Conference vicki::boats

    No big deal, just a few 2x4,s and a hydraulic car jack. Even the
    cheapest jack will lift 2 tons. Stick the 2x4s across under the
    boat, build up a stack of wood or cement blocks under each edge
    and jack away. Having 2 jacks is eaiser, but one will work. Actually
    for a boat of only 4000 pounds a 2x4 lever will lift one side at
    a time. I loaded a 27' sailboat, with more than 4000 pounds of ballast
    off of a cradle and onto a trailer with little trouble- at one point
    I had the entire boat ballanced on 2 1" dia hydraulic jacks with
    just one helper on either side for balance.

    I did the same job on the bunks of my last trailer..  Blocked the
    hull with 2x6's and used bottle jacks to unweight one side at a
    time, r&r the bunk and replace it, then repeat for the other side.
    Scribe lines outlining the position of the bunk braces on the trailer
    frame and all goes back together with a minimum of trial and error.
    
    I suppose you could block the whole thing..at each rear corner and
    at the keel in the bow (I see boats sitting on that three point
    stance, on the ground, in marinas) and do it all at once, but that
    method doesnt look like very much support for the hull to me.
    

    I had to get my 21' 4000lb boat up off one side of the trailer to
    replace a roller and followed a similar procedure to .2. Cut a
    V in a 4x4 to fit the keel and a  piece of 2x6 on the side to
    jack up and lifted up one side and left the other support by the
    tailer. Just try to distribute the weight when you jack it up.
    
    Bruce

All the jacking/blocking suggestions sound great; but, what about hull support?
The trailer provides some 30 feet of 2x6 bunk bearing surface.  With only three
pressure points as in the two blocks at stern, one at bow, there is a lot of
weight at the blocks.  I am concerned that the jack might stress the hull in
some manner.  If this isn't a concern, then blocking and jacking is surely easy
to do and I've got plenty of blocks and jacks.

Thanks for the ideas.


Russ

    Back the Boat up to a tree, If you dont have a tree dig in your
    anchor in back of the boat. Tie the transom of to the tree or anchor.
    
    Position wooden blocks, old car tires, or foam on port and stbrd
    aft. undo all straps, and winch buckle- DON"T UNDO WINCH CABLE!
    Put winch in free spool or the reverse position.
    
    SLOWLY- Drive away, The boat will start to slide off trailer.
    
    As transom touches supports , gently drive forward until only bow
    is on trailer. Position Support under Bow.
    
    Drive trailer out from under boat. Undo winch cable.
    
    To Reload. Undo trailer from Truck and winch trailer under boat,
    Don't try to winch boat onto trailer.
    
    This is the Safest Easy Method.
    
                                             Walt
    
    P.S> Be sure outdrive or Outboard is tilted up!

    I clean the underside of my boat every year by hanging it up by
    the lifting rings (you know those things that were "designed" into
    the boat for just that purpose).  Actually since I have only one
    hanging winch I attach it to the bow ring and block up the transom.
    
    The procedure:  Wind the front of the trailer all the way down to
    the ground.  Place blocks/wood/carpenter's horses under the corners
    of the transom (about 1 foot under is fine).  Of course, you should
    use some significant blocking here, don't just stack 2x4's!  Crank
    the front of the trailer up so that the boat is level.  Then hook
    the chainfall to the lifting ring and crank it up.  What happens
    is that the transom comes off the trailer first, then you use the
    winch to lift the bow.  Then you can "walk" the trailer out from
    under the boat, make repairs, walk it back under, and lower the
    boat using the reverse of the above procedure.
    
    The above obviously works for boats with relatively flat-bottomed
    transoms.  I guess if you have significant pitch to the bottom at
    the transom corners you'll have to either hang the transom up too
    or figure out something else.
    
    A variation of the above if you don't have a garage with a hanging
    winch is drive the boat under a tree with STRONG branches, hang a
    chain and hook around a branch, attach the hook to the bow ring,
    jack the bow up (with trailer) to some height, tighten the chain,
    then lower the jack until the boat hangs.  The height you have to
    jack it up to will depend on how high you were able to lift the
    transom.  Should work though...
    
    I do this every year and it works fine, although being the chicken
    that I am I put a "V-shaped" block under the keel near the bow after
    the trailer is pulled out.  Since I have to lay under the boat and
    rub/clean/polish I feel much safer with ground-based support in
    the bow as well as the transom.  Do what works, but do it SAFELY!
    
    					...Roger...

    .6 is real close, but try this!
    
    Back trailer/boat into garage stall.
    
    Drop tongue to lowest position.
    
    Hook chain from port and starboard stern lifting eyes to heavy lag/eye
    bolts in the house center beam (sorry, guess I didn't mention type
    of house). 
    
    Raise tongue to highest.
    
    Hook chain from bow eye to heavy lag/eye bolt in center of the garage 
    door header.
    
    Level trailer and pull out from under for a clear access to the
    entire hull.
    
    Works great,
    Jerry
     

Thanks for all of the ideas.  I didn't realize that the stern and bow eyes
could be used to LIFT a boat of this size.  My garage is not quite big enough
(and it is truss construction), so I won't try this inside; however, I think
that I can work up something outdoors.  The hull is a DEEP-V, so transom
blocking is difficult; however, if the outer lifting strakes can take the load
they will make good stren stabilizing points.

Thanks again for the hints.


Russ

    NOTE: A Bow lifting ring is not the same ring as the one thats used
          to winch the boat onto a trailer. 

    RE: .8 (regarding .9)
    
    YES YES YES  ...  Please listen to .9 !  Make sure you use the rather
    tough-looking rings on the deck (both forward and aft), and NOT
    the "U-bolt" style ring on the descending part of the nose (the
    one used to winch the boat onto the trailer).  I'd bet a paycheck
    that you'll rip that ring right out of the boat if you try to lift
    it by that one.  Good luck.
    
    					...Roger...

    Another Whaler owner says "make that two paychecks".
    
    Jerry
    

    That'll teach me to open my mouth so soon.  I really don't know
    much about Whalers.  But hey, they're so darn light anyway that
    they can probably get away with bolting the rings together.  Pardon
    me while I remove my foot from my mouth.  :-)
    
    OK Jeanne, you're a Whaler owner...you gonna get in on this? :-)
    
    					...Roger...

    Hey Roger,
         It's not just the Whalers, my Master Craft is also done that
    way.  You better crawl under there and take a look!
    
    Rob
    

    
    Better take out a loan Roger, you owe me too!  And I make BIG bucks!
    :>)
    
    Jeanne 

    RE: .last several ...
    
    Since my experience is essentially limited to ski boats I must admit
    that other types of boats probably have different setups, especially
    if the boat is much lighter than the boats I'm used to.  But the
    the principle is the same.  The "winching" ring is not a lifting
    ring unless it is specified as a lifting ring.  On most ski boats
    the forward "winching" ring is in such a position that hooking a
    chain onto it and pulling vertically would do serious damage to
    the nose of the boat.  On Mastercrafts there are two "U-bolts" mounted
    on the vertical part of the stern on either side that are designed
    to lift the boat using a picture-hanging-type hookup, that is you
    hook a chain between the two rings and then you lift the boat by
    the center of the chain.  I've seen many MC's hanging in boat houses
    this way.  It frees up the aft deck from having something that ropes
    get caught on, etc.  OK idea, I guess.  But hey Rob, if you think
    you can lift your Mastercraft by the front winching ring, I want
    to be there to watch (standing 50 yards away, thank you).
    
    The fact that the two rings in the bow are "through-bolted" together
    does not say that either ring can be used to lift the boat.  My
    point earlier was to enforce someone's point about using the correct
    ring for lifting.
    
    RE: .15

    >> Better take out a loan Roger, you owe me too!  And I make BIG bucks!
    
    That's OK, 'cuz I don't!!!  :-)  :-)  :-)
    
    					...Roger...

    
    Re: ...Roger...

    > I've seen many MC's hanging in boat houses...
    
    	Right there where those MCs belong!!!
    
    Rick

    RE: Rick
    
    Thanks dude.  I was wondering when I'd get some support around here...
    I've been getting hammered about his paycheck thing...  :-)
    
    					...Roger...
    
    Hey buddy, got a dime?

    Has anyone tried to replace the carpeting on trailer bunks with a
    low friction material such as 1/4" polyethlene? I've almost decided that
    this is the solution for ease of launching instead of putting roller
    bunks in place of my carpeted bunks. BTW I just bought a Ranger
    cherokee series aluminum boat. It's 16' 10" and weighs 1100lbs without
    the motor and gear. 
    
    					Thanks in advance
    
    						Jim
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    WD40, it's cheaper 8^)

    The idea with bunk style trailers is to float the boat.  If I can't get
    my trailer in the water far enough its almost impossible to get it off.
    Substituting some other material on the bunk is a non issue, bunk
    trailers weren't designed to have the boat slide off.  If you want your
    boat to slide or roll off you need a roller style trailer.
    
    
    

    Jim, I wasn't kidding with my WD40 comment.  One guy in my club was
    having the same problem, sprayed his bunks, now doesn't dare take his 
    strap off until he is in the water. It can make a BIG difference. Just
    don't spray too much the first time. -donmac
    
    ps: those tin rangers are the nicest alum bass boats I've seen,
    congrats

    Thank Guys for you input.
    
    I priced the material and for $64 I just might give it a try. The
    reason I don't want to go with the rollers is that the Ranger Trail
    trailer is a first class, all welded (reads no adjustments) trailer. Also
    I'm concerned about making the 20 hull warranty null and void if 
    I change the type of support from the manufacturer. I've seen divits
    that rollers put into the hull after years of trailering. I'm looking
    for a quick and easy way to launch in areas that have shallow launches
    yet enough water to float the boat. I had this problem with my other
    Ranger and this was on my wish list for my next boat, along with the
    low mainantence of an aluminum boat etc..
    
    
    					Jim ("Still buying boats, 
    							one at a time")

My Boston Whaler Montauk owner's manual clearly said "no rollers." My
aluminum Sea Nymph owner's manual clearly says "no rollers." 

I use WD-40 on the carpeted bunks on my little trailer, and it's
slicker'en snot. I renew it every now and then, just before I back down
to retrieve the boat. Also, I have *some* of the weight supported by the
keel rollers; probably half the weight is on the carpeted bunks.

Art

    
    
    Just as a point of reference, my trailer has rollers on the cross
    members but they don't support the boat. As the boat is being loaded 
    these rollers deflect the keel of the boat so it dosen't get scratched. 
    I use to use spray silicone onto my carpeted bunks and it worked
    prettty good but still not like rollers.
    
    					Jim

	   The owners manual for my little Whaler states that it should
	be fully supported by the keel rollers.  For this boat the bunks
	are only for positioning, -not- for load carrying.

	   If you replace carpeting with (insert your favorite hard,
	slippery material here) like teflon, nylon, etc. you will eventually
	get sand etc. embedded in the material where it will be an abrasive
	every time the boat is moved on the trailer.  It can't be avoided,
	a little road grit gets in between the boat and the bunk and the
	boat changes its position on the trailer as it's being launched, or
	maybe you beach the boat to go get the trailer and it has some
	beach sand on it....  To me, what it boils down to is that carpet
	has proven to be the best compromise on bunks.  Babble, babble....

					B.C.

    I guess I'll be calling Ranger.
    Let you all know what they say...

    Just got off the phone with the Ranger rep and he said no problem
    with the PE on the bunks. He thought it was a better idea than rollers
    because of the divits in the hull problem which could void the
    warranty. He said that the paint will be scratched off with this 
    plan as well as with the carpets on the bunks. So it didn't matter.
    
    					Jim (waiting for ice-out, AGAIN...)
    

I'm a little late joining in here, but I have some experience that I'd
like to share.  I bought a '58 Thompson on an '83 EZ Loader roller trailer
a few years ago, and I had to change the trailer over to a bunk type because
the rollers were causing warping problems in the hull (hogged hull, etc).

From what I learned, mostly from what I think is called Northeast Trailer
out of Oxford, MA, is that the boat should be supported primarily by the
keel rollers, as others have stated for other boats. I forget the amount
of pressure that's on the side bunks, but it's not all that much.  THey're
mostly for balancing as opposed to support.   If the ranger still is hard
to get off/on after using the PE or WD40, I'd think about raising the center
rollers or lowering the bunks (if adjustable).

It's a lot different launching from and retrieving onto a bunk trailer vs
a roller type.   More, deeper water is definitely needed for the bunks.
However, for my wooden boat I had no choice - I've since straightened the
hull, and it's stayed straight with the bunks.  

One thing I haven't tried but shouldda thought of, is the WD40 (ie, one of
the essential components of any survival kit, along with duct tape ;-) on the
bunks...  that'll have to wait till spring.

/Ken