Dean Taylor: For his next trick, another winner

The Floating trailer can be turned into a boat, a jetty, a drydock or a hay slide - among other things.

Dean Taylor revisits the innovation centre at National Fieldays

When you talk to Stephen Snedden of Otahuhu, Auckland, about his inventions and ideas you can't help to be drawn in by his enthusiasm.

This year was his fourth trip to the Innovation Centre at National Fieldays, this year to show off his versatile Floater Trailer.

But even when his is promoting a trailer he can't help but talk about his "pride and joy", the Sea Hull plastic moulded catamaran.

And that isn't the start of his engineering and inventing successes.

He qualified as a fitter and turner at the Glenbrook Steel Mill, winning the 1989 National Youth Skills Olympics en route.

Snedden then became involved with an inventor/innovator on other projects, including the 1999 Fieldays Invention-winning adjustable spanner.

The founder and research and development director of Sea Hull International came up with his latest invention the usual way -- out of necessity.

Snedden says he needed a trailer for his boat and -- as is his way -- it needed to be something different and better than the norm.

It was actually the need for a floating jetty that put him on track for the Floating Trailer. He made an aluminium prototype and then made the mould for the plastic model he brought to Fieldays.

The trailer is designed to take one of his Sea Hull boats, a jetski or a small standard boat. It can also be used as a jetty, drydock, skid, hay slide, water slide -- or, being relatively flat, a trailer. Snedden says it tows well and can take a 500kg payload. The Floating Trailer has other party tricks -- not only can it float, but attach a small motor (up to about 15hp) and it becomes a boat. And it tilts and rotates for simple loading and unloading.

Snedden sold his boat and trailer from Fieldays, but says it is only takes a month to make another to order.

And he plans to be back at Fieldays in 2016 with another new product.

* If you are interested in the Floating Trailer, call Stephen Snedden on 021 945 789.