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Hi,
I have just bought a 15 (1683) and having got it home on the roof am more convinced than ever that I need to find a road trailer for it. Sprint 15 specific ones seem rather scarce at the moment, with Dart 18 ones seeming to come on the market far more regularly. Whilst some trailers are clearly adjustable and I'm sure that a competent welder could "adjust" pretty much anything, my question is: With the beam of the Dart 18 16cm wider, will a Dart 18 trailer take a Sprint 15 without having to narrow the track?
Hi David, Most made up dart trailers were designed to take a Dart18 or Sprint 15. The balance point can be easily managed by where you sit the keel on the supports , and often the front bar can be adjusted to suit the difffernce in boat length.
If you are buying second hand , suggest you consider galvanised frame, and check, suspension units wheel bearing and tyres, all of which can add up to afew pounds if you have to replace + the time involved.
Hope that helps
Brian Phipps
Windsport Sprint15 technical support http://www.catparts.windsport.co.uk
I have a West Mersea 18 Foot Cat Trailer (not for sale!!) which I use for my Sprint 15 (I acquired it at a time when I was thinking about buying a bigger cat - as well as my Sprint 15).
I think that the bars on which the keels rest are rather further apart (front to back) than would be the case on a 15 foot cat trailer, which may restrict where you put the cat on the trailer (you may want the cat back on the trailer to minimise nose weight - or if you have a car like mine you want to have significant nose weight so that the inbuilt trailer stabilisation adjunct to ESC works properly - yes, I was surprised at this and it may be only applicable to my make/model of car.) The trailer bars on which the keels rest are adjustable/removeable, so that the width in this respect is not an issue - the pads and rear rollers can be adjusted so that the Sprint 15 keels will be central over them. (Rear rollers on the trailer make it dead easy to load/unload the cat single handed).
BUT there is an issue with the mudguards - to stop them touching the insides of my Sprint 15 hulls I had to remove them (undo the 4 mounting bolts, nuts and washers on each) and redrill holes in the mudguards to mount them more inboard and at a slight angle to create clearance for the Sprint 15 hulls. The tyres/wheels are still covered adequately - maybe even slightly better than how they were when I acquired the trailer!
You might have a similar problem with other 18 foot cat trailers, but it should be just as easily solved.
I find that my 18 foot rig is very stable when towed - whether with one or 2 cats aboard (2nd cat upside down on top - with packing between the hull decks to keep the mast balls from fouling the other boat). There's inferior acceleration and braking when trailing due to the extra weight/ friction/windage, but I rarely feel any other effects. Last Sunday coming back from Shanklin with the wind still gusting to around Gale Force 8, there were just 2 occasions when travelling relatively slowly in exposed places that the side windage on the trailer could be felt in the car through the tow bar. It was much the same with my Volvo 850 Estate as now with My VW Tiguan.
I agree with George, especially as regards the wheels.
The two hulls sit on the trailer, with the wheels between the hulls. In the case of a Dart 18 trailer, the wheels are further apart. There is a great danger of the wheels burning holes to the inside of the hulls. Sometimes you will see gelcoat repairs in these areas.
There also seems to be extra ironmongery at the front of a Dart 18 trailer. I would say, go for a Dart 15 trailer, if you can.
Fading star of the Thorpe Bay fleet
Former rugby player in the extra-B
Struggling musician
Second best cabbage in the village show...
Thanks all. A Dart 15 trailer would certainly be the easier option. Now all I need to do is track a decent one down.
At present the only one I can find on the market (other than new) is this one:
Having emailed the owner it was homebuilt out of steel for the Sting pictured. The incorporation of the launching trailer as the rear supports is interesting, but it is not clear how well built it actually is.
Still looking...
I only moved the mudguards a fraction of an inch - just more than the diameter of the holes drilled in them for mounting.
The extra ironmongery at the front (per Andrew) is part of the extra length and strength needed for a larger heavier cat.
I'm very pleased with mine.
If you can pick up a (Dart) 18 foot cat trailer for transporting made-up cats (early trailers were made to carry hulls etc after they were taken apart!) in good condition and cheaper than a 15 foot cat trailer, don't rule it out UNLESS you have restricted room to park it.
Andrew Hannah wrote:I notice from our For Sale link/ scroll down to miscellaneous items, that a Dart 15 road trailer has been posted for sale. (Yesterday).
Thanks Andrew, I had seen that advert and already corresponded with the seller. Unfortunately despite it being offered at a great price, I do not believe that trailer to be robust enough for my needs.
How about this one?
Mersea trailers made up extendable Dart 18 Trailer. Will take a Dart 18 made up. The beams could be extended to take a larger catamaran. The trailer is in excellent condition with new road tyres only selling to make space! The box is wooden and needs a little tlc hence the price. £375 ono. Call Simon 07983385853.
Thanks Bob, I 'm currently trying to see if a Dart 18 trailer being sold in Lincolnshire will fit. It is a good quality galvanized trailer with extending arms and I have agreed £250 as a price. The problem is that the hulls sit 15 cm lower than the top of the mudguards which are 154 cm apart. At their narrowest the hulls of my 15 are only 148 cm apart (including tramp track); but 15 cm above the skegs they are 160 cm apart. So in theory the hulls should be well clear. The only way to be sure is to check and the owner is talking to friends at Rutland to see if we can check it on a boat there. There is some scope to move the mudguards in, but only about 1 cm a side. If this works (and I am optimistic that it will) I only need a free weekend to build a box for it.
Well the Dart 15 trailer adjusted beautifully to my 15. The adjustable outriggers even had two sets of holes (presumably one for an 18 and one for a 15). With a solid mount for the lighting board the whole thing works very well, and at £250 it's a bit of a bargain. Thanks for the advice everyone.
