Launching trailers designed for modern catamarans
The Parklev hydraulic trailer range from the French brand Nautipark is now commonplace on docks and slipways. If the existing products were suitable for multihulls, they did not yet fully satisfy their designers. "The first trailers for catamarans are about 15 years old and were not necessarily very successful. We did a lot of work with the shipyards to get the plans of the different models with the shapes, the position of the bulkheads and the center of gravity. This allowed us to design the appropriate tools" explains Vincent Harnois, Nautipark's technical sales representative.
A fast and efficient chocking of the boat
The new Parklev Cata 20T and 30T trailers can respectively handle multihulls up to 50 feet and 60 feet in length. A larger capacity is under consideration for larger boats. "The trailers have a double axle which allows a better weight distribution on the wheels. But most importantly, we gain efficiency. The operator will have sheets for each model of catamaran to be able to preconfigure the trailer with skids positioned in the right place and at the right height. Several sets of skids are supplied, depending on the more or less flat shape of the basket. These can be changed. Compared to the solutions with wedges, we gain in efficiency and wedging. We already have references for many models of Lagoon, Catana, Bali or Fountaine-Pajot" reports Vincent Harnois.
Responding to the need for multihull handling
While the catamaran fleet has continued to grow, there are few ports able to take out large units. "We are responding to a problem, with an active catamaran market, but few people able to take them out of the water. In Lorient, we take them out at the fishing port, but it's not satisfactory," says Nautipark's technical sales representative. The product seems to find its customers. Nautipark will have delivered 8 Parklev Cata trailers in 1 year in France and in the French overseas territories. The company is targeting European ports of call and tour boaters to meet their maintenance needs.
