Why use a floating boat trailer in NZ?

Answer 1

They are unique to a specific area of the east coast of the North Island near a place called Clifton on the edge of Hawkes Bay. The concept was developed a number of years ago because there were local restrictions on parking of boat trailers (but lots of parking for cars and trucks - or utes (short for utility vehicles in the NZ vernacular).

Some innovative and pragmatic Kiwi attached floatation aids (plastic jugs mostly and styrofoam fishing floats) and a couple of bicycle style visibility marker flags to his standard boat trailer. His idea was to back down the launching ramp, unhook the trailer from his car, go park the car, then return to board the boat-trailer combination. He would then use the boat's outboard motor to move the trailer about 300-400 metres off shore. At that point he threw out an anchor attached to his trailer, uncoupled the boat from his trailer and left the trailer floating at anchor while he went boating.

Upon return, he noses his boat onto the mostly submerged boat trailer and attaches the tie-downs

from the trailer to the boat. Raising the trailer anchor, he now motors very slowly and deliberately to the launch ramp, using the boat's motor, until his trailer wheels (including the hitch support wheel) are all grounded on the launch ramp.

Hopping out of the boat with a rope to keep it from getting away, he retrieves his car, hooks onto the boat trailer and drives away. No muss, no fuss; no charge for trailer parking.

Lots of older trailers are still in use with all manner of assorted flotation aids attached to keep them afloat. However, as one would expect, the trailers have evolved. You can now purchase a brand new boat trailer with aluminum or galvanised steel box frame members filled with styrofoam and sporting very rugged and durable bearings, electrical systems, paint jobs and lettering as they need to be able to withstand the corrosive effects of being immersed in seawater. If you did not know what you were looking at, you would not be able to tell it apart from a conventional, well built boat trailer (but it might look as if it had a very strong frame).

Have never seen or heard of such a solution outside of New

Zealand

and am pretty sure you can't buy such an item in North America. Perhaps you will get lucky and find a very innovative and unconventional boat trailer builder to give it a go with you.