I will be pulling my 260 for the season this weekend (work is messing up November sailing), and I would like to avoid scraping off the bottom paint with the trailer bunks when I pull the boat onto the trailer. I have heard about spraying the trailer bunks with "Liquid Rollers" (a silicone based spray to make the bunks slippery) or coating the bunks with dish detergent. Has anyone had better luck with one method vs. the other? Thanks for the ideas/opinions. Already thinking about next Spring..... Bruce H260 "Allie D."
- Status
Bruce, I pulled my 95 H26 yesterday. This was
probably the 10th time we have hauled it in the past 2 years. The trailer is a Hunter model with the carpeted bunks. I have always had the standard problem getting the boat bow snug against the trailer v-block. Yesterday I tried the dish detergent trick liberally and found no improvement. I pulled the boat, drained the tank, refloated the boat and cranked like hell to pull it up the second time. The first time it was 2 inches back after pull out. The second time it was 1 inch. In both cases it was slam bam up tight before pull out. It rode home 30 miles on the highway at 55mph and 10 miles on secondary roads without any problem and was barely touching the v-block when I parked it. Go figure. The best idea I have heard, to allow the boat to pull all the way forward, was posted last fall and said to use teflon bunk slides on the front 1/3 to 1/2 of the bunk. West Marine has these in their catalog so I think I'll try them next year. As a side note, after the second pull out when I had the boat on flat ground, I tried to snug it up just a little more with the trailer winch and its nylon (?) 2" strap. The stiching in the strap that holds bow hook tore out and the boat jumped back about 2 inches until the chain safety strap hooked to the bow eye stopped it from going any further. I tied the strap back to the clip and cranked it back up without refloating and it worked out OK. Lot of talking, hope some of it might help. Ray S/V Speedy
probably the 10th time we have hauled it in the past 2 years. The trailer is a Hunter model with the carpeted bunks. I have always had the standard problem getting the boat bow snug against the trailer v-block. Yesterday I tried the dish detergent trick liberally and found no improvement. I pulled the boat, drained the tank, refloated the boat and cranked like hell to pull it up the second time. The first time it was 2 inches back after pull out. The second time it was 1 inch. In both cases it was slam bam up tight before pull out. It rode home 30 miles on the highway at 55mph and 10 miles on secondary roads without any problem and was barely touching the v-block when I parked it. Go figure. The best idea I have heard, to allow the boat to pull all the way forward, was posted last fall and said to use teflon bunk slides on the front 1/3 to 1/2 of the bunk. West Marine has these in their catalog so I think I'll try them next year. As a side note, after the second pull out when I had the boat on flat ground, I tried to snug it up just a little more with the trailer winch and its nylon (?) 2" strap. The stiching in the strap that holds bow hook tore out and the boat jumped back about 2 inches until the chain safety strap hooked to the bow eye stopped it from going any further. I tied the strap back to the clip and cranked it back up without refloating and it worked out OK. Lot of talking, hope some of it might help. Ray S/V Speedy
The 'MacGregor Stomp'
Ah, that last two inches. This has been covered well in the archives, but I'll post again... I don't remember how the name was attributed (Trailor Sailor's BBS?), but I've always had great success with this method of scooting the boat forward on the trailer. Once you have the boat as far forward as you're comfortable with winching it, drain the ballast and go about unloading and preparing for your trip home as you normally would (lower mast, put outboard in tow vehicle, unload gear, etc). Attach the safety straps at the bow and stern of the boat- snug, but not too tight (The idea is to keep the boat straight on the trailer, but allow a little 'wiggle room'). On your way to the parking lot exit, get the vehicle up to about 5-10 MPH, and stomp on the brakes. The boat will slide forward, right into the stops on the front of the trailer's cradle. Take up tension on the securing straps for the ride home. Easy, no muss or fuss, and the trailer brakes do most of the work. If you think about it, you're applying no more force on any of your equipment than you would in an emergency braking maneuver. I used this method when we trailer-sailed our H23 for almost three years, and we loaded/unloaded about 30 times a season. We never took damage to boat, vehicle, or trailer when we used this method, but all were well equipped for the task of towing the boat. As for bottom paint, the only time I ever scratched or scraped up the bottom paint, I was loading the boat on the trailer solo, and the boat was not properly lined up on the trailer. A bolt on the bow roller caught the nose of the boat, and made a nice 6" gouge in the paint (and underlying gel coat). Never had a problem with bottom paint on parts of the trailer that were SUPPOSED to be touching the boat!
--Jon Bastien H25 'Adagio'
Ah, that last two inches. This has been covered well in the archives, but I'll post again... I don't remember how the name was attributed (Trailor Sailor's BBS?), but I've always had great success with this method of scooting the boat forward on the trailer. Once you have the boat as far forward as you're comfortable with winching it, drain the ballast and go about unloading and preparing for your trip home as you normally would (lower mast, put outboard in tow vehicle, unload gear, etc). Attach the safety straps at the bow and stern of the boat- snug, but not too tight (The idea is to keep the boat straight on the trailer, but allow a little 'wiggle room'). On your way to the parking lot exit, get the vehicle up to about 5-10 MPH, and stomp on the brakes. The boat will slide forward, right into the stops on the front of the trailer's cradle. Take up tension on the securing straps for the ride home. Easy, no muss or fuss, and the trailer brakes do most of the work. If you think about it, you're applying no more force on any of your equipment than you would in an emergency braking maneuver. I used this method when we trailer-sailed our H23 for almost three years, and we loaded/unloaded about 30 times a season. We never took damage to boat, vehicle, or trailer when we used this method, but all were well equipped for the task of towing the boat. As for bottom paint, the only time I ever scratched or scraped up the bottom paint, I was loading the boat on the trailer solo, and the boat was not properly lined up on the trailer. A bolt on the bow roller caught the nose of the boat, and made a nice 6" gouge in the paint (and underlying gel coat). Never had a problem with bottom paint on parts of the trailer that were SUPPOSED to be touching the boat!
--Jon Bastien H25 'Adagio'trailering
I have never had a problem with bunks removing paint, if it does the paint most likely needs replaced, I have used detergent as well as some west marine dry lubricant on bunks, it is sail coat or something , use it on everything on boat/ mast track/ sail slugs,/ you name it ,this is good stuff, even using a bunk lubricant I do find out I need to employ the infamous MacGregor stomp , it is the small things that make the difference, good LUck Mike ,
I have never had a problem with bunks removing paint, if it does the paint most likely needs replaced, I have used detergent as well as some west marine dry lubricant on bunks, it is sail coat or something , use it on everything on boat/ mast track/ sail slugs,/ you name it ,this is good stuff, even using a bunk lubricant I do find out I need to employ the infamous MacGregor stomp , it is the small things that make the difference, good LUck Mike ,
- Status