Trailer bunk --- pads

[HERSH]

I have a wing keel standard rig which I tow to my club ( 12 miles) in the spring, then take her home in mid October.
I am seriously considering cutting sections of the bunks out, to make it more like a pad. Because of the bunks, painting a large section of my my bottom is difficult. To be honest, not painted in a long long time.

What do you guys think? There are many boats around 22 ft. which are only held up with 4 stands

If, someday I sell her, the next owner could always convert back to bunks.

Hershey

 

[drewlamparello]

Depends on the size of the pad and where it sits on the boat... having the elongated bunks as you know spreads the load... But if you did it with say a 24 inch long pad that would work... As to ensuring you could paint underneath, it would be great if the trailer had the threaded pads that you find on jack stands... that would allow you to trailer it all the way down and when working on it raise all but one up at a time and put a stand under that spot... Just a thought

 

[Dfox]

I have a fin keel and have pads on my trailer.
Most to the weight should rest on the keel.
Main thing to watch for is making sure hull does not deflect in when on trailer.
If It is does your pads need adjustment or you need to raise keel support just a little.

My pads are approx. 10 x 6 inches and can rotate to fit curve shape of hull.

 

[Slartibartfass]

Got a fin keel on trailer with pads. See pictures.

 

[jepomer]

I use four Brownell SB-4 tops inserted into 16" x 2" galvanized pipe bolted onto the cross members. This allows my to easily adjust the supports to let me paint the entire area. The trailer was modified from a trailer with rollers (came with my O'Day 19) but modified to have the Capri 22 on it. It is a little "short" since the back of the trailer is about where the genoa winches are mounted. Officially I should mount a temporary set of lights on the transom while trailering.

To better distribute the weight, I use a 6" x 1" pressure treated board (real wood porch flooring). This board flexes and distributes the pressure on the hull reducing the concentrated pressure points.

To get to the bottom of the wing keel, I raise the side supports (yes, I do cheat and use my tractor loader bucket to lift the stern) and suspend the boat while I remove the primary keel resting area. Since this is a short period of time and in a controlled area, it is safe for both the boat and me. I do add additional supports when the keel is not resting on its landing area.

 

[Curt]

Hey Hershey,

Was your trailer purchased with the boat? If it was then there is a fairly simple solution. The bottom of the fin keel sits on a 2 by something that is bolted to the trailer frame. undo the nuts and jack the entire boat from beneath the wood using a floor jack. This requires a bit of work to tie the boat off at all 4 corners so it has no possibility of tipping but works well. Jack the boat up, clean and paint, wait until dry and lower. No need to deconstruct and possibly reconstruct the bunks.

Cheers,
Curt

 

[shnool]

That's what I did, jacked up the keel support, and flopped the boat to one side... did the bottom where the bunk was... then flopped the boat the other way (once it was dry)... then lower it down.

but if it's any consolation, my Capri 25 (wider and slightly heavier than the Capri 22) was on a 4 pad trailer.

 

[HERSH]

Now;

I have the standard Trail-Rite trailor with my Wing Keel Boat. Does anybody know the EXACT /OPTIMUM position where the boat is supposed to sit for/aft on the trailer?

Right now, I have been putting the leading, lower edge of the keel right by the front of the cross member that holds the keel support board on.

Seems to be heavy on tong weight.

Hershey

 

[Curt]

I don't have a definitive answer but, would that not be determined by the position of the bow roller / bumper on the trailer. I have not modified the trailer in any form and just snug the bow in the roller with the hand crank. That seems to allow the bottom of the fin sit over the wood plank. That said I don't know how it trailers as I only hauled my boat to the yard once a few years ago but don't remember having any load or balance issues.

Cheers,
Curt

 

[HERSH]

I would not base it on the bow roller or the post up front, as they are both movable. Maybe I'll e-mail Trail-Rite

Hershey

 

[Curt]

Yes they can both move but if the winch roller/bumper is to far astern then the hull won't sit in the bunks. The way my trailer came or was set has the mass of the keel set over the axle. Can't help think this would be optimum for trailering.

58 F in Buffalo today

Cheers,
Curt

 

[shnool]

I wasn't going to weigh in, but I can't help myself (feel free to tell me to shut up)...

Adjust everything so you are between 10% and 20% of the total weight (trailer AND boat) on the tongue of the trailer. so what is that 350 to 450lbs.
That's pretty much an adjustment for the winch post (forward and backward).

The trailer pads (if you have them instead of bunks) need to be centered over the bulkheads, or at least portions of the hull that are reinforced. So they don't deflect the hull from the pressure...

Also 75-90% of the weight of the displacement of the boat should be on the keel.

 

[HERSH]

I believe Catalina suggest 50% on the keel.

Now using that figure and our boat weighing 2,400 lbs. That would leave 1,200 lbs. to be supported by 6 ( 7?) supports.
1,200/6~~ 200 lbs/per pad. Not very much. If 60-70 % were on the keel, even less on the pads.

Probably boat & trailer combined weigh 3,000-3,500 lbs., so 300-350 tongue weight would be correct .

My thought is the posts are set at a specific height to make sure bunks matched the curvature of the hull PERFECTLY.
I suspect TrailRite and Catalina worked that all out to get both tongue and support perfect.

Hershey