Finding a rental trailer

I bought a Sea Piper on the east coast and need to get it to Missouri. I have a trailer being made, but with covid it’s going to be awhile, like everything else. I’d like to rent a trailer to bring it back but haven’t found one to rent. Any leads would be appreciated.

35’ boat, 16,000 lbs, bumper or gooseneck hitch.

Hire a boat transport company to move it.

Put an ad on Uship.com, you might get lucky and get someone with an empty trailer on a return trip.

We’ll, that certainly is an option. However, I have me, the truck and the time. At something in excess of $4k, it would be more sensible to rent a trailer for a grand or so for a week. Choice 2 is to wait 3 1/2 to 4 months until my trailer is built. Choice 3 would probably be to take a month and bring her on her own bottom. Way down the list is to pay someone big bucks for what I can do myself.

toocoys said:

Put an ad on Uship.com, you might get lucky and get someone with an empty trailer on a return trip.

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Not sure I’d trust Joe Redneck with my boat.

If you have the time, bring her by own bottom.

You are looking for a very specific trailer. Not likely you will find one for rent. I would run it home. Just ran my new boat home yesterday but it wasn’t very far. Last boat we ran 1400 miles home.

Austinsailor said:

Not sure I’d trust Joe Redneck with my boat.

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When I had the Chris Craft transported I used Uship, and got at least 4 responses from license and bonded boat transport companies.

But suit yourself.

Licensed and bonded boat company might work.

Have a family member with medical issues that won’t let me leave for the 2000 mile, probably 1 month trip. I’ve done plenty of deliveries, the trip doesn’t bother me, just can’t devote that block of time now.

Had a fellow I knew years ago who often moved boats, he’d rent a dually and a trailer. Don’t know where he rented the trailers, and I doubt he’s still alive to ask.

No specific lead, but I used to rent a larger boat trailer from my local marina/repair yard which made more sense for me since I only had need of it once a year for a couple days. You might try contacting marinas that have associated repair services, near the location where the boat is located. Only issue is whether it would be street legal with lights etc. And doubtful it would be offered for a one way rental lol

Alaskaflyer said:

You might try contacting marinas that have associated repair services, near the location where the boat is locatedlol

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I’ve called many in this area, no luck. Renting one on the other end would require 2 round trips.

Put an ad on Uship. Got one offer right off, asked a few relevant questions, no reply, guess that was the end of that!

Any way you can rent a flat equip trailer and pad the hull/trailer interface using tires, salvaged carpet, wood padded wedges, and lashing straps? Makinf a wood cradle would work, too.

You might be able to plan a trip back on its own bottom broken down in smaller legs and arrange storage at marinas ahead of time. Leaving a boat at a marina paying transient rates and having no means to check up on it would not work but I would imagine you could get some good recommendations from this forum on reasonable places along the way to stash the boat for a few weeks at a time and likely even find forum members willing to check on it for you. I'm guessing that you are paying storage for it in Rock Hall anyway, it could be similar expenses at other stops along the way.