Painting around the trailer

May 31, 2004
88
-Hunter 23.5 Sandusky, OH
I’m looking for ideas from folks that store their boat on a trailer for the winter, but keep the boat in the water for the sailing season. We have a Hunter 23.5 for which we got a new trailer. This trailer has much more support for the hull, and more bunks to paint around. I’m hoping to lift the boat off of the trailer to paint. Any suggestions for how to do this safely.
 

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AaronD

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Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
A couple related threads:
 
Dec 23, 2008
771
Catalina 22 Central Penna.
I do as AaronD describes. He has to remove the trailer to drop the keel. I let the trailer underneath and just using the trailer tongue jack gives me about 2 inches of clearance between the hull and the bunks. I let the air out of the tires to give me another 2 inches for a total of about 4 inches between the hull and the bunks. Because I do not remove the trailer the two supports at the bow can be close together. I use cement blocks as supports,
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
Remove half your bunks, paint what you can, replace the bunks, remove the other half of the bunks, and paint what you missed.
 
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Likes: SailingLoto
Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
We used to have a 23.5. To paint the bottom, first I'd lower the trailer jack all the way down. Then I put 2 flat boat stands under the stern. Then raised the bow with the trailer jack. This lifted the stern off the bunks. I then blocked and jacked the bow of the boat between the trailer and boat which lifted the rest of it off the bunks. This gave me enough room to paint it. It also gave me enough room to lower the centerboard some and get a lot of it. lt was a pain working around the trailer, but doable.
 
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Likes: LloydB
Aug 10, 2020
511
Catalina C25 3559 Rocky Mount
I in no way mean to come off as rude, or to make it sound like safety isn't a big concern, but isn't a 23.5. 2000lbs dry? A floor jack and a block of wood would more than suffice. Put a few blocks between your boat and trailer so you don't hurt yourself if it slips or shift.

My boat is the same weight. I have it jacked up with the factory spare tire jack from an old jeep, some 2x4s and other scraps from around the yard to do a repair right now.

While these are all good ideas that have been posted, keep it simple.
 

LloydB

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Jan 15, 2006
806
Macgregor 22 Silverton
Not rude at all. One of my favorite acronyms is KISS probably because its been forced on me so often. Agree about the weight and floor jack but if its placed wrong you could easily cause damage to the hull as there's no jack point on most boats. Lets look at some solutions for the OP problem that have come to top of mind that I've rejected out of hand for good engineering reasons such as impatience and expense or lack of tree.
1.Take it to the local ramp and float the boat off. City restriction to kayaks and personal flotation ONLY with probable fine double what it would cost to go use a travel lift in Portland.
2. Pay someone to do it. Even a yeoman knows not to suggest a dry dock to the Admiral for a bit of paint.(more so if a DIY contract was already let)
3. Former owner painted bottom by sliding boat off trailer and lifting with wench attached from ~40' up fir a tree to bow.(daughter showed me picture)
4. Build a small gantry from abandoned child swing set so trailer could be pulled out from under boat 2000lb cargo strap for bow, sawhorse for stern.
4a drawbacks may occur if children in neighborhood and you wish to visit Ace for parts. esp if neighbor asks 'do you plan on leaving it like that? totally having forgotten first 3 rules of herding cats and still looking for appropriate reimbursement for admirals loss of face.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
My plan was #4
I found it easier to paint what I could load the boat at a bit of a kilter paint what missed spots I could then load the boat at the reverse kilter get the rest.

Center board only got paint on forward/bottom third but it only needed it there.
 
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Likes: SailingLoto
Jun 8, 2004
10,027
-na -NA Anywhere USA
To support the 23.5 on a few boards going across can damage the hull as the weight is carried by the long support bunk boards on the Hunter trailer or any other trailer designed seccifically for the 23.5. Floor jacks woill also indent the hull of the 23.5. The keel tray underneath is not stout as it was designed to carry the weight of the 110 pound centerboard only when resting on it for travel and storage. Otherwise the hull will be deformed and you may veery well break the seal of the waterballlast tank lid. Also, there is a safety issue. How do I know? From the perspective as a dealer but also the one who showed up with plans in hand for a boat that eventually resulted in the 23.5. As for the trailer, I was there assisting in the construction of the trailer for the first 23.5.
In my books, SAFETY is more important vs. trying to save a buck