It's That Time Again!

[GorillaToast]

It's haul-out time here in mid-Ohio and I'm getting prepared for a busy Saturday this weekend.
I need some advice on what might be a potential problem. Over the summer I had some work done on my trailer, and the pad heights might have been changed. My trailer is a flatbed utility-type with a yard cradle chained to it. In preparation for future over-the-road travel, I had the cradle lowered 4".
The shop was told to make the height of the pads the same distance from the keel tray as they were before. But, I'm not sure they are. The inner tubes of the 2 rear stands are resting on the cinch pin rather than thru the holes in the tube. It doesn't make sense to me. If they lowered the keel tray 4", then the inner tubes should still be pinned, just the screw lowered, right?

So, with that as background, what should I look for as far as problems go when I drive the boat up onto the trailer? If the pads are too high, it seems it would be impossible to lower them while the boat's 7000lbs is resting on them. If they need to be raised, how difficult will it be to keep the boat from tipping over while I'm down on the ramp, in the water, trying to screw them up?

 

[dlochner]

More photos would help, especially before and after photos. I don't see the screws that you refer to.

Did you take measurements before the work was done? Can you compare those to the current measurements?

Come prepared with a few bottle jacks, lots of blocking, a sharp drill bit, a fully charged drill. If you're lucky the boat will fit without modifications, if you're not you'll be doing them in the parking lot.

When the boat is floated onto the trailer, check the fit and use the blocking you brought to stabilize it. It is hard to say where you will want to block it, maybe under the keel? maybe over the pads. Once the boat is out with some bottle jacks and assorted pieces of lumber things can be adjusted.

With that said, the easiest safest way would be to use a traveling or crane to set the boat on the trailer and then adjust the pads to fit.

 

[shemandr]

I'm guessing Alum Creek doesn't have a Travel Lift? I'm not keen on the adjustment of the trailer on the ramp. But I don't have have better procedure in mind.

 

[GorillaToast]

More photos would help, especially before and after photos. I don't see the screws that you refer to.

Did you take measurements before the work was done?

With that said, the easiest safest way would be to use a traveling or crane to set the boat on the trailer and then adjust the pads to fit.

Thanks Dave.
The screw are the adjusting screws on the four boat stands that are welded to the cradle. I don't have any close-up pics of those. Yeah...I messed up. I should have done the measurements myself instead of trusting the shop to make it right. Good ideas about the blocking and bottle jacks. I'll be sure to have those handy.
Travel lift? Unknown entity around these parts
Crane? $250 just to drive it to the lake
$180 City permit
$150 county permit
$??? state permmit
Get the picture

 

[shemandr]

But once you get past those expenses this is a one time thing. Cost of doing business. Pricey but maybe less so than damaging the boat, or cradle. I once built a cradle for my Mark 25. I had risers welded for it. If I remember the welding was several hundred dollars. I had another few hundred in wood and fasteners. Thanks to one kick ass radial arm saw I was able to handle all the cuts. The adjustable pads were similar to the welding in price. It was a great cradle. Then the boatyard banned cradles. Oh well.