Charleston, S. C. - 48 Dodge

[Shoaldrafter]

48 Dodge:I notice that you claim Mt. Pleasant, SC. Some questions about the Charleston, SC area. Do you keep your boat in a slip? Private or at Marina? What local knowledge are you willing to divulge about small boat sailing in the port city?Do you know of anyplace you can rent a boat your size?Ed K26

 

[48dodge]

Oh yeah

Don't really know of the rental situation down here. I know there are some powerboat rentals. You can probably jump on a boat with CORA during one of their races. What are your plans? Vacation?

 

[Joe11688]

Bow support beam

Brad, Were you able to get your trailer out from under the front support without lowering the bunks? I like that set-up. It looks like 4X4s and 2X6s construction. All I'd need is a front support like that one. My four sailboats stands two on each side of my stern, plus my powerboat stand under my stern, would take care of that end of my boat. My hydraulic jack under the bow of my boat would get me the height needed for that front support. I think that I'm going to build on similar to yours.Joe

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Visit the Port City of Charleston, S.C.

Brad,I am four hours from Mt. Pleasant. My wife likes to visit the ocean a couple of times a year just to wet her toes. We often use the motels in Mt. Pleasant with a visit to the Isle of Palms. Foley Beach is an alternative. It would be neat to find a boat big enough to overnite on at a decent Marina. Many of the marinas in Charleston have gone private and the couple that are left have lloonngg waitin list or are in less desirable locations. We used to go to Myrtle Beach but that is too commercial and a hour's plus drive longer. Ed K26

 

[48dodge]

The front support

The sawhorse setup is much better than the what I built for the rear support. Yes, I was able to get the bunks to clear, but just barely. I knew it was going to be close when I built it, but I just didn't feel comfortable having the boat sit any higher than it is. The stand is built out of 2x8s doubled up and 4x4s. There are a few things I would have done differently. I probably would've done 2x4s or 2x6s doubled up for the vertical pieces so the 2x8s would match them width-wise. I also would've built the rear stand the same way I built the front, just on a smaller scale. I jacked the trailer and boat up all at once, the rear first, then built the rear stand. Lowered the rear of the trailer, then jacked the front up and built that stand. After lowering the trailer I had to lower the tongue to the ground to get the front supports to clear, the middles were fine, then I had someone help me lift the tongue up to about shoulder level to get the rear supports to clear. The link is to an earlier post I had about the stand with more pictures.Ed, ever since I've lived here I've probably gone to the beach maybe once a year. I still enjoy the ocean, just can't seem to drag myself out to the beach.

 

[Joe11688]

Thanks for the reply, Brad

A friend of mine raised his boat the same way you did by raising the trailer when he worked on his Mac 22. If you ever get a chance to pick up four sailboat stands real cheap it would really be worth your while. I bought mine new from Brownell's Boatyard in Matapoisett Ma. They build them right there. I bought the SB-3 stands for about $75.00 a piece, I think. Then I picked up a used powerboat stand for $15 in a yard sale. I use the powerboat stand under the bow because it's straight. The good thing about these stands is; You can take all four of them and put them on the stern, two on each side while the boat is on the trailer. Then take the powerboat stand and put it under the stern. Then, lay planks on the trailer in front of the keel somewhere and use a hydraulic jack to raise the bow while raising the stands a little at a time. As soon as the keel is off the trailer's keel board, I shore up under the keel with wood blocks. If something should go wrong, the boat will only fall on keel blocks sitting on the trailer. Like I've mentioned before, boat stands aren't meant to raise a boat, but these stands will raise my 222. The whole thing is being able to get the trailer out from under the boat. If I have to get at my centerboard to touch it up in a couple of years, I'm going to dig a hole under the keel and let the board down. I can't see taking that board out unless I really have to. I was very curious about the condition of the pin and any kind of marine growth in the slot, but now that I know that everything is good, I'm not going to bother removing it again from many years to come. In the fall, that boat is going to stay on the trailer with the wheels jacked up off the ground. Thanks again.Joe

 

[48dodge]

My boat driveway

I don't know how much I'd trust boat stands on my driveway. It's made out of those cheap river rock stepping stones set in concrete. Grass on one side and a sidewalk about 3 inches lower on the other side. No real good place to put stands, otherwise I'd look into it. With the way I did it, I was able to build the supports to match the ground. Also, I'll be able to break it down for the most part and store most of the pieces to reuse later.

 

[Joe11688]

Driveway

Brad,Last year, when they installed new city sewage on my street, I had a guy dig out to the street to connect my pipe into it. When he filled in the trench he made me a driveway with pea stone where I usually store my boat. I thought that it was going to be a problem, but it turned out OK. Prior to that though, I was setting my boat stands on the ground and never had a problem. Some guys lay small pieces of plywood under the legs of the stands and it works out pretty good. This year I needed to get at my keel to work on my centerboard, but most years when I've taken my boat off the trailer, I've always set it up so that the boat's keel is sitting on blocks taking the brunt of the weight and the stands are only keeping it straight and supporting the hull. I don't like leaving my boat's keel suspended for long unless the hull is also supported with blocked-up 6X6s on both sides of the keel. I'm going to look into getting a small metal eye beam that is long enough to get my trailer by it. My oldest son works for a rigger and has access to things like that which they take out of old buildings and sometime throw away. The stands for it, can be built out of wood like you did. He's going to weld me up a new Gin Pole from SS 1" pipe that I have. So first things first, I guess.Joe