My New Kayak Trailer

Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive, still writing, and still fishing. I’ve just been a bit…busy. Things are starting to slow down a bit at work though, and my free time for fishing is steadily on the rise. 

During my recent trip back home, I became the proud new owner of a jet ski trailer. I decided to purchase the trailer after quite a bit of scheming. I own a Tarpon 160i, and the 16ft kayak wouldn’t exactly fit well on my Jeep Wrangler. To add, I’d have to remove the lights on top of the Jeep to make room for the kayak. So when I saw a good price for an old jet ski trailer, I pounced on the opportunity and bought it in hopes of turning it into something I can haul my kayak with.

The trailer was in pretty good shape when purchased. My dad was able to help me with some new tires, removing the old bunks, and replacing the taillights. I was then able to buy some 2x4’s and a few eye bolts to place into the wood. In addition, I got hold of some foam rubber padding that I cut into strips and secured onto the wood to cushion the kayak. Using some tie-down straps, the kayak is easily secured to the trailer and held tight for 4.5 hours down the interstate. 

Assembling the trailer was, however, the easiest part of what became an ordeal. I spent two days up at the tax office attempting to get a tag for the trailer after an issue with the previous owner’s registration and who I bought it from. I won’t bore anyone with the details, but while attempting to secure a bill of sale, I was forced, at age 24, to spend some time in a middle school principal’s office. But that’s a story for a different day. 

The next issue was my wiring. I was relatively perturbed to discover that my Jeep had no trailer harness attached already. This meant that I was lucky enough to install it. And after about 5 seconds of looking at wires, I realized: I’ve no idea what I’m doing. But after having my dad talk me through the process, and spending several hours crammed into the back of my Jeep, I managed to hook up the wires and attach the harness. Even though the emergency blinkers come on when I use a left turn signal, and the lights don’t work with the headlights, I consider it a success. I’ll have to do some more work before I drive around at night, but the thought of having to try wiring again makes me want to vomit. 

I am, however, glad that I’ve got my kayak with me for the first time in over 3 years. Hopefully, there will be A LOT of fishing getting done in the coming weeks and with that, a lot more reports. It’s about time I actually do something in the kayak for The Flying Kayak. Stay tuned!