float on catamaran trailer

Welcome to Float-On, the premier destination for top-of-the-line boat trailers. Discover the unparalleled quality and craftsmanship of our renowned aluminum trailers, designed to elevate your boating experience to new heights. With a proud heritage of delivering excellence, Float-On trailers offer unrivaled reliability and durability, backed by years of expertise and innovation.

For over 50 years, our high-quality aluminum trailers have consistently held the position of industry leader, bringing pride as we continue to delight countless customers.

At our core, we excel in catering to our customers' diverse trailer requirements, be it the procurement of government multi-craft trailers or fulfilling the unique needs of individuals. With our expertise, rest assured that we can deliver precisely what you're looking for.

Our expertly designed catamaran trailers offer seamless accommodation and reliable transportation for your water adventures. Trust in our precision and expertise to ensure the safe and secure journey of your prized vessel.

If you reside by the water and dream of having your boat conveniently stationed in your own backyard on a boat lift, consider it done. Our seamless solution makes it effortless to transform your vision into reality.

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Catamaran trailers.

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SELECTING THE RIGHT TRAILER

WEIGHT - When determining the weight of your boat you need to include the engine(s), fuel, gear and any factory added options that the builder did not include in its boat weight. Trailers are manufactured to carry a predetermined weight and should not be overloaded.

LENGTH - The length of the boat is from the pulpit (if you have one) to the engine mount. Remember, when you are towing with a van or camper you don’t want the pulpit over the coupler on the trailer.

TYPE – Many trailers are designed to allow the owner to drive the boat on and off. However, some ramps are too shallow to allow adequate submersion for the boat to load properly. Other ramps might have a drop off that will prevent proper launching. Be sure to determine if your trailer will perform adequately at your local ramp(s). Choose the proper style, Drive on or Roller.

FINISH – Aluminum or Galvanized. Galvanized trailers have a protective coating that normally prevents rust for several years. Aluminum trailers will experience virtually no corrosion and are a lighter weight and generally considered better for salt water.

AXLES – There are two types of axles, torsion or leaf spring. Both models have advantages and disadvantages. Leaf springs are less money but don’t have as smooth of a ride. Torsions cost more but ride better.

Single axle trailers are lighter in weight and easier to maneuver but have less weight carrying capacity. Tandem axles are safer in case of tire failure.

LAWS - The state of Florida requires brakes on all axles of any trailer with a G.V.W.R. of 3000 lbs. or more. This means the combined weight of the boat, trailer and all equipment being towed. Most other states have similar laws.

WHEN SELECTING YOUR TRAILER BE SURE TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW. DRIVE SAFELY AND HAPPY BOATING!

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Continental Trailers CAT1830B CATAMARAN Boat Trailer

MOST TRAILERS WILL HAVE TO BE ORDERED TO FIT YOUR BOAT. Sorry, we do not...

Continental Trailers CAT2144B Catamaran Boat Trailer

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Towing A Boat

In this guide, we are going to take a look at all of the different questions and helpful hints about towing a boat! Let’s get started with a simple question.

What Does Trailering A Boat Mean?

Table of Contents

Towing a boat or trailing a boat refers to transporting or hauling a boat to any destination using a vehicle and a trailer to get it there. To put it simply, trailing means pulling something behind you, so trailing a boat means pulling a boat.

What Is The Best Way To Tow A Boat?

There is a quick and straightforward way to tow a boat, but first, you must perform a safety inspection on the hitch. Once that’s done, you can follow the list below. 

• Back your vehicle up to the nose of the boat. Raise the hitch of the boat a couple of inches from the tongue of the vehicle. Back up slowly so your vehicle is just under the towing hitch of the boat. After that, lower the towing hitch down to the car.
• Once you have coupled the boat to the hitch of your vehicle, lock the lever on the towing hitch and hook the chains on both sides of the tongue on the car.
• Make sure there is a 6-12-inch clearance between the chain and the ground.

Do you need a new hitch for your trailer? We offer trailer hitches in KY .

How Fast Can You Drive While Towing A Boat?

Boat manufacturers recommend a 60-70 mph speed when driving down an interstate while towing a boat. Driving faster than the recommended speed may cause damage to the towing hitch and cause the boat to lose balance and flip. At higher speeds, the stopping distance shortens, and you cannot stop the boat in time, which could result in a collision.

How Much Does An Average Boat Weigh?

The average weight of boats varies depending on the type of boat. In the section below, we’ll show you the type of boat as well as the weight of the boat and what vehicle can be used for towing a boat.

What Towing Capacity Do You Need To Tow A Boat?

The average capacity you need for towing a boat is one that can pull an average weight of 1,800 lbs. Most towing vehicles don’t have a problem towing a boat that weighs between 1,000 to 2,000 lbs. But since every vehicle differs, you must check the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) sticker. You can find the sticker on the side of the driver-side door jam.

You can also find the GVWR sticker on the boat’s rear to ensure you don’t exceed the limit. You can also see the tongue capacity, which is located on the gooseneck on the back of the car. There is often a question of what vehicle can tow more than others. We dove into this topic in our article about truck towing capacity !

Towing A Boat For Long Distance

You can definitely tow a boat long distances, but before you tow a boat for a long distance, there needs to be some preparation. We’ll go over some easy checklist preparation steps to prepare your boat for long distances so that you do not damage either the boat or your vehicle.

• First , don’t pack everything on one side of the boat. Try distributing the weight all over the boat and packing some luggage in the bed of the pickup truck.
• Second, walk around the trailer and torque the lug nuts on the boat trailer tires. Make sure they are tight so that you don’t have a tire flying around when driving down an interstate.
• Third , after you have packed everything in your boat, check the tire pressure of the boat trailer and the spare tire.
• Fourth , you must ensure the boat is level since an un-level trailer could be very dangerous to drive. You will have a higher risk of fishtailing and loss of steering capability. To see if the boat’s trailer is level, you can place the 4’-foot level on the fender or eyeball it. Make sure you level the trailer after you have loaded the boat as well. The boat’s weight will shift if leveling is done before loading.
• Fifth , hitch your boat’s trailer to the truck’s gooseneck. After connecting the trailer, make sure to wrap your trailer with plastic before you cover it. If you’re towing the boat for a long distance with just the cover and not protecting the gunnel of your boat with plastic wrap would cause scratches on your trailer. 
• Sixth , after you have wrapped the trailer with plastic, you can cover the boat. Covering the boat is very important if you have loaded the boat with your gear. You don’t want equipment flying out in the wind. Even if you don’t have anything in your trailer, we recommend you cover your boat so that the inside of the boat doesn’t get damaged.
• Seventh , once the weight is distributed all over the boat, and the boat is level, the last step is to walk around the boat to ensure all the trailer lights function properly. Check the brake light, the turn lights, and the reverse lights.
• Eighth , Once you are packed up, everything is secure, all lights work, you are good to go; enjoy your trip.

Best Way To Tow A Boat Out Of Water

There are many tricks to towing a boat in the water and out of the water. The easy way is to first back up your towing vehicle with the trailer straight. Lower the trailer to about the fender of the car and drive your boat straight on the trailer; if you’re having difficulties getting the boat on the trailer, try lowering or raising the tow, and adjust the trailer to align straight up with the trailer.

After your boat is secured on the trailer, get back in the vehicle and tilt the tongue of the gooseneck. If you don’t tilt your trailer when towing a boat in the water, the boat’s engine will hit the ramp. We recommend you get a second person when towing a boat. One in the truck and one in the vehicle.

3 Best Types Of Boat Trailers

If you have a boat or are looking to buy a boat, you will need a boat trailer to haul your boat from your home to the lake. Boat trailers are excellent investments since you can bring the boat anywhere, at any time. You could also use the trailer to store your boat on as well. There are multiple boat trailers, each with different costs, advantages, and disadvantages. Let’s take a deeper look below

Bunk Trailers

Bunk trailers are one of the most common trailers for boats under 19’. Bunk trailers are affordable and have a lower maintenance requirement than other boat trailers. Bunk trailers also help to support and protect the boat keel with pressure-treated boards running on the side of the trailer that spread the trailer’s weight. Bunk trailers are simple and easy to use.

Bunk Trailer Cost  

Depending on the material and the number of axles (single or tandem axles), these trailers cost between $1,600 & $5,800 

Bunk Trailer Advantages

• Simple to unload and load a boat on land
• Little maintenance
• Has fewer parts 
• Bunk trailers do not require deep water at the ramp to unload a boat

Bunk Trailer Disadvantages

• Doesn’t haul boats bigger than 19’
• Difficult to launch and recover the trailer

Float-On Trailers

Float-on trailers are for bigger types of boats that require the need to be submerged deep in the water. Float-on trailers give you the ability to load and unload your boat in the water. 

Float-On trailers cost

Depending if the trailer is aluminum or steel, the average size float on trailers costs between $3,000 & $9,760

Float-on Trailers Advantages 

• Easy to launch and recover in water
• Can also haul small to medium-sized boats
• Great maneuverability
• Durable and long-lasting

Float-on Trailers Disadvantages

• More maintenance required

Roller trailers

Roller trailers are ideal for loading and unloading boats on narrow ramps. Roller trailers are highly maneuverable, as well as durable, and made of long-lasting materials. Roller trailers, unlike float-on trailers, do not need to be completely submerged in water to load a boat. This is a significant benefit for a roller trailer because the parts are not exposed to water, reducing the risk of rusting. Roller trailers are great for rocky and shallow ramps as well.

Roller trailers cost

Depending on the material and size, the average cost for a roller trailer cost ranges between $1,000 & $12,000.

Roller trailer advantages

• Easy to launch and recover a boat
• It can be used as boat storage on land
• It doesn’t need to be submerged in water
• Great for any sized boats
• Great for rocky and shallow ramps

Roller trailer disadvantages

• Has high maintenance costs
• It needs more support for the hull of bigger boats

Trailers in Bowling Green, Kentucky

If you are looking for a trailer to haul your load, contact us to get some help! We have been in the trailer business for many years, so we would be happy to help answer any questions you may have about boat trailers!

CHOOSING THE RITE TRAILER: BUNK VS. ROLLER

Bunk Trailers

Bunk trailers provide a classic, time-tested design and solid value. They offer superior hull support and security, making them an ideal choice for steep launching conditions and for boats that spend a lot of time stored on the trailer.

Roller Trailers

Roller trailers provide easy loading and launching in all conditions and water levels. For boaters who launch alone or those who face challenging ramp and tidal conditions, a roller model will get you loaded or launched in no time.

NEED HELP FINDING THE RITE TRAILER? FIND A LOAD RITE DEALER NEAR YOU

CHOOSING THE RITE MATERIAL: Aluminum VS. Galvanized

Aluminum provides natural corrosion resistance with less weight than a comparable steel frame, saving you fuel and valuable payload.

Hot-dipped galvanized steel provides exceptional strength and durability, resisting corrosion in challenging marine conditions, including salt.

CHOOSING THE RITE Axles: SINGLE VS.Tandem/Tri-Axle

Single Axle

Single axle trailers are suited for boats up to about 20 feet in length. Your Load Rite dealer will help you select the appropriate configuration for your trailer.

Tandem/Tri-Axle

Tandem and tri-axle trailers are suited for boats of roughly 20 feet and up. Your Load Rite dealer will help you select the appropriate configuration for your trailer.

Our catamaran trailers provide Load Rite’s advanced frame and bunk designs and a range of standard and optional features to securely haul your catamaran and make launching and loading easier. Choose from durable galvanized steel or lightweight aluminum frames. All of our catamaran trailers feature the advanced designs and heavy-duty construction that set Load Rite trailers apart from the crowd.

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Float-on trailers keeping boaters connected to the water.

By Ed Killer of TCPalm

VERO BEACH ? As the boating industry idles through a struggling economy, small businesses are having to "think outside the box."

For one family-owned and operated company in Vero Beach, what keeps it afloat is creating ways to get the "box" down to the water.

Float-On Boat Trailers president Tim Poppell agrees that virtually everyone in, or attached to, the business of new boat sales has experienced fewer receipts the past three years. But Poppell said he received a huge dose of encouragement last month.

"Sales usually drop off toward the end of the summer in our business," Poppell said. "Vacations are over, boating season is coming to an end, and kids are back in school.

"I'm not sure why, but this past August was one of the busiest we ever had."

The Poppell family has owned Float-On for 26 years and at the present time employ 11 workers. Float-On builds trailers to carry boats as small as kayaks to those as unique as a 40-foot jet-drive catamaran or sailboat with a retractable keel.

Attention to detail, innovation, commitment to quality/service are three reasons the boat trailer builder continues to be an industry leader. Many years ago, the Poppells made the decision to assemble the axles in their own facility instead of buying them pre-assembled from a supplier. Doing so, Poppell said, ensures that each bearing inside each hub is installed properly. The company also installs the disc brakes.

"It's a safety issue; a matter of human life," Poppell said. "We install brakes on every axle that leaves our shop. It's actually the law. Yet some trailer manufacturers, even those that do a lot of their business in the state, will either not put the brakes on at all or will only put them on one axle."

Float-On is best known for being the first trailer company to use aluminum I-beam construction and inventing torsion suspension to truly make it a trailer capable of withstanding the vigorous corrosive test of frequent use in saltwater. Now, Float-On's ability to work with customers to fabricate customized products is buoying its reputation.

Cases in point: Float-On is completing a trailer with a tilt feature on the tongue to accommodate a flat-bottom mud boat for the Charleston County, S.C. sheriff's department. The company recently delivered an oversized aluminum gooseneck trailer to marry with a prototype vessel built by Lockheed-Martin at its facility in Washington state.

Float-On craftsmen are close to delivery of a trailer for a customer with a 29-foot Jupiter with a need for a lower profile in order to fit into a garage. They specially designed lower cross-beams and added an axle in order to maintain adequate tire size.

Poppell said he welcomes the challenges customers bring him.

"Our philosophy has always been ?What do we do to accomplish this?'" he said.

"We believe there are two kinds of people out there: Those who own a Float-On and those who want to."

FLOAT-ON TRAILERS

In business: More than 30 years

Owners: The Poppell family of Vero Beach

President: Tim Poppell

Location: Vero Beach

Product: Aluminum

Origin: First immersible aluminum boat trailer on the market

Innovation: Invented Posi-Latch bow system; Adjustable pivoting bunks; Torsion axle system

Dealer network: More than 200 nationwide

Information: www.floaton.com .

DID YOU KNOW?

Float-On Trailers was partners on the recent delivery of two specialized oiled wildlife collection boats built and delivered to the Gulf Coast by Dragonfly Boats in Vero Beach.

BOAT TRAILER MAINTENANCE TIPS

Wash down trailer with fresh water every time trailer is used.

Check trailer hubs and bearings occasionally and before long trips.

Keep bearings greased.

Check brake lights every time trailer is used.

Check turn signals every time trailer is used.

Have a spare trailer wheel just in case.

Source: DiscoverBoating.com.

About Ed Killer

Ed Killer is the outdoors columnist and a member of the Indian River Lagoon coverage team at Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com. He is a Treasure Coast native and has covered fishing and boating in this community since 1994.

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How to Load a Boat on a Trailer (Retrieving Your Boat)

Table of Contents

You and your crew had a day of fun and adventure on the water, you’re nearing the dock, and it’s time to load your boat back onto its trailer. Also known as “retrieving the boat” in nautical jargon, loading a boat on its trailer can be smooth and easy.

Here are 10 basic steps for loading a boat on a trailer:

• Drop the tow vehicle driver and passengers off at the dock.
• Ensure you’re out of the way of the launch area while you wait for your tow—if available, park at a nearby courtesy dock.
• The trailer should be backed down the launch ramp until its wheels or fenders are submerged to a similar water level as when you launched your boat .
• Be mindful of wind and current as you position your boat to load on the trailer.
• Use just enough power to control the boat. Slow is pro, and you’ll have more time to react.
• Aim the bow of the boat to the trailer winch stop.
• If the ramp is shallow, trim your outboard or sterndrive up so the prop (propeller) doesn’t hit the bottom.
• If your trailer is positioned at the correct depth, your boat should glide onto the trailer—use a little throttle to push the boat up further if needed.
• The tow vehicle driver should put the vehicle in park using the parking brake, and get out to secure the trailer winch and the safety chain.
• Once you pull out of the ramp, use a staging area off of the water to unload your gear, attach the transom straps and trailer lights, and prepare to hit the road.

Be sure to consult our other launching and towing guides to ensure you’re best equipped for your experience heading to and from the launch ramp:

• Launching a Boat: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Back Up a Boat Trailer
• Choosing the Right Tow Vehicle

Now, let’s walk through some of these steps in a little more detail…

Want help paying off your boat? List it with us

Dropping off your driver and passengers

Approach the dock to drop the vehicle driver and passengers off. If there’s a courtesy dock or dock away from the launch area, it’s okay to tie up while you wait for the trailer. If not, move the boat away from the ramp area and wait for the trailer to be backed down.

Backing up the boat trailer down the ramp

The driver who gets the tow vehicle should get in line – if there is a line – to take a turn in backing down the ramp to retrieve the boat .

If you and your crew remembered to observe the water level relative to your trailer wheels or fenders when you launched, back the trailer in to that same depth.

The driver can now put the vehicle in park and set the parking brake, and get out to help load the boat.

Loading and positioning your boat back on its trailer

Simultaneously, the boat driver should pay attention and be in position to approach the ramp when the trailer is in the water.

Once you’re ready to load, you’ll want to be mindful of wind and current that could push you off course as you approach the trailer, and plan ahead by starting a little upwind, for example.

• Use just enough power to control the boat. A slower speed gives you more time to react and keep the boat on course.
• Aim the bow at the trailer winch stop. Most boat trailers will self-align as the boat glides onto the trailer.
• If the ramp is shallow you may need to trim your outboard motor or sterndrive up a bit so the prop doesn’t hit bottom.
• If you have your trailer at the correct depth, the boat should glide onto the trailer right to the winch stop, or close to it.
• Use a little throttle to push the boat up to the stop, or have your helper attach the winch strap to the bow eye and use the winch to pull the boat up the watercraft stop.

If the boat ends up a little crooked on the trailer, back down the ramp just a little to allow the boat to float and center itself.

Pro Tip: Do not “power load” your boat—using excessive engine thrust to drive the boat up onto the trailer will damage the ramp by washing away the lake bottom. Better to back your trailer in a little deeper in the water.

Preparing to hit the road

Once the boat is positioned properly on the trailer, secure the winch at the bow and secure the safety chain. The boat driver can stay in the boat while the vehicle driver pulls up the ramp.

Drive to the staging area, or away from traffic, to unload coolers and gear from the boat, secure transom straps and trailer lights, and get ready to hit the road.

Clean, drain, and dry to remove any aquatic invasive species

Before driving away, it’s important—and in most places, the law—to remove weeds from the boat and trailer and to drain the bilge , live wells, and bait wells before driving away from the ramp. This prevents the spread of invasive species like milfoil and zebra mussels. There may be signage at the ramp with guidance for this procedure or check with your state DNR for local regulations.

Boatsetter is a unique boat-sharing platform that gives everyone — whether you own a boat or you’re renting — the chance to experience life on the water. You can list a boat , book a boat , or make money as a captain .

Start offsetting the costs of boat ownership as soon as you list with Boatsetter!

Charles Plueddeman  is a self-employed writer and photographer based in Wisconsin. A staff editor and contributor to  Boating Magazine  since 1986, he is the author of its “Off My Dock” column. In the marine realm he specializes in engine technology and trailerable boats. His editorial work has appeared in many national publications, including  Popular Mechanics, Men’s Journal, Playboy, Popular Science, Cycle World,  and  Harley-Davidson Enthuisast .

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