I live in an apartment overlooking the harbour with no garage and no storage and want to buy a Weta 4.4 Trimaran which folds up into roughly the same space as a Laser (L 4.4m x W 1.7m).
The Weta I'm looking at comes with a road trailer, and while I could park it on the road, I'm concerned about security and damage and I know that it annoys residents who want to park. I also no longer have a car, having sold it as it was gathering dents in the street, and now use Go Get cars which don't have a tow-bar.
I have approached all the nearby sailing clubs (Woollarah, Royal Edwards, Double Bay SC) and they either have no space (I'm on the waiting list) or don't allow boats that aren't in their fleets.
Does anyone have any creative ideas where I can store a boat and launch it?
Half share available to anyone who has a suitable storage/launch site since I race sportsboats from the CYCA/Ransa and the Weta is for fun rather than racing.
More about the Weta here www.wetamarine.com/
Specs here www.wetamarine.com/specifications.html
Ask Woollahra council what do others do?
Put an ad on Gumtree, offering to pay to leave trailer on private porperty?
Offer to teach scouts to sail if a parent could mind the trailer?
Immediately sell the trailer?
Sell the trailer to a scrap metal dealer?
Put the trailer in storage, such as Kennards.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try the Gumtree ad.
But it's not just the trailer that has to be stored - I need a parking space or garage for the boat on the trailer near a location (such as Rose Bay) where it can be launched from.
Woollahra do have some vertical dinghy racks in some of the parks near the harbour but they are restricted to 3.5M length and the Weta would be too long.
www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/recreation/boating_facilities/dinghy_storage_facility_locations
I would suggest investigating the sailing clubs over that way.
Once you are a member you would be amazed at what some of them will let you do.
Maybe not the cyca, but there are a couple of others that may suit.
I'm more aware of similar problems on the north side. You do see a few kept on trailers around cremorne and Mosman.
Cheers
Buy a waterfront property at Pott's Point, extend the balcony so it projects over the water and sling the Weta underneath with lowering and hoisting blocks and tackle.
Problem solved.
If you don't mind travelling to the other side of the habour, join Sydney Amateur Sailing Club. In addition to the main clubhouse they have a large storage facility on the waterfront in Mosman Bay (referred to as the Green Shed) which the club members have recently restored and has its own pontoon and launching access.
I bought the Weta (from Melbourne) and it's now "moored" on its trailer the road at Rushcutters Bay - placed strategically opposite a public pontoon which is accessed by a narrow gantry which the Weta just fits through on the trolley. Launching is fairly easy and retrieval is getting better. Have fitted a GPS tracker to the boat so that it will send me an SMS if it's moved.
I'll be interested to see how long it remains there. There are a few obviousy sailing trailers permanently parked along New Beach Road. I have often wondered what the Council regs say. Good luck but something more secure might be advised. Perhaps you can join Sailability and get some hardstand space in the former Navy facility upgraded for the olympics next to RANSA.
The NSW regs currently allow you to keep it on the road is it's under 7.5m in length (mine is 5.5M). See the report here http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/publications/boat-trailer-working-group-report-0313.pdf, although this may change and there are some trailers on New Beach Road which are longer than that.
I have asked Sailability if they wanted to use the boat for free in exchange for parking space (the Weta is used by Sailability in the UK www.weta.org.uk/page9.html) but apparently they are looking to buy another Sonar.
