Reply With QuoteI've reloaded both ways & leaving the trailer connected to the car is by far the best way.
Load the boat (winch it on off the grass with the car uncoupled so the trailer rolls under the boat and the boat more or less stays in one place) tie the boat down at the rear as for travel and then crawl under the trailer and jack up or lower all the rollers so they are all equally easy or hard to turn
Have fun but its worth doing well.
Cheers
Chimo
I've reloaded both ways & leaving the trailer connected to the car is by far the best way.
I disagree, too hard on the arms and the trailer lifting it up off the ground.
On the other hand if you slid the boat off so its been stored at trailer height ie sitting a couple of feet off the ground then maybe...........
Originally Posted by Fed
My 2c...
There are many ways to 'skin the cat', so to speak... It really depends on the type of boat, size of boat, same for the trailer, AND to a large extent the capability and experience of the dude/chick in charge of the task.
Have a real good think about it first, think some more, then choose the method that best suits your situation!
I grew up in a family boating business where we regularly slipped glass boats to ~33ft off trailers for various reasons.
Always had the boat 'secured/anchored' to something for getting off (and on - until the boat was 'stable enough'), and mostly always at trailer level for getting off and on, mostly used the car hooked to the trailer - otherwise a trolley jack under the front and/or back of the trailer (as required). Never had an issue, BUT we had the luxury of a big workshop with level slab and lots of anchor points cast into slab, lots of stands, beams, cradles etc, and 99% of the time the boat was coming off the trailer for some time, not just to swap trailers.
If you leave the boat on tyres for some time be wary that both rubber and gelcoat are petroleum/carbon based. Black marks can appear and can sometimes be very difficult to remove without minor abrasive work & a cut & polish etc.
I have also worked for a major tinny manufacturer for 5 yrs where we regularly had to dump boats (up to 6.5m) , change boats, change trailers etc, and sometimes very quickly. Majority were 'motored' boats, all were on to hardstand (concrete or bitumen), and many times just a few strips of timber for protection. Cars hooked on, cars off, sometimes with tyres under boats, all dependant on the situation and number of people involved etc. Obviously as the boat got bigger, and if motor was installed, the task needed more care.
All methods stated in this whole thread (and others too) will work safely so long as enough thought goes in to the process. Sometimes one method may suit best, but under a different situation, another method may be better.
'Ave a beer' and have a good think first. If things start to look ugly, don't go past the 'point of no return' before you pull the pin and try another method
Cheers
Brendon
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Thanks guys - Great input.
Looks like we are going to give it a whirl this week. Have some mates coming over to assist.
Hey - Here's a question....
Am I right in thinking that the winch post takes all the weight of the boat during braking and accelerating?
Yes, there is a strap that holds the rear down - but that just keeps it from bouncing. But when you hit the brakes while driving, all the weight moving forward appears only to be stopped by the winch post! Seems like a lot to ask of when the boat weighs over a tonne! Even worse considering the boat is on all rollers!!
Am I missing something?
Your car can't brake or accelerate enough to hurt the post or plate.
Really?? So doing 100 and throwing out the anchors won't hurt the post? When the boat just wants to roll forward. Wow!!
There should be an extra tie down point at the front just near the base of your winch post you can attach another safety chain to......This will be the point that will take a lot of the inertia out of the heavy braking situation.......Most people will run a chain from this point to the hull tow point of the boat with a turn buckle/rigging screw....it is usually angled back a little so it's already under a bit of load.........Have a look on your trailer for something like an extra chain link welded to either the base plate of the winch post or directly on the main draw bar.......You'll work it out.
Dan
Confidence.......the feeling you get before you fully understand the situation.
This is the sort of thing that will assist to hold the boat on the trailer when you stop suddenly. Not sure if it should be totally relied on when you run head first into a tree or similar object but for all other situations worth having
Cheers
Chimo
Ok cool! Mine doesn't have that, but nothing a welder won't fix.
A while back there was a pretty good thread about load restraints and by memory the forward/reverse restraints have to be rated at 50% of the weight of the load.
For a 1000Kg boat that means forward/reverse restraint of 500Kg so your winch post is fine.
Don't tighten any tie down straps simply take the slack out otherwise you risk hull or trailer damage.
The picture Chimo put up is problem waiting to happen, see the gap between the boat and the bow stop rubber...
Ok Lads - We have successfully completed the transfer from one to the other. We took the winch post off and pulled it from one trailer to the next. Not as easy as I would have liked - it took some working out, and a trolly jack was much needed, and helped.
We have set the trailer up as best as we think with roller heights etc, have the rollers where we think they should be. If you guys want to have a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts, I would be grateful.
I have the boat sitting so the last roller is about 100mm from the back end of the boat. The winch looks awfully low, but it seems to be right.
Can I ask - re the rollers, we have most of the weight on the centre spine rollers, and the wobbles just there to stabilise. Would that be right?
Cheers
J
Well now I've seen a photo i understand how that solution works
Thanks for posting
Even weight on all if you want it to roll on and off easily.
Dont forget to rig up a means of slowly releasing the boat into the water when on the ramp. I use a climbing "8" to control the rope and he boat. Rollers do roll!
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