Over the Long Haul Rebecca Stone Trailer Boats October 3, 2005

It seems there are more trailer boaters on U.S. roads than ever before. But what kinds of developments are we now seeing that may lead to changes in trailer boating over the next 10 years? Issues involving waterfront access are sure to carry significant impact, but other factors, such as safety, fuel economy, the environment, advancing technology and changing preferences are just as likely to influence what we drive and tow.



Join us as we look at what might be and, in many cases, what is already coming to pass in this passion of ours that puts boats on the road and trucks in the water.



As discussed in last month’s issue (“Small Craft Advisory”), public boating access to the nation’s waterfronts is under tremendous pressure. In the hardest hit regions, along coastlines and Great Lakes shorelines, launch ramps, marinas and boatyards are being morphed into high-priced condos, restaurants and similar non-boating venues before our eyes.



All of this is leading to hot competition at the ramp as fewer of these facilities are available to accommodate growing numbers of boaters. The obvious solution would be to build more access sites. But as that’s not always possible, rehabilitation of existing sites is the answer for the foreseeable future.



LAUNCH AND LOAD

Factors to be taken into account when designing or revamping a ramp facility include correct slope, staging or dockage, and adequate turn-around and parking areas. Of all these considerations, parking seems to be the No. 1 concern on everyone’s dance card. And with more people towing bigger rigs, a trend supported by statistics from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the parking problem won’t be going away anytime soon. “Just like converting smaller slips into larger ones,” says Jim Frye, president of the Association of Marina Industries and director of Marinas and Boating Access for the NMMA, “the redevelopment of existing ramp facilities to accommodate larger rigs will likely diminish the number of spaces available and exacerbate [crowding] problems.”



Everyone seems to agree that there is no magic bullet. But, whether we deal with the issue through overflow parking areas or development of amphibious craft, there’s a pressing need to come up with creative solutions to the parking conundrum.



Ramp design itself will become a candidate for change as the dimensions of our boats expand. Many of the engineers we spoke with from around the country expressed the need for wider, longer ramps with better traction and more water depth that would not only accommodate bigger rigs, but also fluctuations in water levels. The addition of longer courtesy docks was also seen as an important step in traffic management.



Likewise, staging areas will need to be expanded to handle larger boats. The addition of disabled access, washdown stations to help curtail the spread of invasive species, and fish-cleaning and pump-out stations were also seen as important considerations for the launch facilities of tomorrow. However, these features are not yet a reality in many areas.



PUT YOUR TOYS AWAY

According to the experts, dry storage availability has increased by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Rack storage, available at some marinas, may be just the ticket for boaters who lead hectic lives. Says Frye, “The use of rack storage should make it easier to access the boat and promote frequency of use. A phone call to the marina requesting a launch takes much less planning and time than a trip to the ramp.”



Rack costs — which in some areas are not any cheaper than slip fees — might be offset by savings in maintenance related to the wear and tear of a boat that’s kept in the water. The downside is that racks generally aren’t open around the clock, so there may be some limitations on your boating freedom. And, if your boat is kept in a rack, you will probably only be boating in that particular venue.



BOATS OF THE FUTURE

Of course, to take advantage of any of these storage options, you need a boat. And what will boats of the future be like? Here’s a hint: More is expected of a boat today than it was even 10 years ago — and we see that trend continuing.

“I can remember when a boat was a shell with a little foredeck, boards for a seat, an outboard, a steering wheel, a Plexiglas windshield and maybe a speedometer — and it was popular as all get out,” recalls Tom Wenstadt, technical manager at Cadillac, Michigan-based Four Winns. “Today, people just don’t want that. Amenities are very important, even on small boats.”



Boat design, of course, is driven by consumer demand. Our sources agree that the desire for more amenities in trailerable boats is up. That’s why you’ll be seeing more of what were once options listed as standards. This could, in part, be related to the access issues discussed above. A larger trailerable, packed with amenities, can offer not just the mobility many boaters crave, but the comforts of a yacht without the costs associated with a slip.



“As boomers get into boating,” says Tom Marhevko, NMMA’s director of engineering standards, “they are skipping entry-level rigs. They want bigger boats — and they have the money.” NMMA statistics back up this claim. Between 1997 and 2003, fiberglass outboard boats of 21 feet and over climbed steadily from 13.0 percent of sales to 34.1 percent — the greatest share of that market segment. But what accounts for this?



Looking at it from another angle, marine designer Peter Granata, president of the Hilton Head, South Carolina-based Marine Design Resource

Alliance (MDRA), believes that one driver of this trend is the epidemic of obesity. Quite simply, larger Americans require more generous seating and more space on board to feel comfortable. That, along with our “supersize” mindset could possibly have the effect of increasing the number of overwide boats being trailered.



GENERATION SPLIT

There are, of course, other factors destined to influence future boat designs. Granata notes a generational split in boat-buying preference. Four Winns’ Wenstadt concurs, saying that younger buyers are more drawn to bowriders and deck boats, which will get them out on the water for a day in the sun. Older buyers, he notes, go for the bigger boats, such as cruisers, with more cockpit coverage, which are great for overnighting and providing protection from the sun.



Byron Bolton, president of British Columbia-based Harbercraft/Jetcraft Boats, says that many of the changes he sees in boat design and how boats are packaged have to do with the fact that women are becoming more involved in boatbuying, upping the ante on quality. “Women have a tremendous impact on purchasing and aesthetics,” he says. “For them, a boat must not only be functional but it has to look good and be comfortable.”



Safety, always an ongoing concern, is being addressed via improving technologies. Two examples are improving communications and information-packed digital instrumentation, such as Mercury’s SmartCraft system. In fact, Granata says that it is entirely possible to equip boats with remote diagnostic systems, possibly with repair capabilities. So if you were to break down “out there,” you could simply call for service and the problem could be corrected via telematic uplinks. In fact, some of that technology is already available in Volvo Penta’s Sea Key security system.



TRANSFORMERS

Those we spoke with agree that one of the greatest demands for boats of the future will be versatility. “Over the next 10 years, I think it’s going to boil down to configuration changes,” Granata predicts, alluding to the ability to change onboard setups to accommodate various activities. (For a glimpse of what this might mean, see our story on the Maxum 2600 SE, page 52.)



Granata and others also feel that hull designs will continue to change to meet consumer demand. Boatbuilding methods and materials have certainly changed over the years, and will undoubtedly continue to evolve in the quest for lighter-weight hulls with greater performance and durability — not to mention fewer emissions during the boatbuilding process.



Fuel prices may influence not only engines, but also running surfaces as designers strive to invent increasingly fuel-efficient bottoms. “Hull design,” says Granata, “has been an ongoing evolution since God told Noah the cubit size of the ark.”



But boats aren’t the only things undergoing change. Let’s not forget the trailer boat’s significant other: the trailer.



EVOLVING TRAILERS

“In terms of trailers, the old days of slapping a couple of pieces of metal together with an axle and some tires are gone,” says Gary Potter, vice president of E-Z Loader Custom Boat Trailers in Spokane, Washington. “A trailer is now a vehicle, just like a car or truck, and must be as safe.”

Trailers have not changed much in basic design over the years, according to the pros. But they do point to significant changes in add-ons and brake systems, as well as growing industry regulation. Potter says that while it costs more to build trailers according to regulations, doing so provides a safer product for the end user. Don Rusch of Ida Grove, Iowa-based ShoreLand’r Trailers, agrees, but observes, “Many trailer manufacturers are not meeting DOT requirements, and this is not good for the industry.”



The NMMA’s Marhevko adds that it would also be beneficial for there to be agreement between federal and state regulations on things such as brake requirements.



Industry experts say that the next 10 years will bring better-designed surge and electric/

hydraulic brake systems, anti-corrosive systems, tire monitoring devices, and improvements in finish, oil-bath hubs and torsion axles. Marhevko suggests that to deal with bigger boats, we’ll be seeing more power winches, along with

innovations in bunks and rollers. He speculates that the future could bring the use of different materials in trailers, and that composite trailers could be a looming possibility.



OBJECTS ARE CLOSER THAN

THEY APPEAR

Regardless of whether changes in boats, trailers and launch ramps are born of limited waterway access, environmental or safety concerns, or simply mirror evolving public demand, boaters and the industry itself have proven adaptable. Many of the trends and technologies that are just emerging today will mature over the next decade — and there are likely to be others that have yet to enter our radar screens.



And while we may not see much in the way of flying watercraft, amphibious vehicles or anything that looks like it dropped off a James Bond set, we think trailer boating will continue to grow in positive ways that will keep it a popular recreation over the long haul.



Possible Solutions

Here are some ideas that have been floated to keep us dunking our transoms over the next 10 years:

* Offering overflow lots with shuttle service

* Creating well-designed parking structures suited for tow vehicles and trailers

* Utilization of one-way traffic patterns to keep traffic flowing to and from the ramp

* Employment of separate ramps or lanes: one to launch and one to load

* Using good boater etiquette

* Instituting reservation or quota systems, or using lotteries



Power Trends

What kinds of changes are we likely to see over the next decade in regard to marine power? According to Trailer Boats’ longtime Technical Editor Jim Barron, it’s a good bet that marine engines will become quieter, as well as more powerful and compact — though not necessarily lighter. Barron doesn’t see hydrogen (fuel cell) or hybrid technology gaining much ground due to the added weight they would bring on board.

“I think we’re going to be burning gasoline just like we are now — hopefully more efficiently,” he says. “We’ll probably see direct fuel injection in four-cycle engines. I also believe diesels will grow increasingly common in small boats as they become more civilized and lighter.” As for alternate fuel sources, Barron believes that biodiesel (which is reportedly becoming popular in Europe) and ethanol may see more use in the future.





Towing the Line

Even with the escalating prices at the fuel pump, most experts believe that people will still be hitching up their trailers in the years to come... but to what? Stuart Bourdon, Trailer Boats’ automotive editor, thinks that we’ll begin to see more smaller-displacement diesel engines in midsize pickups and SUVs, such as the Jeep Liberty diesel. He says that for towing, the only hybrids will be those like the Chevy 1/2-ton hybrid (see “Green Machine,” April) with gas engines that shut down and switch to electric power at idle or during low-load conditions. On the other hand, hydrogen-fuel-cell engines may find their way into tow vehicles over the next decade or so.



Other changes Bourdon foresees are increased use of technologies such as rear-view cameras, seen now on some luxury SUVs, that assist in hooking up to a trailer; adjustable air springs (bags) for the rear end; active stabilization systems to give drivers better control; and factory-integrated electric trailer brake controllers, similar to what Ford uses in its Super Duty Series.