bottom painting

[tom demarest]

hi,any tricks for bottom painting the whole boat while it's on the trailer,resting on runners? thanx

 

[Bill O'D]

Try this

Back up the trailer onto a pair of sturdy metal ramps your father used to change the oil on the car. It will give you much easier access to everywhere but the rails on which the boat rests. Don't worry about those.

 

[Benny]

Yeah, use the same color of paint

so it wont be noticed that you did not paint under the runners. Make sure you get as much of the inside trunk and centerboard as you can. I'm serious, short of lifting it and setting it on stands there is not much you can or should do.

 

[Jeff]

Another solution

I had a Chrysler 22 and used the following methoda few times. I put the tongue of the trailer all the way down onthe ground to raise the stern up into the air. I builta wood cradle unter the stern to support it. Then,jack up the tongue. This brings the rear of the trailerdown with the stern supported by the cradle(or stands)Jack the bow up high enough to level the boat. Next,using cinder blocks stacked on each side of the bow,use something like heavy square tubing or a couple of4X4 lumber to span the cinder blocks under the bow.use some carpet or build a small v out of wood to supportthe bow. (I used the trailer tonge extension from thetrailer and another piece of square tubing about the samesize side by side with some carpet folded on tope of it)If your bow support and cinder blocks are wide enough and high enough, you can pull the trailer out. I think once Ihad to let the air out of the trailer tires to get it out.Or you can leave the trailer under the boat. You should haveenough clearance to get between the bunks and the boat bottom.I had bolted together the cradle I made so that I could take it appart for storage and use it again. I've also hung the Chrysler 22 from a heavy duty car/RV portusing the factory bow and stern lifting eyes. On a ColumbiaSabre 32ft., we used a sling,come along, and a heavy tree branch to raisethe bow to get clearance to pull the trailer out with a cradle built under the stern. We then supportedthe bow with pieces of dock foam flotation. It's really nice to have a method to get the boat up offthe trailer. Now that I have a Hunter 31, those days are over!