Anyone know where to pick up one, or better yet have one that they would want to let go for cheap near Raleigh? I am upgrading the trailer for the Isotope and would like to add one.

Try any big irrigation supply outfit, check the yellow pages. They should have rather large water pipe (PVC tubes, 12" diameter or more) and you can have them cap one end and put a screw top on the other, or both ends. I have no idea what they cost but I've seen lots of them on trailers. I've got a smaller one on my H14 trailer, (6") just big enough for the boom and mainsail.

Storz: YOu need a lunchbox for your trailer.

get in touch with Trey Brown. velocitytrey (at) gmail.com

Home Depot use to sell them.

Doug

I looked into this a few years ago.. it was when the cost of gas was sky high .. but 12" tube was going to cost me about $250. I was FLOORED!!! i ended up getting a crappy used tube for around $75. It weighed about 75 lbs. it worked ok.. but it wouldn't fit my sails when i upgraded from a TheMightyHobie18 to my mystere.

I hear / know Treys box's rock. and i am sure they are worth every penny... but its so hard to part with $400 (or whatever the exact cost was) when my sails fit in my car (but it sure stinks carrying them up and down 3 flights of stairs every time

i ended up getting the worlds crappiest aluminum box for $40. it stinks but works...

I have a Lunchbox. Make the investment - you'll have it forever, he sells them at a very good price, and they are worth as much or more than the original cost if you ever decide you need to unload it. Do a search on this forum - there are threads about cat boxes every couple of months.

Thanks!

If you decide to go the cheap route, here is one of the manufacturers of the black corrugated tubes (with smooth inside pipe). http://www.ads-pipe.com/en/product.asp?productID=177 There is one other manufacturer that I know of, but I can't find the web site.

I went to their web site and got the local rep number and called to see who the distributers were in Chicago. They come in 20' lengths, but the distributer I went to cut it and sold me a 10' section. Cost about $80. The end caps are around $35, but I picked up a design for an end-cap from the guys in CRAW using outdoor ply.

On the plus side, these are cheap, hold quite a bit if you get the 12" diameter and they are light and easy to secure to the trailer. On the downside, they are kinda ugly.

PM me if you want to see a picture.

I just got a 10'x 16" dia galvanized spiral heating duct, with 2 end plugs(that slip inside the tube}, for $120 from a hvac supply house. I'm quite pleased. I'll try to post pics soon.

Dave

Just my thoughts Dave I do a bit of roofing with galv it doesn’t handle other metals at all not even touching a newer piece of galv. You might have to be careful storing sails in the galv tube even if they’re dry, condensation forms really easy with galv and everywhere stainless or aluminum touches the galv electrolysis will start which will stain your sails as they slide in and out.
regards

In regards to the PVC pipe for a sail tube.

Not all suppliers are equal when it comes to odd projects. Many will give you a high price because they do not want to talk to you. Some, like doing this kind of thing, and will give you a better price or try to work with you.

Be sure to ask the sailors in your area where they bought theirs and if you can't get a lead that way, call several suppliers

For example, Moore Plumbing Supply in Houston has done this before. They knew what I was looking for. They offered a deal on some pipe they had in the back for $80 when nearby suppliers were asking $200

I now have a new high or low in sail tubes. On a trip last year, a guy was using about ~12 ft of a 17 ft Aluminum canoe screw to some plywood

I talked to 3 pvc suppliers and they were all in the same range. one refused to cut a 20' section.

in the end i bought mine (used) from a local hobie dealer that had a few in the yard. It was an exciting drive home with a 11' tube sticking out my passanger window... i scared a guys on the bike path!

Several surplus garbage ones heading for the dump I'm sure on the side of the road in West Jordan, UT. Sitting on Old Bingham Hwy west of curve but before U111. I'm sure that helps so many but there looks to be enough to make about 6-7 cat tubes. Theese are big heavy duty about 3/4 thick pipes. If it wasn't to much work to move em I'd almost pick em up make tubes up and sell em.

thorb2@verizon.net has one for $80, but he is in Buffalo NY. I cannot believe that you can't buy this for less than $125 in total; 10' of sewer tubes plus end caps. stainless steel wraps around it. Good luck, but try something very local; they usually sell the tubes in 20 ft; so you may have to stride a deal with someone else.

Wyatt

Thanks Jeff, I'll pay attention.

dave

Take a look at some commercial construction sites in and around the area. I found mine as a piece of scrap that they let me haul away for free. 18"x 3/4" thick sewer pvc. I cut 2 feet off the ends, cut them in half to make 4 hull cradles. Two painted plywood cradles bolted to the trailer and end caps. Maybe I put $50 and 8 hours work into it. That was 8-9 years ago and it's still holding up. I'm 228-lbs and can stand on one of the four cradles without it breaking. I had posted pictures of the rig here once before.

Just remember to take BOTH end caps off the tube when you launch the boat off a ramp and sink the trailer. Especially if your end caps are sealed. If you leave the front one on, that much air volume can and will float the trailer, boat, rig and all. How do I know?

SINK THE TRAILER???? why would you need to put your trailer more than 1/2 wheele deep?

Well of course you don't need to sink the whole trailer. In fact, just get to where the transom begins to float off the cradle and push it off. But as you're looking in the rearview mirror for the stern to begin to float and instead the whole boat and trailer begin twisting and heeling 20-deg to starboard... Ummmm... YIKES!

Ah the things we learn by doing them the stupid way! That which doesn't kill you...

I have had beach wheel's for years so my trailer hasn't got wet in years.. but when it did.. i would back it ONLY to where the trailer tire was 1/2 way in. i would then push the cat off (till it was balanced on the rear rollers) and let gravity take over... i would be sure the bows gently rode over the rollers.. it worked fine.

If you are submerging your trailer up the boat sterns in salt water... you will be reducing the life of your lights / trailer bearings / leaf springs / and everything else that gets wet (IMHO)

G'day Andrew power boat trailers do it all the time, I launch with beach rollers but when my 5.8 got terminally beaten up in a storm I got towed to a ramp where I backed as deep as I could go without filling the sail boxes and you wouldnt believe how easy it was to just glide it on, tie it down and drive off, probably 3 minutes retrieval. Off coarse I didnt have to worry about mast, sails etc but thats another story.
regards