Removing boat from trailer

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Aug 23, 2010
3
Sirius trailer boat Hamilton
My boat is in my driveway and I want to remove it from the trailer so that I can do repairs and paint it. Can anyone explain how to go about doing this?

Thanks
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
Do you want it on the ground, upside down, what? I tie my Highlander to the fence and gradually drive the trailer out from under it. I place a horse near the transom, pull some more, another horse, etc. A very weight dependent question.
 
Aug 23, 2010
3
Sirius trailer boat Hamilton
Thanks Ed. That sounds easier than I thought. I need to work under the boat where it has been damaged from being beached.
Once it is off I will have to jack it up so that I can work under it.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
How much does the boat weigh Stan? If not too heavy then a good wide horse at stern and one near the bow should be sufficient. And it will be three feet off the ground. How much height do you need to do the work? Getting it higher than the trailer, depending upon the weight, could be a bit harder.
 
Nov 12, 2009
49
Catalina 22, El Toro Folsom
Based on suggestions from this forum, I lifted a Catalina 22 (2500#) using the following:
Lower the trailer tongue as far as possible
Build cribbing under the transum
Lift the tongue (and bow) as high as needed (I used a hydraulic floor jack)
Build cribbing under the bow

With 600# at each end a sawhorse may not be strong enough.
 
Jun 12, 2010
936
Oday 22 Orleans Marina, NOLA
With 600# at each end a sawhorse may not be strong enough.
I did my 2000# boat with saw horses...I would recommend building a cradle. More work up front but cheaper than a hospital visit or a funeral. Plus you will have them next you need to do it again.
 
Jun 12, 2010
936
Oday 22 Orleans Marina, NOLA
Jul 20, 2010
81
Precision P28 Lake Ouachita
I used a small hysraulic jack and cinder blocks with 2x6's going through the cinder block holes. I started with the stern first jacking it up and securing it and then the bow. It was a V17 so it wasn't all that heavy. Be safe!
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Would any of you pls share pics of your set up? Thanks.
Here's some pics John. I have a large supply of wood blocks on hand. My boat weighs in at 2200 lbs and my boat stands can lift it. It's a long slow process and very dangerous. If you can support the bow of the boat with something like a long beam, the process can be fast. A guy in Providence RI built a beam a few years ago out of planks, lags, and Gorilla Glue to raise the bow of his O'Day 23. I still have the pics of it. Another guy I know used a long metal eye beam under the bow of his O'Day 25 to do the same. My friend Jeff in the club uses a backhoe from the farm where he works, to support the bow of his O'Day 25 from a sling. If you can get the stern up high and clear of the trailer's bunks, you can raise the bow with a hydraulic jack from the trailer and place an automotive jack stand under the bow between the trailer's cross members and move the trailer ahead about 12 to 15" at a time depending on the spacing of the cross members. I'm able to loosen the brackets that hold my sandwiched keel planks to the cross members of my trailer, and slide them over to one side and out of the way. Once the keel has passed the back of the trailer, you can shore up under it with blocks which are stacked in pairs and criss crossed for good stability. After the boat's keel is sitting on the blocks, then the trailer can be pulled right out. A word of caution though; I'm talking about keel/centerboard O'Days. I don't think that it's wise to place the weight of the boats hull on a swing keel sailboat. I may be wrong about this but I'd rather be wrong than steer someone in the wrong direction with these instructions.
If I need to work under my keel to let my centerboard down and work the keel slot, I shore up under the stern and the bow section close to the keel, and use the sailboat stands to raise the boat while I add more shoring under the hull. I made some wooden wedges out of old power company cross arms and 4X4s, but cutting them on the diagonal. They come in handy for filling in small gaps on the shoring blocks between the hull. I also place pieces of carpet between the hull and blocks & jack poppets so the fiberglass doesn't get marred. That's it in a nutshell.
Joe
 

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