Hey everyone, I’m trying to figure out what kind of boat to get and could really use some advice. I’ve been eyeing a kayak, but I’m also exploring small boats that I can store in my garage (which is 18.5 feet deep). I know many of you may suggest boat storage outside of my houes but at this point I really just want to keep things simple..

 

I know bass boats are already off the table— even the smallest 16-footers with motor and trailer are over 19 feet. So I started to look at jon boats, like 14 or 16 feet. I’ve been checking out the Tracker Grizzly 1648SC (i like the look and simplicity, as well as the price), but with the boat/motor/trailer setup, it’s around 20’4”. The standard trailer doesn’t come with a swing tongue either, so I’m not sure if even with a smaller motor (like 9.99 hp) and a swing tongue trailer, it would fit in the garage.

 

At this point, I’m starting to think I might be out of options…maybe I should just get a Kayak. but figured I’d throw it out there in case someone’s got some miracle suggestion. Any ideas or advice? Appreciate any input!

Many trailers have swing away tongues that shorten them by almost 2 ft.

I have also saw many garages with an extension out the back for extra room. Build another garage or an enclosed carport. At our previous home we had a 6' tall privacy fence which I added three sides to and created an enclosed shed for my 16' boat.  Think outside the box....

I had a tracker 160. Very similar to the grizzle and with the motor and tongue I was at almost 20’. You are correct that those models do not have a swinging off folding tongue.
 

The 15’ G3 tiller boats are at 18.6ft. If they had a foldable tongue that might be an option. 
 

Tell your wife,GF, or landlord you need a bigger garage. If you have a wife and a girlfriend you’ll end up living in the garage anyway. 

I suggest that you go to a dealer and tell them what you want to do and let them tell you what options might be available for you or call the boat manufacturer and ask them.

Grab your tape measure and look at some boats. You might be surprised what will fit in your garage. 

 

And remember, you can angle the boat and/or motor to gain a few inches here and there. 

 

My new boat is ~6" shorter than my old boat. 

 

There's a ton of articles about buying boats of all shapes and sizes right here: https://www.bassresource.com/bass-boats/buying

 

If you’re handy, you can add a swing tongue. 
 

otherwise you’re limited to a 15’ boat or so. I have a 19’6” garage and a 16’ would just barely fit. Instead I have a kayak. 

Building sheds, bump outs, and putting down new concrete isn't the solution here.  All that stuff is expensive and time consuming and might end up costing you more than the boat itself.

 

If you already know your garage depth, just limit your search to a rig to that size.  There has to be a 15 or 16 foot Jon boat out there that will fit in that space.  @Catt has one I think, maybe he can help you with that.

Several options using a 18’6 garage depth.

S few questions;

Is this a 2 car garage?

Roll up door or hinged door?

Do you have a work bench and cabinets reducing trailer area?

Boats don’t need to go straight back into the garage, you site the boat & trailer at an angle to shorten owner all length.

Tuck the OB all the way down and turn it to shorten the distance.

Trailers with swing tongs or removable tongue can only be shorten from the wench forward depending on frame design.

Lots of bass boats are stored outside using a good cover. Grizzely 16’ w/40 hp should fit into your garage with a removable tongue trailer. Check with your local dealer and discuss options.

My last bass boat was Triton SF175 (17’6”) w/115 optimax swing tongue trailer that fit straight back into my 19’6” garage w/ roll up door. At an angle it would fit into 18’6” deep garage. You have options!

Tom

K.I.S.S. 😉

 

18 hours ago, jjispig said:

I’ve been checking out the Tracker Grizzly 1648SC (i like the look and simplicity, as well as the price), 

 

When you buy it order a cover for the boat & outboard. Easier to find storage outside.

I have heard of guys converting a trailer to a swing tongue. Get a quote from a welding shop or a trailer manufacturer. 

Fulton and Reese make short weld on swing trailer tongue kits. It depends on the trailer frame shape how short the folded tongue is.

Tom

For the price of having a foldaway tongue built you could DIY a really nice boat cover. 

@WRB those are made from die cast steel. If he goes that root I would hope the weld shop knows to preheat the material. Most will probably think it is machined steel. Otherwise it will cause embrittlement. This will lead to cracking and failure. 

Perminate sand cast or investment cast steel not die cast. 5 star rating and thousands sold would indicate welding isn’t an issue. The installation instructions should provide a qualified welder the info needed. The bolt on units are a little longer, if the op doesn’t trust welding.

It’s an option but as Catt is saying  good boat cover and stored outside works for any length boat.

Tom

Thanks everyone for your input and ideas. My garage fits two cars, but I have to park my SUV inside year-round since I have a young kid. Leaving the car outside would make it way too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. So, that leaves me with limited space and I can't park the boat diagonally or at an angle. The swing-away tongue sounds like a great option, as some of you mentioned—it could really cut down the overall length, and that one foot might make all the difference.

 

Some manufacturers don’t provide the exact length info, and I can’t just go by the trailer length (with the swing-away tongue), since I’m not sure how it’ll all fit together. I guess I’ll need to bring a tape measure and visit some dealers to see what works. In the meantime, I’ll also think about getting a fishing kayak.

 

 

19 minutes ago, jjispig said:

Leaving the car outside would make it way too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

I used to have a 2 car garage. I parked my boat in there for 6 months and my truck in there for the other 6 months. The other half was occupied by my wife’s car for 12 months. There was absolutely no chance she would allow the boat to take up more than half the garage, so I limited my purchase options that fit in half the garage. It sounds like you want to do the same, which I think is the correct course of action here.

Looking at Bass Tracker Grizzly trailers the frame connects to the trailer tongue behind the wench, the tongue extends about 3’ in front of the wench that is bolted on and adjustable. 
it looks like the Fulton weld on swing tongue kit would save you about 24”.

Suggest going to a Tracker Dealer and determine if it’s possible to modify the trial to fit your 18’6” garage space before making a decision.

Tom

23 hours ago, gimruis said:

I used to have a 2 car garage. I parked my boat in there for 6 months and my truck in there for the other 6 months. The other half was occupied by my wife’s car for 12 months. There was absolutely no chance she would allow the boat to take up more than half the garage, so I limited my purchase options that fit in half the garage. It sounds like you want to do the same, which I think is the correct course of action here.

Exactly! I’ve got to keep the wife happy before diving into anything fishing-related. Glad you’ve found a setup that works for you

On 9/15/2024 at 7:43 PM, WRB said:

Perminate sand cast or investment cast steel not die cast. 5 star rating and thousands sold would indicate welding isn’t an issue. The installation instructions should provide a qualified welder the info needed. The bolt on units are a little longer, if the op doesn’t trust welding.

It’s an option but as Catt is saying  good boat cover and stored outside works for any length boat.

Tom

Unfortunately, we have a city bylaw that doesn’t allow boats to be parked in front of the house, like in my driveway. As far as I know, as long as my neighbor doesn’t report me, I won’t have any issues. But having a boat in front of my house is definitely going to be an eyesore, and I know my neighbors won’t tolerate that for long.

No need for welding. Some Fulton tongues are bolt on. 
 

https://www.fultonperformance.com/product/hdpb230101_trailer-tongue-bolt-on-hinge-kit