Anyone know how much boat weight the swing keel should support on the trailer and how much weight the the bunks should take?
Dock
Dock
Last edited:
Hunter 240 weight dispersal on trailer
- Thread starter Dock Holiday
- Start date
- Status
Dock,
On my H260 the keel does not carry any boat weight. I lower the keel (about 1") down onto the trailer after the boat is out of the water to take the strain off the line when on the road.
On my H260 the keel does not carry any boat weight. I lower the keel (about 1") down onto the trailer after the boat is out of the water to take the strain off the line when on the road.
Our 240 carries quite a bit of the weight on the center board. This past spring, while painting the bottom with VC17, I jacked up the side at the rub rail and put temporary stands under the rail and then dropped the bunk out of the way. I did both sides individually for safety reasons. I didn't have to jack very far to accomplish this and I was surprised how little weight the bunks carried, maybe 20-30% each. I have the OEM Magic-tilt trailer that came with the boat new and it has not been modified at all, so I believe my setup is as designed.
My setup is like Wrench Benders. But I called Hunter today and they told me that the weight should mostly be on the bunks. That the front of the keel should just touch. The back should be able to drop about an inch. They also said for more information I should contact Magic Tilt trailers to get more info, they designed the trailer for the boat.
I have a big problem my hull cracked and it seems due to the bunks not being set up properly but it seems like they have'nt been moved since the boat was new. The bunk posts ar as high as they can go. The keel is taking a lot of weight. I just hope the keel isnt damaged. The other problem is the front roller is not touching the hull by a couple inches?
Weird cannot figure what happend with the trailer set-up. I am the third owner the people I bought it from said thats how it was when they bought it.
Makes sence to me that the weight should be mostly on the bunks. It is a swing keel it only has a bracket with a pin in it. The hull though does'nt seem to be strong enough to support all that weight. I have to get this right,as I am getting the boat repaired and don't need any more problems.
I just bought the boat and had a survey. I towed it to NJ from PA and when I got home I found it cracked. The surveyor says he didnt find any cracks. I had a bit of a flat spot on the starbord side I was concerned about. I pointed it out to him and he thought it would be ok to tow home and adjust later. Well so much for a surveyor making sure you are'nt running into trouble!
Dock
I have a big problem my hull cracked and it seems due to the bunks not being set up properly but it seems like they have'nt been moved since the boat was new. The bunk posts ar as high as they can go. The keel is taking a lot of weight. I just hope the keel isnt damaged. The other problem is the front roller is not touching the hull by a couple inches?
Weird cannot figure what happend with the trailer set-up. I am the third owner the people I bought it from said thats how it was when they bought it.
Makes sence to me that the weight should be mostly on the bunks. It is a swing keel it only has a bracket with a pin in it. The hull though does'nt seem to be strong enough to support all that weight. I have to get this right,as I am getting the boat repaired and don't need any more problems.
I just bought the boat and had a survey. I towed it to NJ from PA and when I got home I found it cracked. The surveyor says he didnt find any cracks. I had a bit of a flat spot on the starbord side I was concerned about. I pointed it out to him and he thought it would be ok to tow home and adjust later. Well so much for a surveyor making sure you are'nt running into trouble!
Dock
Last edited:
After retrieval the rear of our center board is about 1 inch off the center bunk until I release the line. I trailer-ed it to Maine and back, 1100 miles, with zero issues. I did see a modification on the net where someone plowed a deep groove in the center bunk with a router before re carpeting. This was to relieve pressure on the board. I haven't had any problems so I'm leaving mine alone, if it ain't broke don't fix it I say. Good luck with yours.
The H260 and H240 are virtually identical except for size. Weight should be on the side bunks. The centerboard weighs about 60lbs, enough to keep it down when sailing. The forward part of the centerboard does not touch the bottom bunk, only the aft portion. When I first got the boat, I questioned Hunter on this and sent them this drawing of what it looked like. The Customer service guy went down to the factory floor and checked. He said they all are set up that way. I have had no problems in 6 years with this set up.
Attachments
Wow, mine is not set right then. My 240 has a lot of weight on the keel! That might explain the difficulty retracting the swing keel while it's in the water. So what do I need to do to fix in the spring?
I need to replace my keel boards. It's two 2*6's on my year. How do you form the curves on the side bunks? Does the weight of the boat take care of that for you?
I've been running this way since I purchased in 2001 or so and have trailered probably 3,000 miles during ownership.
George, We bought some land up on the Lelanau Peninsula in September -I'm getting on the Suttons Bay wait list for a hopeful semi retirement in 10 years or so.
I need to replace my keel boards. It's two 2*6's on my year. How do you form the curves on the side bunks? Does the weight of the boat take care of that for you?
I've been running this way since I purchased in 2001 or so and have trailered probably 3,000 miles during ownership.
George, We bought some land up on the Lelanau Peninsula in September -I'm getting on the Suttons Bay wait list for a hopeful semi retirement in 10 years or so.
The centerboard is difficult to raise, the key is to pulll it up under power so the water pressure helps.
Although the h240 & 260 are identical, I can't verify the trailer setup. I would imagine they would be very similar tho. The side bunks carry most of the weight and the risers should be adjusted to follow the curvature of the hull. If you've had it that way with no problems for that long, I would not worry.
Did you buy the boat new and with a factory trailer?
Maybe some other 240 owners will chime in.
Take a look at the pictures at these links to compare trailers.
Go to:http://h260.com/trailer/trailer2/target0.html
Also, http://h260.com/trailer/trailer1/trailer1.html
Although the h240 & 260 are identical, I can't verify the trailer setup. I would imagine they would be very similar tho. The side bunks carry most of the weight and the risers should be adjusted to follow the curvature of the hull. If you've had it that way with no problems for that long, I would not worry.
Did you buy the boat new and with a factory trailer?
Maybe some other 240 owners will chime in.
Take a look at the pictures at these links to compare trailers.
Go to:http://h260.com/trailer/trailer2/target0.html
Also, http://h260.com/trailer/trailer1/trailer1.html
Thanks guys,
I appreciate the help!
George I like your boat it looks pristine. Thanks for the photo's very helpful I may show them to the guy working on my trailer. I after reading the posts am starting to think the 240 set up may be diffrent from the 260 but I do'nt understand why it would be?
Any one else have any advise?
Dock
I appreciate the help!
George I like your boat it looks pristine. Thanks for the photo's very helpful I may show them to the guy working on my trailer. I after reading the posts am starting to think the 240 set up may be diffrent from the 260 but I do'nt understand why it would be?
Any one else have any advise?
Dock
I too would be interested if the H240 is set up differently.
This picture pretty much tells the story.
This picture pretty much tells the story.
Attachments
Having owned both a 240 and a 260 which I custom built our trailer for I'd say absolutely no weight should be supported by the centerboard on your water ballast 240(or a 260). Unlike a keel boat it WILL damage the relatively thin trunk inside the slot, as it apparently has done. It's really about weight distribution and the CB doesn't fit like a glove with exactly equal support throughout it's length not to mention sideways slop as you rattle & grind down the hwy at 60mph.
As others stated the bunks/bow roller/bow chok hold these boats and the CB should only rest on the trailer. Whatever dimension changed since the trailer was new must be found(maybe it was wrong to begin with). Maybe a bad bolt in a support or some innocuous subtle shift or even a bent frame but raise those bunks to properly distribute the boats weight somewhat equally throughout the greater length of the hull. Be especially alert for hot spots that would place too much pressure in small spots. After a proper repair of any damage you should have confidence to trailer all the way to the horizon.
Good luck, Mike n Kelli
As others stated the bunks/bow roller/bow chok hold these boats and the CB should only rest on the trailer. Whatever dimension changed since the trailer was new must be found(maybe it was wrong to begin with). Maybe a bad bolt in a support or some innocuous subtle shift or even a bent frame but raise those bunks to properly distribute the boats weight somewhat equally throughout the greater length of the hull. Be especially alert for hot spots that would place too much pressure in small spots. After a proper repair of any damage you should have confidence to trailer all the way to the horizon.
Good luck, Mike n Kelli
Attachments
Do you have pictures of the trailer ?
I would not be surprised to learn you don't have the magic tilt trailer
The bottom bunk provides little if any support to the boar. On my boat, only the aft tip of the centerboard touches the bottom bunk. I have a friend with a H26 that removed the bottom bunk completely and installed a bar above the axle to keep the centerboard from dropping.
I would not be surprised to learn you don't have the magic tilt trailer
The bottom bunk provides little if any support to the boar. On my boat, only the aft tip of the centerboard touches the bottom bunk. I have a friend with a H26 that removed the bottom bunk completely and installed a bar above the axle to keep the centerboard from dropping.
Thainks Soling 42 and George,
You guys have me convinced that no weight should be carried by the swing keel.
I have had so many people tell me otherwise my head was spinning. Even the surveyor from the insurance company thought the keel should take weight.
Tomorrow I am going to take some of the photos you guys attached to the man working on my boat and tell him this is how it should be. Thats what hunter told me too but the guy seemed a bit unsure so I was second guessing them as well.
Now I am concerned that the pocket for the keel or the keel may have been damaged? I have to get them checked out as well. I know the line for pulling the keel up is real tight someone mentioned that should'nt be as well !
I will attach some photo's
You guys have me convinced that no weight should be carried by the swing keel.
I have had so many people tell me otherwise my head was spinning. Even the surveyor from the insurance company thought the keel should take weight.
Tomorrow I am going to take some of the photos you guys attached to the man working on my boat and tell him this is how it should be. Thats what hunter told me too but the guy seemed a bit unsure so I was second guessing them as well.
Now I am concerned that the pocket for the keel or the keel may have been damaged? I have to get them checked out as well. I know the line for pulling the keel up is real tight someone mentioned that should'nt be as well !
I will attach some photo's
Attachments
Last edited:
Most sailboats with a keel are designed to rest on the keel. Boats with centerboards are not designed to rest on the centerboard.
This does look like a factory trailer. I can't imagine how this got so screwed up. Did the crack exist when you purchased the boat? Have you discussed this with the seller?
There are plenty of pictures on the h260 website to help sort this out. I was hoping some H260 owners would chime in. I would suggest you go to the owners directory to see how many H260 owners there are and try to contact them for measurements of the risers.
There are 140 H240 owners in the directory. Not all of them currently own the boat but I'd look for those names that have visited the forum in the last 6 months and contact them to see if they'll help you.
Go to: http://sbo.sailboatowners.com/index.php?option=com_bowns&model=12&Itemid=169
You obviously need new bunks.I'm trying to think how this crack could have happend. If there was too much weight on the centerboard and the boat went over a big bump and slammed down on the bunks, maybe that would do it.
Print the pictures on these pages:
http://h260.com/trailer/trailer2/trailer2.html
This does look like a factory trailer. I can't imagine how this got so screwed up. Did the crack exist when you purchased the boat? Have you discussed this with the seller?
There are plenty of pictures on the h260 website to help sort this out. I was hoping some H260 owners would chime in. I would suggest you go to the owners directory to see how many H260 owners there are and try to contact them for measurements of the risers.
There are 140 H240 owners in the directory. Not all of them currently own the boat but I'd look for those names that have visited the forum in the last 6 months and contact them to see if they'll help you.
Go to: http://sbo.sailboatowners.com/index.php?option=com_bowns&model=12&Itemid=169
You obviously need new bunks.I'm trying to think how this crack could have happend. If there was too much weight on the centerboard and the boat went over a big bump and slammed down on the bunks, maybe that would do it.
Print the pictures on these pages:
http://h260.com/trailer/trailer2/trailer2.html
Hi George,
I e mailed a couple of people with the 240 see if I get any ansewers good idea. I have e- mailed the photo's to the guy at the marina showing hinm the set up of the 260. It should be the same the only diffrence is the trailer I have isnt as large and it only has 3 bunk supports on each side versus 4 on the 260.
I have spoke to the seller they said the trailer was that way when they bought the boat from the origional owner. My insurance is going to pay for repairs thank god.
Dock
I e mailed a couple of people with the 240 see if I get any ansewers good idea. I have e- mailed the photo's to the guy at the marina showing hinm the set up of the 260. It should be the same the only diffrence is the trailer I have isnt as large and it only has 3 bunk supports on each side versus 4 on the 260.
I have spoke to the seller they said the trailer was that way when they bought the boat from the origional owner. My insurance is going to pay for repairs thank god.
Dock
Holy crack! man you're right, be glad the insc co is on that claim or that boat is DOA. It looks to me like the front riser is WAY too low. There should be a constant curve in the bunk from frt to rear but since the frt riser is too low the cntr one is supporting the boat amidship in its very weakest place.
Your trailer guy simply needs to slightly raise the entire boat off the trailer until the CB is a few inches free from the boat(w/ boat parallel to the frame). I'd install new bunk boards and carpet in case the boards retain a memory. Then pull/jack each riser to equal heights in relation to the hull. That bow roller should then be set to take about 30-50lbs of load which he can adjust by using a small hydraulic jack to raise the bow to set the roller height.
Go all the way through the brakes/bearings/lights while you're at it and you'll save yourself an eventual trailer sailor disappointment. Gotta pour love and tlc on that trailer or it'll punish your boat and totally screw up your past time.
Hope the note makes sense. Happy sailing.
M&K
(continuous curve, cushy carpet, solid design, multiple points of support in strongest locations on boat, no pressure on CB, CB guides help retrieval very much)
Your trailer guy simply needs to slightly raise the entire boat off the trailer until the CB is a few inches free from the boat(w/ boat parallel to the frame). I'd install new bunk boards and carpet in case the boards retain a memory. Then pull/jack each riser to equal heights in relation to the hull. That bow roller should then be set to take about 30-50lbs of load which he can adjust by using a small hydraulic jack to raise the bow to set the roller height.
Go all the way through the brakes/bearings/lights while you're at it and you'll save yourself an eventual trailer sailor disappointment. Gotta pour love and tlc on that trailer or it'll punish your boat and totally screw up your past time.
Hope the note makes sense. Happy sailing.
M&K
(continuous curve, cushy carpet, solid design, multiple points of support in strongest locations on boat, no pressure on CB, CB guides help retrieval very much)
Attachments
Yes I agree with you on everything you said. Thank god for that my insurance covered this. has $ 4500.00 worth of damage. I was down to the boat today the repair looks great that the guy did on the glass. I dropped off some materials for the trailer. He has the boat up on boat jacks just off the trailer. I am going to have him raise the boat off the lower bunk and replace them as well with 2 -2"x6" right now it is just 3/4" and they are bellied and twisted. the 2x's will make it more rigid as well. Not carring any weight but I am a perfectionist.
I am also having the bottom paint cleaned off and bottom sanded and polished. I plan on leaving it that way. Going to be in the water for short stays so I dont think I need any paint.
Thanks for the help
I am also having the bottom paint cleaned off and bottom sanded and polished. I plan on leaving it that way. Going to be in the water for short stays so I dont think I need any paint.
Thanks for the help
You are going to have a lot of fun with your boat. The only comment I'd make is that sanding might compromise the gelcoat. If the boat sits in the water for very long you risk getting blisters. I would not do anything different than you are planning but if you later notice small blisters, I'd consider at least a white barrier coat.
Don't lose sleep over this blister issue. It is easy to fix. Just relax and enjoy your boat.
Don't lose sleep over this blister issue. It is easy to fix. Just relax and enjoy your boat.
Did I mention that it would also be a good idea to make sure the ballast tank has not been compromised? The cabin deck is the roof of the tank. A bead of 3M5200 is used to seal the edges of the tank to the hull.
Before you launch the boat, I'd fill the ballast tank with water from a hose. Leave it over night and see if there is water anywhere in the cabin. The bottom valve will probably leak onto the ground so leave the boat where the water dripping will not be a problem.
Once you get the hull and trailer fixed, you'll be ready to go.
Before you launch the boat, I'd fill the ballast tank with water from a hose. Leave it over night and see if there is water anywhere in the cabin. The bottom valve will probably leak onto the ground so leave the boat where the water dripping will not be a problem.
Once you get the hull and trailer fixed, you'll be ready to go.
Attachments
I agree with George. Check the tank before launch as he described. I do the same as part of spring commissioning before first launch. Once you get her wet, ENJOY. Remember, if you start to think you should reef, your already late by 10 minutes 
Reef early and enjoy the ride.
Reef early and enjoy the ride.- Status