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As mentioned, you are so overrated with a 1979 Newport sitting on a tandem axle trailer with 14" wheels, that it is ridiculous. You probably already know that. I carry my 1979 Montauk, approximately the same weight as your boat, on a single axle trailer with 13" wheels, and the trailer is rated for 2000# carrying capacity.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...9383618435

I even carry my Outrage 25 on a tandem axle with 215-75-R14" wheels, on a trailer rated for 6500# capacity.

So in your particular case, because of your huge excess capacity, I do not see a problem using passenger car tires, even good used ones. All of us have seen boat trailers with paassenger car tires, some with white walls, mounted either inside or out. When I bought my Montauk, it came on an EZ Loader trailer with inside mounted whitewall 14" tires! (which I quickly sold)

Now I don't know about Canadian laws, but in this country you can do it. It is not something I would normally recommend, and I don't do it because all of my trailers are properly sized for the load and therefore NEED trailer load range "C" rated tires, But in your case it seems like complete overkill to buy four 14" load rated "C" trailer tires, all of which have a rated capacity of 1768#, for a total of 7072# to carry a 1600# rig.

It is also interesting to note that all TRAILER tires have a warning on them "NOT FOR PASSENGER CAR USE". THAT SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT A PASSENGER CAR TIRE IS ACTUALLY A SAFER TIRE, although most have only a load range "B" rating. In your case load range "B" 14" tires are still overkill. Also, all passenger car tires are radials, and what are the best trailer tires now? Radials! So I don't see a problem.

So if budget is an issue, go for the used passenger car tires. But you really should consider getting a new trailer for the boat if you are doing any amount of serious trailering. If not, your grossly overrated tandem axle trailer with 14" wheels will work to get you around locally I am sure.