Help!! Did I make a huge mistake?
- Thread starter reefsider
- Start date
Thanks RJD
I noticed that one of my trailer bunks is pretty rotten.
Is there an easy way to remove the boat from the trailer and put it on stands? Without a crane of course lol.
I noticed that one of my trailer bunks is pretty rotten.
Is there an easy way to remove the boat from the trailer and put it on stands? Without a crane of course lol.
I'm not sure if you were trying to pull the tongue out like it is in the pic, but if so I imagine it was stiff. I always put my jack down until the extension floats in the trailer then it just pulls right out...
I've of people lowering the trailer jack all the way down then building a stand for the rear of the hull out of lumber. When you jack the trailer back up to hook to your vehicle it picks everything but the bow of the boat off the trailer, then you can use a cherry picker or a hoist thrown over a tree branch to pick up the front and pull your trailer out and build a stand for the front. I'm not sure this would work with the curved bunks on Catalina trailers though.
Stingy Sailor replaced his bunks with the boat on the trailer, you can read how on his site.
I've of people lowering the trailer jack all the way down then building a stand for the rear of the hull out of lumber. When you jack the trailer back up to hook to your vehicle it picks everything but the bow of the boat off the trailer, then you can use a cherry picker or a hoist thrown over a tree branch to pick up the front and pull your trailer out and build a stand for the front. I'm not sure this would work with the curved bunks on Catalina trailers though.
Stingy Sailor replaced his bunks with the boat on the trailer, you can read how on his site.
Reefsider: now that you have the extension, how do you plan to finish it? Mine is becoming increasingly "sticky" - I'm thinking of sand blasting it, then painting it, and then greasing the outside of it with marine grease. Others in my local boatyard are unpainted and greased - we're at a freshwater lake.
What are your thoughts on finishing it?
- Bob
What are your thoughts on finishing it?
- Bob
Dzl - yea this is how I pulled it out, attached to the car. I did it like that because of where I put the jack. The force of the weight of the boat is pushing down and the jack will but applying some force in the opposite direction. When I loaded up the jack the first thing that happens is the outer tube lifts a bit relieving the pressure of the tongue weight. Originally I had tried to pull it out with a jack under frame of the front and the trailer tied to a tree in back. Used a sledge then tried the car. Didn't work. The bottle jack made it easy.
Bob - to finish it I planned to wire the inside of the tube with steel wool or something I can force through and clean it out. Then acetone then rust paint. The extension itself I will wire brush with a wheel on a drill. Then acetone then rust paint. I may use marine grease after or I may just leave the extension out of the trailer when not in use.
Bob - to finish it I planned to wire the inside of the tube with steel wool or something I can force through and clean it out. Then acetone then rust paint. The extension itself I will wire brush with a wheel on a drill. Then acetone then rust paint. I may use marine grease after or I may just leave the extension out of the trailer when not in use.
On the trailer tongue extension I wouldn't use paint in any case. Marine grease will seep deeply into the pores of the metal much better than paint will. Cleaning out the inside tube the best you can is a great idea, I bet there is a lot of rust in there. Some type of spray that breaks down rust would be the best thing. Use an electrician's wire fish to pass a string through the tube, the tie a couple bunched up rags to the string. Soak the inside of the tube and rags with a rust penetrant. Pull the rags through... You'll probably have to spray and soak then let sit, the do a few few pulls with rags, spray and let sit and repeat... It will be annoying and take a while but it will probably be as clan as it will get. Get a good thick coating of grease on the inside... Wire brush and steel wool the extension, the rust spray will help clean up the fine rust when you get the big stuff off. I wouldn't worry about getting it to clean, shiny metal... just go 95%. Get the most 'sticky' marine breast you can find and brush it on with a chip brush, don't be shy.
The reason extendable tongues rust and stick is because people don't do annual maintenance! Before laying up for the winter pull it and give a thick coat of grease.
BTW, paint is not water proof... Water molecules eventually work their way under the paint and you end up with bubbling rust. Grease will really work its way into the metal and keep it from rusting as long as you keep up with the grease!
The reason extendable tongues rust and stick is because people don't do annual maintenance! Before laying up for the winter pull it and give a thick coat of grease.
BTW, paint is not water proof... Water molecules eventually work their way under the paint and you end up with bubbling rust. Grease will really work its way into the metal and keep it from rusting as long as you keep up with the grease!
You don't need a crane, but what you do need is a 'small crane', an engine hoist or 'cherry picker'. Usually most people have a friend who is a car guy who will have one to borrow, or you can usually pick one up used off Craigslist for less than $100. You can lower the trailer tongue jack to the ground and then build a lumber cradle under the transom. There several threads in this forum where members show pictures of how they do this scrap lumber. Then use the engine hoist to come in from the side and lift the bow using the bow eye, now you can roll the trailer away. You can then build another lumber cradle for the front. also, you can use boat stands. I found a set of Brownell Boat stands on craigslist for less than $200. All the work you need to do on the trailer and the boat is much easier when off the trailer, including bottom paint every few years.
RJD - I actually have a cherry picker shop crane. It's the one with the removable legs for compact storage. I didn't think I could use the bow ring to lift the boat? Isn't that a lot of weight on that one little hook?
CloudDiver - ok thanks. that makes sense. I'll get some marine grease
CloudDiver - ok thanks. that makes sense. I'll get some marine grease
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Hi Reefsider:
I toyed with the idea of the shop crane off the bow ring, but had the same concerns you do. Put two stands under the transom and two more just behind the trailer wheels. Jacked up the trailer using a farm jack and then put 2X8's on cinder blocks as shown. Pulled the trailer out by hand and put two more stands up front. the cradle followed the example of a kind soul on this forum and worked well. Good luck. [/ATTACH]
I toyed with the idea of the shop crane off the bow ring, but had the same concerns you do. Put two stands under the transom and two more just behind the trailer wheels. Jacked up the trailer using a farm jack and then put 2X8's on cinder blocks as shown. Pulled the trailer out by hand and put two more stands up front. the cradle followed the example of a kind soul on this forum and worked well. Good luck. [/ATTACH]
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BTW. had help with the removal from the trailer, but was able to remove, refinish and replace the keel by myself. Wasn't easy, but doable.
Have faith you guys... I flipped my hull upside down to do the blister repair job using a shop crane on either end. The shop crane is rated for 2 tons (I think), but yes it can handle it easily. You do need to have the upgraded bow eye (3/8 " U bolt). I have a video from when I flipped the hull over, I keep forgetting to upload it to youtube, it needs some editing though.
Thanks for the input. I think the way to go is boat stands so I'm trying to find some but used ones seem to be hard to find and new is too expensive. I'm going to call around tomorrow but I may end up having to build something that will work.
I have this outboard engine stand I can use for the front to pull out the trailer. I'm going to use a 2x8 across it screwed in with lots of large screws.
I might make something if I can't find stands but I think stands would be safer.
I have this outboard engine stand I can use for the front to pull out the trailer. I'm going to use a 2x8 across it screwed in with lots of large screws.
I might make something if I can't find stands but I think stands would be safer.
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The first time I got it off the trailer ( I needed to fix the trailer!) I just used the cheapest lumber I had and could get: not a horribly elegant solution, but it was more than stout. I have since found stands on craiglist after a lot of searching-- the stands will ultimately make it 1) easier to lift in place and 2) takes up a whole lot less footprint (which is aproblem since I moved and have lost the extra storage that could house the untrailered boat for days on end.
I ended up finding a set of boat stands today. I found this place Kropf Industreal that's an industrial welding outfit. They make them and sell them to marinas.
The stands are galvanized and are very nice. Good price too, about half of the best price I found calling around.
Only thing is I Noticed when I got home that I got the power boat ones not the sailboat ones. The sailboat ones are a bit too tall at 51" min compared to 40" min. The big differnence being the power boat stands have the shaft with the pad on it straight up the middle of the tripod. The sailboat ones have an angle to them. The sailboat ones are also 50% more money lol.
I'm considering returning them for the sailboat ones but I'm pretty sure I can make these work safely as the bottom of the boat is fairly flat.
Do you think they will work and be safe? I can't see why they wouldn't but I don't know much about putting a boat on a stand.
The stands are galvanized and are very nice. Good price too, about half of the best price I found calling around.
Only thing is I Noticed when I got home that I got the power boat ones not the sailboat ones. The sailboat ones are a bit too tall at 51" min compared to 40" min. The big differnence being the power boat stands have the shaft with the pad on it straight up the middle of the tripod. The sailboat ones have an angle to them. The sailboat ones are also 50% more money lol.
I'm considering returning them for the sailboat ones but I'm pretty sure I can make these work safely as the bottom of the boat is fairly flat.
Do you think they will work and be safe? I can't see why they wouldn't but I don't know much about putting a boat on a stand.
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You should be fine-- I have the same and with 20 degree swivel on the head they are a great fit for the stern-- and the forward edge of the keel. I'm contemplating using two with a 4x6 cross member for the bow or possibly they will fit as is.
The lack of a fixed keel keeping the boat on a knife edge puts us in an almost in / almost out category -- both will likely work, just be judicious about placement
The lack of a fixed keel keeping the boat on a knife edge puts us in an almost in / almost out category -- both will likely work, just be judicious about placement
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Ok thanks. I was going to use ratchet tie downs between the stands to keep them from sliding out.
I'm building the cradle for the keel today and I'll try to get the boat up tomorrow.
I'm building the cradle for the keel today and I'll try to get the boat up tomorrow.
Nice -- yep, as meriachee mentioned there should be a chain slot on each stand that you can tension them together with , essentially counterbalancing so one cannot slip off independently.
Check out brownells they have a good video of how to do it correctly.
Check out brownells they have a good video of how to do it correctly.
