Missing The Mark...

[Joe11688]

I keep reading that you can't use rollers on a trailer with a Mac, yet my 26S was on a trailer with rollers when I bought it 2 years ago, and it still is. Ther are no dimples in the hull, and the hull is not flattened when the boat is on the trailer. It seems to me that if you have ENOUGH rollers, or roller area, that there should be no problem. I also don't need the Mac Bump- I just crank it on in after I pull out of the water. -Paul

You're one of the lucky ones Paul. If you can get away with it, that's the way to go if you do a lot of trailering. I once owned a Sanibel 17 in the 1980's with a hull that was so thin that you could dimple it by pushing on it with your hand. Thank God I got rid of of that boat. When I bought my O'Day 222 in the boat show, the dealer also had Catalina 22's on bunk trailers. He told me that you couldn't use a roller trailer on the Catalina 22's because the keel would go through the hull if you put the weight of the boat on it. I liked the Catalina 22 and the way that it looked inside the cabin with the dinette table, but I didn't want a boat on a bunk trailer. Back then I was doing a lot of trailering and rollers was the way to go. Today I have a mooring and my Long Mfg. flat bunk tandem trailer if good enough for the amount of use that I get out of it which is twice a season.

 

[NC-C320]

Lubricating Bunks - Closing the Gap

Keep in mind that when you spray the bunks with a lubricant to make the boat easier to slip forward with the winch, the same lubricant can cause your boat to slide off the bunks sideways also if you get into an emergency situation...tight curve, maneuver to avoid something, trailer tire runs off the road or hits a rough spot.

On our Catalina 22, we were able to eliminate most of the gap betwen the bow and bow roller/stop by bringing the boat on the trailer to the stop with winch, moving the vehicle a a foot or so up the ramp....boat bow begins to swing away from the bow stop as described in the other posts, stop, winch the boat again until it reaches the bow stop. Move the truck and trailer another foot and repeat the process. Do this 3-4 times.....it drives the power boaters who are waiting nuts, however. By doing this, the most of the boat's weight is supported by the water, not the trailer bunks. Watch carefully as to what is happening between the boat hull and front of the bunks because you are putting lots of stress there. Finish the job with the MacGregor bump mentioned before, or if this doesn't work, place a rubber spacer block between the bow stop and the bow eye, and tighten winch to close the gap to trap and hold the spacer. A rubber V shaped trailer stop from the nearest boat supply house will do the job.

 

[Joe11688]

Keep in mind that when you spray the bunks with a lubricant to make the boat easier to slip forward with the winch, the same lubricant can cause your boat to slide off the bunks sideways also if you get into an emergency situation...tight curve, maneuver to avoid something, trailer tire runs off the road or hits a rough spot.

On our Catalina 22, we were able to eliminate most of the gap betwen the bow and bow roller/stop by bringing the boat on the trailer to the stop with winch, moving the vehicle a a foot or so up the ramp....boat bow begins to swing away from the bow stop as described in the other posts, stop, winch the boat again until it reaches the bow stop. Move the truck and trailer another foot and repeat the process. Do this 3-4 times.....it drives the power boaters who are waiting nuts, however. By doing this, the most of the boat's weight is supported by the water, not the trailer bunks. Watch carefully as to what is happening between the boat hull and front of the bunks because you are putting lots of stress there. Finish the job with the MacGregor bump mentioned before, or if this doesn't work, place a rubber spacer block between the bow stop and the bow eye, and tighten winch to close the gap to trap and hold the spacer. A rubber V shaped trailer stop from the nearest boat supply house will do the job.

That sounds like a good idea. I'll give that a try in the fall. I'm not in favor of doing the "McGregor bump" with my boat on the trailer, though. You bring up some good points about the lubricant.