A boat trailer is a trailer designed to launch, retrieve, carry and sometimes store boats, so the boat can be road-transported around by towing behind a

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as a motorized vehicle, automotive vehicle, automobile, or road vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on railway track, rails (such as trains or trams), does not fly (such ...

. When launching and retrieving the boat, the trailer is often submerged in water via a boat ramp, so the boat can

winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension (physics), tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a Bobb ...

ed on and off the trailer in a controlled fashion by still maintaining

buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is the force exerted by a fluid opposing the weight of a partially or fully immersed object (which may be also be a parcel of fluid). In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of t ...

while changing the draught. As of 2024, the cost of a boat trailer can be anywhere between $700 to $8000, depending on the size and number of axles the trailer has.

Commercial boat trailers

Commercial hydraulic boat trailers are used by

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

s, boat yards, boat haulers, boat dealers and boat builders. Generally, this type of trailer is not used for boat storage.

Self-propelled

Self-propelled boat movers are not strictly trailers, but hydraulically operated boat movers, with their own

tractor unit A tractor unit, also known as a truck unit, lorry unit, power unit, prime mover, ten-wheeler, semi-tractor, semi-truck, semi-lorry, tractor cab, truck cab, lorry cab, big rig tractor, big rig truck or big rig lorry or simply a tractor, truck, ...

. They share all of the features of hydraulic boat trailers.

Non-commercial boat trailers

This type of trailer is usually used by the boat owner/operator. The trailer is also used for storage. * Roll-on, also known as a "Roller style trailer", uses rubber and/or polyurethane rollers for ease of launching and loading a boat. * Glide-path, also known as a "Float-on style trailer", allows the boat to float onto the trailer; after the trailer has been partially submerged (usually of the trailer). Since its inception, it has become quite popular compared to the "Roller style trailer".

References

* * * Boats Boat Trailer Freight transport Trailers {{water-transport-stub

Commercial boat trailers

Self-propelled

Non-commercial boat trailers

See also

References