Difficulty loading my '85 Hunter 23 properly on trailer.

Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
I have seen where owners disengaged the racheting or the brake mechanism failed. There is no one single solution for everyone which is why addressing this issue, I look for specfics and that goes back to my investigative days. Swing keels are different from fixed keels and that is one issue when asking what type of keel. The issue I referred to was a swing style boat where the weight of the boat rest on the bunk boards when being pulled out and then lowering the swing keel onto the tray. Again each situation has to be looked at differently which I am saying here.
 
Apr 27, 2010
1,236
Hunter 23 Lake Wallenpaupack
I think that by "the boat rotates where the front edge of the keel hits the trailer as you drive out" Brian means this, which is about what I observe:
Because (when you first start) the trailer is at an angle and the boat is level, when the bow is as far forward as it will go (limited in my case by how far in you can winch the strap on the eye, without breaking it off) the keel is not directly above where it should end up. As you pull the trailer out, the front lower "corner" of the keel rests against the wood/carpet keel tray, and the boat is still not at the same angle as the trailer, so the rear of the keel is not yet sitting on the tray. As you proceed pulling to get it "unfloating", the boat tilts back to the same angle as the trailer, with its pivot point being the front corner of the keel. That tilting action pulls back on the winch strap and eye, and if they were pulled in too tightly to start, the leverage can damage the eye. To avoid this stress, I don't pull in quite all the way on the winch strap, leaving just a bit of slack - I'd guess about 2, maybe 3 inches less than fully tightened. That means the boat ends up a bit further back than ideal.
Since it only has to move about a couple of hundred yards and at a slow speed, I have never needed to try to drag it forward to solidly attach to the trailer.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
.. Swing keels are different from fixed keels and that is one issue when asking what type of keel. The issue I referred to was a swing style boat where the weight of the boat rest on the bunk boards when being pulled out and then lowering the swing keel onto the tray. Again each situation has to be looked at differently which I am saying here.
Is the swing keel cable/winch lifted or or threaded rod with a crank?

My boat swing keel is lift with a cable and winch, so as long as I don't raise it all the way, the weight sits on the trailer keel rollers. Since it can swing freely, it finds its own resting point, and the cable just goes slack. This means it can always be supported by the trailer, and does not have to be "adjusted" down after the boat comes out of the water. Either way, if the OP's ultimate goal is to position the boat, once the swing keel is lowered, that should remove a substantial amount of weight off the bunks, so the boat should slide if the keel is resting on a roller or movable (wood) plate.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Daveinet;

I came on board with Hunter about the time that specific keel on the 23 was phased out as there accorinding to my information there were only 10 made that way with the rest being wing keel. I had hull #12 I think.
Ideally, I told my customers to winch or retract the keel all the way and when properly seated on the trailer, lower the swing keel onto the keel tray. Never transport or store the boat on any trailer with the swing keel up but with it down on the keel tray. I also suggested that you lock the line in place so when launching it will not fall down accidentally
 
Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
Exactly as Peter describes below is what happens when you pull the boat out of the water and why it's not up toght.

Funny thought, a fourth option would be to take a bandsaw to the keel, put a 3-inch chamfer on that bottom corner. Problem solved!

Also Dave, when I say "winch it up" , I use a come-along from the BOTTOM of the winch post, around the back of the keel, and back up to the winch post. I partly ripped the eye out on my first attempt loading the boat, ten years ago. Learned that lesson fast :-X , LOL

I had no idea the swing keel was 1 of 10! The keel on my boat was the same as the rudder, foam and fiberglass. It had some pretty serious floatation. The pull-up line had no mechanical advantage at all and was attached to the 5' long foil about 4" from the pivot bolt. It was basically impossible to lift the foil off the bunks using it.

I think that by "the boat rotates where the front edge of the keel hits the trailer as you drive out" Brian means this, which is about what I observe:
Because (when you first start) the trailer is at an angle and the boat is level, when the bow is as far forward as it will go (limited in my case by how far in you can winch the strap on the eye, without breaking it off) the keel is not directly above where it should end up. As you pull the trailer out, the front lower "corner" of the keel rests against the wood/carpet keel tray, and the boat is still not at the same angle as the trailer, so the rear of the keel is not yet sitting on the tray. As you proceed pulling to get it "unfloating", the boat tilts back to the same angle as the trailer, with its pivot point being the front corner of the keel. That tilting action pulls back on the winch strap and eye, and if they were pulled in too tightly to start, the leverage can damage the eye. To avoid this stress, I don't pull in quite all the way on the winch strap, leaving just a bit of slack - I'd guess about 2, maybe 3 inches less than fully tightened. That means the boat ends up a bit further back than ideal.
Since it only has to move about a couple of hundred yards and at a slow speed, I have never needed to try to drag it forward to solidly attach to the trailer.
 
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