Trailer Bunk Slides

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Jim Seamans

Jim Seamans

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Mar 21, 2004
2,175
Hunter 356 Cobb Island, MD
I was surfing the web and came across a article "Notes on Retrieving" written about a Santana '22. The sailor was commenting on retrieving his boat onto the trailer and the last couple of feet of winching. Then he found a miracle. From Overton's he picked up some teflon-impregnated plastic strips that are screwed down on the carpeted bunks. From the article, "As usual, the boat came up about 6 inches short of the bow stop when I pulled it out onto level ground. I got out and began turning the winch handle and absolutely could not believe what I was seeing. All 3000 lbs of boat (with water) was sliding along effortlessly on the bunks." The full article can be found at -> http://www.trailersailor.com/widget/santana/Retrievi.htm Now, has anyone else tried this? Have you seen It? Does it work? Jim
 
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Bob Schmit

Was going to try them

Was going to try em till I saw them at West Marine- I think they are also sold at BoatUS. I believe they are the same ones you are talking about. Size wise they seem to be about 2" by maybe a foot long and maybe 3/4" thick. You put a number of these on the bunks and the boat slides better. I had done some research and called the distributor/mfr in this area about a year and a half ago (they only sold wholesale but assured me that they would be available through local outlets soon) I chickened out, my boat sits on these bunks 6months out of the year and I didn't want to produce any oblong shaped dimples on the hull-just paranoid I guess, but the bunks that come with the trailer are generous to say the least and do a real good job of distributing the weight without scuffing off the bottom paint. I am actually waiting for one of the 4 other h26 sailors that are in my marina to try them and see how they work.
 
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Rick Webb

hought about them

but seems like the boat will come off way too easy. I'll stick with soap.
 
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Dave Condon

bunk slides

Please do not consider until I check into this. The hull is suppose to rest entirely on the bunk boards of the trailer. I will post further results when I get one in that Jim is considering putting on his trailer which he is getting from me. It could cause stress on the hull dimpling it in. Please let me check and I will have Jim or I get back with the results Crazy Dave but I am sane on this one as I fear it could harm the hull. I saw pictures of one type.
 
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Chane Lee

Trailer Slide

Jim: Be very careful on the Teflon slide strip. I am a trailer sailer, and I trailer my '86 Hunter 23 with a extended hitch. I only extend the hitch during the lunching and retriving. Before retriving the boat, You should apply some dish washing detergen that will reduce the coefficient of friction temperarily. After wash down, soap should be gone. Teflon has the lowest coefficient of friction all the time. No matter dry or wet, it is .04, that simply means to move 3000 lb of the object at the flat surface, it require only 120 lb. of force. The question is that how are you going to tie it down during the highway transportation?
 
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Dave Condon

slides

The bunk boards are designed to carry the full weight of the boat. should you add teflon or anything like that to the bunk boards, be damn sure you put it all the way and the width of each bunk board. If you put them only in certain areas of the bunks, then you will see the hull cave in on the slides for sure. I spoke of this earlier but well remembered this pm of someone who applied something similar several years ago which did not cover the entire bunk board Good ideas but we need more imput out there. Anybody else out there have put them on the bunk boards, please let us know. Crazy Dave
 
Jim Seamans

Jim Seamans

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Mar 21, 2004
2,175
Hunter 356 Cobb Island, MD
Dave Check this

Dave, Since I'm on my way to Hawaii, check the trailer and let me know the size of the bunks. Use a tape measure, I know about the white lightening eating your brain cells. I'll see how much of this teflon I'll need. jim " is the boat ready"
 
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Ron Mehringer

SailKote

How about spraying the bunk beds with SailKote? It's a pretty amazing dry lubricant used to lube mast tracks and just about anything else. Seems easier and less messy than applying soap. Less expensive and no chance of hull damage compared to the teflon strips. Just an idea. Ron Mehringer H26 Hydro-Therapy
 
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