Too big Continental single axle trailer for Hobie Jet.

[RedBarron55]

I recently bought a Hobie Jet and it came with the largest Continental single axle trailer they make.
As result the trailer is a good bit too big. The boat is more than a foot from the rear of the bunks.
This trailer has adjustable axle, spring, and fenders that can be slid up and back to balance the boat for the right tongue weight.
My question is would it be better to move the boat and the axle to the rear and have a longer distance from the tow vehicle or move the boat and the axle forward and cut off the back of the trailer?
The trailer is a good bit wider that would be necessary for the Hobie Jet as well, but narrowing would bemore difficult. My thought is that since the wheels are outboard of the boat it could be made lower and easier to load or unload.
Any suggestions?

I have given some thought to adding walk boards to the front and perhaps down the sides to handle the boat when launching.
The step behind the fender and the frame is very handy for reaching into the boat and climbing in.
One issue is that the width of the trailer outside to outside of the wheels fills up the driveway.
I don't want to spend the money for a trailer as after I get a bad hub repaired this is a pretty good galvanized trailer.
Since I live in Navarre FL I don't have pull far to launch.

 

[swatski]

@RedBarron55 There were some good discussions of moving the post and the axle in the new Shorland'r trailers - for Yamahas - if you can find those threads by @Neutron, I'll look for it later.
An axle acts like a fulcrum and the front-back weight distribution over the trailer matters a lot for both comfort and safety. Lots of things to consider, including the capacity of your tow vehicle.
For example, the more weight up front of the trailer (w/axle further back) and the longer the tow hitch (distance between the vehicle axle and the coupler of the trailer) - the more weight on the tow hook.

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[RedBarron55]

Thanks for the reply.
I know that the trailer tongue needs to be 10 - 15% of the total weight of the trailer and boat.
The boat "should" weigh about 800 lbs and the trailer around 600 lbs so the tongue should be 150 - 210 lbs.
I use a 2016 Town and Country for towing and it is rated to tow 3500 lbs with a 350 lb tongue weight so that should be OK.
I can do some light duty fabricating and I have been looking at perhaps creating a tilt bed from this trailer.
My goal is to make the rig easy to launch and recover and not buy a new trailer.
As near as I can determine this is a Continental EW 1720V for a 15 - 17 foot boat.
Maybe it is not "too" big, but it takes up a lot of space.