Alloy Cat Trailer

[perko]

Does anyone recommend someone that would build a alloy trailer for a 7+ meter cat in se qld?

[shaungonemad]

Get dan to knock one up at lunch time.

[perko]

Can't weld alloy. Yet. Might need you to come and help. Be a few free trips in it for you.

[Snapperscott]

if there was id buy that world cat at the gold coast in a second

[Lovey80]

Where abouts are you Perko?

[perko]

Nanango. So anyone in brisbane or Sunshine Coast would be ideal.

[Smithy]

Al Broughton would be the first choice. If you can twist his arm Gav McMullin does a few when he is not enjoying retirement on his big Brava cat. There is a guy in Kayleigh Dve around from Dept of Transport that Steve Evans uses for all the Solas boats. Could chase him up for you. Would be way cheaper than Gav and been doing alloy trailers for years.

[perko]

Thanks smithy. Will start with Al first.

[Megatop]

Perko,

I just had mine built by Winning Yachts at Caboulture. Absolutely a top notch job all drawn up on autocad and all dimensions were to the millimetre.

[Megatop]

Cost for the whole trailer was around $10,000 apart from the running gear. I have new axles, rims, tyres & Deemax 316 Stainless Steel Brakes (Rotors & Calipers) which I purchased from Ivan at FMS Trailers at Seventeen Mile Rocks. So all up would be in the vicinity of $15,000.

Adrian

[Megatop]

Couple of more Photos.

[Megatop]

Winning Yachts - Caboulture (Peter Winn 0422 409 051 or 5428 0711)

[hilta1]

That looks like a nice trailer,, did you go springs or torsion bar and what reasons whichever way you went? also what size wheel and what weight rating did you get? cheers Mark

[Lovey80]

Megatop, why no tunnel guide?

[Megatop]

That looks like a nice trailer,, did you go springs or torsion bar and what reasons whichever way you went? also what size wheel and what weight rating did you get? cheers Mark

Used the Roller Rocker springs that were on the original gal trailer. I prefer that to torsion spring as i don't have to worry about rust inside the tube. Also easier to replace the springs as needed and a lot cheaper as well.

I had to go up from 14" to 15" rims so as to fit the 12" Deemax SS Brake callipers. If I opted for the 10" brakes I could have kept the original 14" ones.

Trailer weighed 770 kg all up after it was finished. Old Mackay Gal Trailer was around 1200kg.

[Megatop]

Megatop, why no tunnel guide?

Don't need it as the 45mm side tube rails covered in marine carpet do a better job. Once you get the nose onto the first part of the trailer the rails guide it the rest of the way.

[bugman]

Bit late but this is not in SE QLD.
I had my trailer built by Magic Tilt in Florida. You cant believe the build quality and fittings for the price. Depends if you want to wait.
Mine was for a 8.5m cat.
Brett

[hilta1]

Got any photos of yours Bugman??? what price did it come in at? cheers Mark

[stevemid]

Perko,

I just had mine built by Winning Yachts at Caboulture. Absolutely a top notch job all drawn up on autocad and all dimensions were to the millimetre.
Jeez,
Does that look dead simple design or what?
Steve

[stevemid]

Trailer weighed 770 kg all up after it was finished. Old Mackay Gal Trailer was around 1200kg.
Huh, That's surprising, Frank's galvanised trailer which we borrowed to launch my 7m cat was built by Felk in NewCastle. I put it on the weighbridge and it weighed 640KG. I was surprised at how much it weighed (being my 1st experience with a boat trailer all up) It had brakes on only one axle but I would have thought an alloy trailer should have been much lighter.

Steve

[Fed]

You should make one in your spare time Steve probably only cost you about three & sixpence, even with all the added weight from extra sausages your boat is still very light.

A 'tunnel guide' will centre the boat before it starts getting on the trailer, a much better set up IMO.

[Back In Black]

Perko, Try Sailfish Catamarans in Alstonville.

They do their own trailers for their cats & do an incredible job. I get more comments about the trailer than I do the boat!!

Tony

[Megatop]

You should make one in your spare time Steve probably only cost you about three & sixpence, even with all the added weight from extra sausages your boat is still very light.

A 'tunnel guide' will centre the boat before it starts getting on the trailer, a much better set up IMO.

How can a Tunnel Guide centre the boat before it gets on the trailer? The gap between the sponsons at the front is quite large.

[Fed]

How can a Tunnel Guide centre the boat before it gets on the trailer?
With the tunnel guide extending back well past the back of the trailer mate, I guess you could do that with side guides too but I'd predict a few sore shins. Not a biggie really.

[Noelm]

yeah, I sort of agree on a tunnel guide rather than side bars, even though they achieve the same thing, there seems to be a chance that you miss the side bars and it goes down the tunnel before you can stop.. this used to happen on the old Whalers that had the same setup.

[Megatop]

yeah, I sort of agree on a tunnel guide rather than side bars, even though they achieve the same thing, there seems to be a chance that you miss the side bars and it goes down the tunnel before you can stop.. this used to happen on the old Whalers that had the same setup.

Sorry but if you can't put your nose in between 2 poles on the rear end of the trailer you shouldn't be driving a boat.
Believe me, I had the tunnel guide for 7 years and now that I have the side rails i wouldn't have it any other way.

The max width of the tunnel guide is limited to the width of the actual tunnel at the transom which in my case is relatively narrow.
Now the gap between the sponsons at the bow is quite large in comparison, so if your not careful you can put one leading edge sponson over the edge of the trailer - at least on mine you could if you came in at an angle due to wind and current. This is impossible with the side rails as long as you are in between the 2 poles at any angle. The rest is a piece of cake as it centres itself hands free.

This applies to the tunnel in my Dominator - don't know about your cats.

[Noelm]

I have seen Whalers come in at a slight angle, and instead of the front of the hull being inside the rail, it misses by a couple of inches and the rail goes straight up the tunnel, leaving the boat half on the mudguard... I don't say it wont work, and it's your tailer, if that's what you feel comfortable with, then go for it.

[bugman]

Got any photos of yours Bugman??? what price did it come in at? cheers Mark

Sorry for the quality but this is what i have.

At the time it was $9000.

Brett

[John Buoy]

Mackay Trailers have a standard alloy catamaran trailer with fully adjustable guides n bars to accommodate most modern cats !!
http://www.mackaytrailers.com/boat-trailers/powercat
Regards Frank

[Chimo]

Mackay make very good trailers. The one I had for 9 years was close to as-new after many road miles, much tractor drowning during beach launch and retrieves and some lake and river drownings to flush the salt off.

They (Mr and Mrs ) were a pleasure to deal with, tho as we have all got older, maybe they have got a bit more crotchety too.

Cheers
Chimo GOM

[gazza2006au]

why not build your own custom aluminium trailer? it'll be cheaper, it'll be over engineered, it'll be custom to suit your boat, the aluminium is readily available, i will be building my own in around 3 months time

the trailers are bolt together so no welding or very little

[stevemid]

why not build your own custom aluminium trailer? it'll be cheaper, it'll be over engineered, it'll be custom to suit your boat, the aluminium is readily available, i will be building my own in around 3 months time
the trailers are bolt together so no welding or very little

Gazza, Why not start a thread on how this is done, the plans, decisions to be made, etc. I for one would be very interested.
Steve

[Greg P]

The mob that builds Vindicator plate boats had an alloy trailer they built for a cat on their FB page. Looked like a nice job

[gazza2006au]

i will soon Steve soon as im able to get my composite boat to the flip over stage :)