Trailering a Tiki 30?

[Josh]

Hi All, 

I know it says in the design book that the Tiki 30 is the largest trailerable Tiki, but does anyone actually do this?

It looks like a huge effort to dismantle and move around, not to mention the size of the trailer needed.

I would love to hear from anyone who has experience in doing so and if it is truly feasible.

Many Thanks,

Josh :o)

[Robert Sheridan]

we trailed the pod centre section behind my golf on a braked trailer ok. not sure i would be happy moving the whole boat at one go.

[David Hill]

Hi Josh, I'm a trucker in the USA. If i was going to haul a Tiki30 around, I would build the trailer to handle the job. Of course i'm accustomed to moving a 72' truck/trailer combination weighing 80,000 lbs down the highway at 60 knots + or -; so moving a 30' boat weighing 2,200 lbs would be no problem, with the correct power unit.

   It seems to me the problem would come when trying to rig up/down at the water. I would build my trailer with a tongue extension, to keep my tires dry and as far from the water as practical. I would also build the trailer so i could spread the hulls and install the crossbeams while still dry; that wouldn't be but what 8' or 10'. I would do this in the same way as the extendable tongue, much like a pole trailer. Of course this could only be done on a ramp (?) with the proper width; but whats the overall beam on a Tiki30, 16'-20' ?

    I'd think the lashing/unlashing and raising the rig would be more of a problem. Of course I'm just a trucker with 'tiki-ville' dreams, so you may be better off with some 'seapeople' advice!   Fair winds.

[David Hill]

David Hill said:

Hi Josh, I'm a trucker in the USA. If i was going to haul a Tiki30 around, I would build the trailer to handle the job. Of course i'm accustomed to moving a 72' truck/trailer combination weighing 80,000 lbs down the highway at 60 knots + or -; so moving a 30' boat weighing 2,200 lbs would be no problem, with the correct power unit.

   It seems to me the problem would come when trying to rig up/down at the water. I would build my trailer with a tongue extension, to keep my tires dry and as far from the water as practical. I would also build the trailer so i could spread the hulls and install the crossbeams while still dry; that wouldn't be but what 8' or 10'. I would do this in the same way as the extendable tongue, much like a pole trailer. Of course this could only be done on a ramp (?) with the proper width; but whats the overall beam on a Tiki30, 16'-20' ?

    I'd think the lashing/unlashing and raising the rig would be more of a problem. Of course I'm just a trucker with 'tiki-ville' dreams, so you may be better off with some 'seapeople' advice!   Fair winds.

[Galway Bay]

I do this with my Pahi 31 similar size but 50% heavier.

Can disassemble and retrieve in a long day. To launch + assemble + rig two or three. Takes two people although one man can do a lot of it on his own.

Simple flatbed trailer with timber cradle. Let the trailer down the slip on 40ft of rope. Assemble in the water.

One ton is not a lot to tow. For comparison the standard builder's 4 wheel trailer carries two tons of sand/gravel.

Drivers licence and road insurance easy in EU.

[boatsmith]

It takes two of us hard at it all day to assemble. This includes the wiring, bimini, tramps, foredeck, motor and rig. This is with experience. The weight is not a big deal. The volume is more of an issue. If the boat is simple it is much easier.

[Josh]

Thanks guys for all the replies and the great photos!

David Hill: That's a really great idea for a trailer set up! Good luck with you "tiki-ville" dreams!

Galway Bay: Thanks for the photo and the set up info. When you say "+ rig two or three" are you referring to hours in setting up? 

Boatsmith: That's a solid looking trailer right there! How do you find towing such a big boat? And is a larger car/pickup sufficient to carry the weight and over long distances?

Im still deciding on the compromise between the T26 & 30 and the idea of being able to trail the boat reasonably easy or to leave it in the water full time.

Many Thanks!

[Rogerio Martin]

Look my work shop change, one Tiki 30 across the Rio de Janeiro traffic...

http://tikirio.blogspot.com.br/2011/12/linha-amarela-travessia.html

Josh said:

Thanks guys for all the replies and the great photos!

David Hill: That's a really great idea for a trailer set up! Good luck with you "tiki-ville" dreams!

Galway Bay: Thanks for the photo and the set up info. When you say "+ rig two or three" are you referring to hours in setting up? 

Boatsmith: That's a solid looking trailer right there! How do you find towing such a big boat? And is a larger car/pickup sufficient to carry the weight and over long distances?

Im still deciding on the compromise between the T26 & 30 and the idea of being able to trail the boat reasonably easy or to leave it in the water full time.

Many Thanks!

[Galway Bay]

Boatsmith does it in a busy day with two professionals working hard. I agree with this but not many amateurs will be so single minded. I would be happy to take two days. Some things you will not be able to control. Is it a tidal slip ? If you have to wait for slack water in mid afternoon to launch then you may get very little done that day. If the wind pipes up you may have to put back the launch for a day.

I have never really tried to rush it. My helpers [and I] will be there for the party and partying will interfere with progress.

Just like building it's the small things that take forever. When you have assembled the beams you [or certainly I] have to tighten each lashing. At ,say,15 min per x 12 lashings = 3 hours. If you have to rove halyards fit shrouds etc. preparing the mast will make a hole in your morning. I can raise it in an hour but can spend the afternoon adjusting it. These jobs can be shared out by two professionals but with casual help you will have to do much of it yourself if only for peace of mind.

I could see a motivated and practiced family group doing it in the day. I could see that if this is a regular thing you will get systems set up etc. and get quicker at it.

I can also see a man determined to do it in the day being friendless and divorced by evening.

 

[boatsmith]

That's pretty much it Galway Bay. The T26 is a little easier but not much. it took two days for about five of us(all with prior experience to put Nesih together at the yard for launch. We used a crane to offload the parts and set the cockpit and mast. We getthis done in an hour of crane time, and we are jamin'. But the beams all need proper lashing and the shrouds all get tansioned and the forestay bridle and the furler and the wiring between the hulls and the cockpit and the boarding ladder and tramps, the bimini running rigging, motor and fuel etc.  Neither the T26 or the T30 are trailer sailors(imo) They are indeed easily transportable boats and thus can  ones cruising range considerably. Either will pack into a 40' container or a single semi-truck load. The weight of even the Tiki 30 loaded with the motor,fuel ground tackle cushions and all of the other stuff that without it really isn't a boat is still under 4000 lbs. This amount of weight is not at all difficult to tow and a large car or pickup can easily handle the weight. BUT!! The physical size/volume of either  the T26/T30 takes up a lot of trailer space. As well as the hulls on cradles the mast the three major beams and a net beam, cockpit, motor, fuel,bimini,

maybe a foredeck. And you need to secure all of this in a manner which is safe, legal, and protects your pride and joy in a suitable manner. The trailer in the photo is a 48' single drop flatbed pulled by an International truck. I now have my own 48' gooseneck trailer with a Ford F350 diesel dually. This works very well The trailer is pretty full. It was a shoehorn fit to load our Tiki 30 into a 9' high 40' container. It took 6 of us about 3 days. They drop the container and it is on a chassi. We were loading from the ground and this makes it a liitle harder. One could indeed build a custom road trailer that could swing the hulls both out and down and be able to set the cockpit and mast. This would not be an inexpensive trailer but could certainly reduce the setup time considerably. The more stuff and accessories and equipment you have the longer it will take to assemble. Wiring, tramps biminis,motors etc will add lots of time to the process. Just my thoughts, Peace

[Josh]

Thank you Galway Bay and Boatsmith for your great and informative replies! Definitely making things a little clearer on how to trailer these boats (ships?!). 

Boatsmith, its also interesting to hear that you loaded the T30 in a 40' container. I split my time between SE Asia and South America and wondered if it may be possible to build in one place and ship the boat to the other when it is time to relocate more permanently.

Thanks a lot guys!

[David Hill]

Wow!, doesn't sound so much trailable as demountable now.  Sure changed my outlook a little!  From all the time I've been studying on sailboats though, I beleive if i was out in the rough, i'd much rather have a Wharram under me than any other boat; unless of course it was a sub! 

[David Hill]

Hi Rogerio, I didn't know they had roll-backs in Rio! Truckin and boatin! You're living large! Is it true, the whole country is powwered on ethanol? 

Rogerio Martin said:

Look my work shop change, one Tiki 30 across the Rio de Janeiro traffic...

http://tikirio.blogspot.com.br/2011/12/linha-amarela-travessia.html

Josh said:

Thanks guys for all the replies and the great photos!

David Hill: That's a really great idea for a trailer set up! Good luck with you "tiki-ville" dreams!

Galway Bay: Thanks for the photo and the set up info. When you say "+ rig two or three" are you referring to hours in setting up? 

Boatsmith: That's a solid looking trailer right there! How do you find towing such a big boat? And is a larger car/pickup sufficient to carry the weight and over long distances?

Im still deciding on the compromise between the T26 & 30 and the idea of being able to trail the boat reasonably easy or to leave it in the water full time.

Many Thanks!