Lyman 23

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Buying the Boat
There was no question, once on board the boat, that she was exactly what we wanted. I had already fallen hopelessly in love with the general design of the older 23, with the plumb bow, tumblehome, and barrel stern. It would have been a great disappointment had something not worked out. With our brief viewing over with, it was time to turn to the task of actually buying the boat. First, though, I wanted to see the trailer that came with the boat. I had been expecting the boat to be stored on the trailer, and was surprised to find that she was on blocks and stands instead. I asked the owner where the trailer was, and we spent several silly minutes driving around the boatyard on a wild goose chase searching for it without success. We were about to give up when the owner noticed the yard foreman arrive, so he went to talk with him while we waited. The foreman pointed our way to the trailer, so we went over for a look.

I'm not sure what I had been expecting, but the trailer was everything I expected--and nothing like I expected. (Does that make sense?) I spent some minutes looking over the trailer, and assessing its condition and suitability. The trailer was essentially a steel framework, with dual axles and a wooden cradle built on top. It was hardly an outstanding piece, and needed some work. It had no lights or brakes, and the wood was beginning to rot. The rims and tires looked OK, but I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of carrying the boat anywhere too distant on this thing.

In any event, we knew that we wanted to buy the boat, so we spoke with the owner and came to terms that we both could be happy with on the purchase, and also negotiated about what it would take to have the yard clear the way to the boat so that I could get her home sooner than later. (There were three boats in front of her, blocking her in.) We left with signed paperwork, and some uncertainty on my part over what to do about the trailer and getting the boat home. On the ride home, Heidi and I chatted about it, and decided that I would do some research about how to proceed.

Monday morning, I looked into the trailer problem. I knew we wanted our own trailer, no matter what, since the whole purpose of the boat was to be able to take her places on our own, as well as haul and launch her seasonally ourselves, allowing for extended boating seasons without worry about spring and fall storms on the coast. So the question was: did we take the old trailer and make it what we needed, or look into a new trailer? Due diligence required that I research new trailers first, but as I did so I quickly realized that most "standard" trailers would not properly suit the needs of this classic old boat. A trailer with special support would be needed to take care of her.

After searching the various Lyman sites and discussion boards, searching for postings on "trailers", I located the Loadmaster Trailer Company, in Port Clinton, OH. They offered a product designed specifically with the needs of antique wooden boats in mind, one that was well suited to give the proper support and functionality. I filled in an online quote form and sent it off. Perhaps more amazing was the fact that I received a prompt and detailed reply to my submission, as I have come to expect no response from many online forms. (Why would companies ignore their email and online forms, I wonder...but it is sadly common.)

In any event, I received a reasonable quote and thorough information package on a trailer that would be, allegedly, set up for my specific boat. After some thought and discussion, we decided to go ahead and order one. The main stumbling block was the quote for shipping from Ohio to Maine, however: $1.25/mile plus tolls (one way), which I figured amounted to a rough estimate of nearly $1200, after I checked out Mapquest for a rough distance . Ouch! Looking at the maps, however, I decided that there was no reason I couldn't drive out and pick it up myself, for only a couple day's time and expenses. I decided to arrange my own pickup, and ordered the trailer.

Two weeks later, the trailer was done, and over two long days, I drove out to Port Clinton from Maine, picked up the trailer from the friendly and helpful Loadmaster folks, and returned home. The new trailer was beautiful, and towed perfectly throughout the 830± mile maiden voyage. I was pleased.

With the new trailer on hand and ready, I made arrangements with the seller to meet once more and close on the boat, which we did on a very pleasant warm Sunday in late February. On the same day, I prepared the old trailer for a trip home to Maine, and towed it home without incident. Then, on Monday, I arranged with the boatyard in Hingham to prepare to load our new Lyman onto the new trailer the following Thursday, March 4, which went smoothly.

[Click here to view a photo gallery with photos of the boat and trailers...]

Once I got the boat safely home to our backyard, I spent some time going over her condition in much greater detail.

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Page last updated 3-6-04