removing boat from trailer without launching

[Ralph]

I've got an O'day 19, I think. It is my understanding that these daysailers have 300 pounds of ballast in the hull. The trailer that the boat is on has a flat tire on one side and just a rim on the other. I guess my question is; what is the safest way (minimal hull damage)to move the boat off the trailer? Also, while the trailer is being fixed what is the best way to store the boat? The last time that the boat was moved off the trailer, the boat received some hull damage, from being dropped. I have access to a forklift and i guess that i could make some kind of a sling to put around the boat and then lay the boat on some pallets.I am in the process of trying to get this boat seaworthy again. It has seen 4 or 5 uncovered winters already. So I don't even know if i should just leave it out or if i should start giving it the it deserves or if it is too far gone from sitting out. whew! help.

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

trailers and things

Ralph -Glass boats are really hard to kill. Your boat is almost certainly repairable. It is also almost certain to cost you more than you'll get out of it - but that's never stopped me. O'day made a bunch of 19 foot boats. Which one is yours? What year?Assuming that the forklift has sufficiently long tines, you could probably lift the boat right of the trailer and set it gently on something to support it for the time it takes to fix the trailer. My personal favorite is to use cardboard boxes half full with saw dust (or what ever else you have kicking around; the goal is to do this on the cheap). Lay out enough to make a bed for the boat and lay the boat on it. The boxes will deform and support the boat. No, I don't do this with my 25, but it worked fine for my dinghies. If you are going to lift the boat with the forklift, be absolutely certain the centerboard is not going to fall. This probably means running a line around and under the hull to support it. I used ratching motorcycle tie-downs to good effect.An alternative is to do what I used to do to get my DS of my trailer. Build a support sufficient to take mpre than half the weight of the boat. This support should be the same height as the back of the trailer. Set this behind the trailer. Tie the boat to something sturdy behind the trailer as well. SLOWLY pull forward a foot or two. The boat shouldn't move because its tied, right? Ok, so if you're me go back and tie it more securely. Now, the boat is hanging off the trailer by a couple of feet. Put the support you built under the hull. Now pull the trailer forward until the bow is just on the trailer. Think this through because the sort of roller you have might be allow the boat to fall earlier than you expect and that would be sad. Put another support under the bow and pull the trailer the rest of the way out. It works, really. But think it through before you do it. So why do you need to take the boat off at all to fix a tire? I would go to your local marine supplier, buy a new tire with rim (not a lot more than just the tire, especially when you figure mounting and balancing into it) and then jack up the trailer with the boat on it and change the wheels.Let us know how it goes.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Ben Allen]

Some Additions to Justin's Comments

Ralph,I fully agree with Justin's last comment, there should not be any need to remove the boat from the trailer. When you replace the tires/wheels, don't forget the wheel bearings, put in new ones. With the boat on the trailer, if you need to replace bunks or rollers, use a floor jack, a 4x4 on end, and a 2x8 against the hull, raise either the front, the rear, or one side or the other to replace bad material. While you may not get the monitary return on the dollar spent repairing your boat, the satisfaction of it is more than enough.Ben AllenMontgomery, AL"Wahoo"O 26

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

right on, Ben, plus

Good thought with the wheel bearing Ben, forgot that part. Ralph, when you do your bearing, spend the little bit extra to get bearing buddies and covers. These will allow you to change the grease in the hubs without repacking. Great invention (second only to the Dremel).Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Don Evans]

A Precautionary Note on Bearing Buddies

When bearing buddies are overpacked with grease being under pressure they tend to ooze out all over your brake pads (if you have trailor brakes), ruining your ability to control trailor braking. Just a precautionary note from experience. Don't overpack your bearing buddies. Take care.Don