agree with

"Kevin, I really do agree with Graham - that boat is far better off in a marina slip or on a dedicated lift. Not sure where you live, but most states do require a special permit to transport a boat with that wide of a beam, although you could probably get away with a short haul - especially if you are on good terms with the local sheriff. BUT, I don't think you're going to be very happy trailering that boat, especially for a day trip. As an aside, the reason I was able to buy my C-Hawk at a very reasonable price several years ago is that the owner got sick and tired of launching and retrieving the boat every time he wanted to go fishing. Thus, it was not used very much, so after several years he decided to sell it, to my good fortune. I have a 100 ft dock and 12,000 lift right in front of my house. I haul and trailer the boat for maintenance and for an occasional trip further down the Bay.

To answer your specific questions, I use a Ford F-150 with towing package and 6-ply rear tires when I'm hauling the boat. Tide makes little difference if there is a good boat ramp, which I use sometimes. Other times, I use the ramp in my homeowners association - for that one, yes, I do need to be on a high tide because it's a shallow ramp in a shallow body of water."

A 10ft beam boat will require

A 10ft beam boat will require permits to be legally towed on the roads. If your on a bunk style trailer you will need to launch on a steeper ramp than with rollers. I would use the heavier dodge pickup to tow with if it were me. I have a dodge cummins 4X4 and pulling out of the water on any ramp is a slice.

"First question, What in the h

"First question, What in the hell are you thinking, with pulling that size boat with a nissan x terra? that rig is no where near what you need to do so, not to mention it is as illegal as all get out, and very dangerous, your rig is only rated to tow around 3000 pounds, and thats on a good day! You might want to go with the dodge you mentioned earlier, at least, and even thats a bit to light for that boat. We have to remember the weight we are towing here, 7000 pounds is alot for a towed vechile, we need to make sure we have proper braking, I do not think you do, and if you were to get into an accident while towing this vessel, you will for sure be at fault, and could even face crinamal charges for exceding the rig tow cap. Just my thought, you do as you please, I only hope you are not behind me on a hill one of these days!"

"if the boat is 7000 lbs. &#40

"if the boat is 7000 lbs. (dry weight) then add fuel,water,gear etc. your probably at least 8000lbs, then add trailer,1500 lbs =9500lbs.so lets say your really towing 10,000lbs. neither vehicle will handle that.
towing 10,000 lbs with the right tow vehicle is not that big a deal, but the 10' beam like said you probably would need permits.($$$$$$)
marina prices vary so call a few local ones, then consider is the boat marina ready, bottom paint, anodes,bilge pumps, battery charger etc."

"Hi,

Owning a rig of this n

"Hi,

Owning a rig of this nature, cost should not be a factor. If it is, walk away from the "bragging rights" of a big rig and stick with one that's managable.

It takes a well versed Mariner to handle these rigs and I'm assuming you're not quite there yet by the posts here. Nothing worse than having a toy that gives headaches before you've even hitched it yet.

I've seen some loaded Yuppies here that cannot launch / beach their $ 100k+ 22' Tige's, Wakestar or similar in a safe freshwater environment.


My 2 cents' worth."