keel guide measurements
Do you have the dimensions for the keel guides on your trailer? My trailer is not equipped and I'd like to add them before haul out at the end of the season. Thanks.
Hi Shaubby,
I'm going to take a stab at this. I don't consider myself a technical writer, so please bear with my descriptions.
The perimeter frame rail of my trailer is made from 1.5"x4" c-channel steel.
The upper keel guide frames are made of 2.5"x2.5" angle iron.
The keel guide height from the lower A-shaped frame to the upper one is about 12.5".
The length of the upper keel guide frame rail is about 62".
There is a cross member frame brace that goes from side to side, and it is positioned 56.25" from the rear corner of the trailer. It has a bend in it to lower the middle by about 6.25". The outside width of the frame at this brace is 71".
At the rear of the trailer, the outside frame width at the bunk towers (very corners of the trailer) is 70.25", and inside width is about 63.75".
The axle is positioned about 64.25" forward from the rear corners.
The keel guide bunks that I used are made of a 2"x8"x10' board that I just cut in half. I used one of my angle grinders with a sanding flap wheel to round the nose of the bunk boards after I cut a 45 degree angle on it.
My plan is to use garden hose for the "rub rails" on the bunks themselves. I figure I will slit them open, screw them on with the slit facing down, and have a bunch of rows of them. (I plagiarized this idea from a couple of boats I saw at the Arlington Yacht Club just before it closed.) This should provide good protection for the keel, prevent the screw heads from scratching, allow for better water drainage than carpeting, and slide better to boot. Add a layer of wax and don't bother to buff it out, and I can't see it not working.
By the way, please use these measurements as a starting place to get an idea. Mocking things up using cardboard and 1x's will provide the proof of concept for the design you use, and may prevent making unnecessary mistakes.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Jerry