I bought a Hunter 23 a month ago and I finally got the mast stepped. I live on the Patuxent River that flows in to the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. When I put the boat in the water is was high tide, that was not a problem but when I came back it was low tide and I had a very hard time getting it on the trailer. It is on it but not correctly. My question is can I raise the bunk post about 1/2 to 1inch. Doing this will hopefully keep the keel off the steel plate on the bottom. Will this do any damage to the boat? This is the only way I know that I can get it to properly sit on the trailer. Any ideas besides stop being cheep and get a slip. I have a 5ft extension tongue that was extended. I looked on line and I can get an extension tongue up to 12feet.
trailer bunks
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Yes, you can raise the bunks.. and yes, you will probably do damage to the boat! You don't want the keel just hanging from the hull as you bump and grind down the road :naughty:
Your trailer should have a long piece of plywood running up the middle for the keel to rest on. Most of the weight of the boat should be resting on the keel sitting on that plywood, with the bunks acting more to just keep the boat upright and level than actually supporting it. Weight distribution between the keel and bunks varies depending on who you ask (anywhere between 60%-80% on keel or thereabouts), but the bottom line is: the majority of the weight should be resting on the keel, not the bunks.
PS: My trailer currently just has little pieces of wood across the crossmembers for the keel to rest on.. yet another thing I plan on fixing in the near future.
PSS: Welcome to the group! The H23 is a fantastic boat and I'm sure you will love it. What year do you have? Pictures?
Cheers,
Brad
Trailer
Brad,
Thanks a million. I, however have another issue that I found from my first post. The plywood that was covered by plastic grass is rotten, I need to replace it. This means that I will need to get a temporary slip and leave it in the water till I fix the plywood. From what I can see the plywood is 3/4 inch. Is this correct? Another gentlemen e-mailed me back and has pieces also rather than i long piece. I bought the boat in May and have not sailed it once yet. Between all the small little things. I had the mast stepped by a marina as I was afraid to do it myself the first time. When I bought the boat the gentleman had taken everything off the deck but left it attached to the mast. Is there anything that can be used on the bunks and the bottom plywood to make it slide easier. I looked at the teflon strips but not sure that is a solution. My real problem is I am on tidal water and low tide is not pretty. I had an extension made for the extension. It gives me 9 feet. I can remove the entire thing as it is held together by pins. I also have the good fortune that I do not have to move the boat about 500 ft. The place I keep it has places to keep the boat fully rigged and just move it to the ramp and launch. Fortunately I really do not have the mast raising and lowering issue.
PSS: Welcome to the group! The H23 is a fantastic boat and I'm sure you will love it. What year do you have? Pictures?
Cheers,
Brad[/QUOTE]
Brad,
Thanks a million. I
Brad,
Thanks a million. I, however have another issue that I found from my first post. The plywood that was covered by plastic grass is rotten, I need to replace it. This means that I will need to get a temporary slip and leave it in the water till I fix the plywood. From what I can see the plywood is 3/4 inch. Is this correct? Another gentlemen e-mailed me back and has pieces also rather than i long piece. I bought the boat in May and have not sailed it once yet. Between all the small little things. I had the mast stepped by a marina as I was afraid to do it myself the first time. When I bought the boat the gentleman had taken everything off the deck but left it attached to the mast. Is there anything that can be used on the bunks and the bottom plywood to make it slide easier. I looked at the teflon strips but not sure that is a solution. My real problem is I am on tidal water and low tide is not pretty. I had an extension made for the extension. It gives me 9 feet. I can remove the entire thing as it is held together by pins. I also have the good fortune that I do not have to move the boat about 500 ft. The place I keep it has places to keep the boat fully rigged and just move it to the ramp and launch. Fortunately I really do not have the mast raising and lowering issue.
PSS: Welcome to the group! The H23 is a fantastic boat and I'm sure you will love it. What year do you have? Pictures?
Cheers,
Brad[/QUOTE]
Brad,
Thanks a million. I
Can you describe what you mean by:"It is on it but not correctly" ?
I don't know about the H23 trailer, but on my old Mac 22 when I replaced the trailer bunks I used a pair of 2x8's. Counter drilled the bolt holes so the heads were below the sufface.
As to friction, usually the boats I've been around didn't slide worth a hoot on a dry trailer. In fact, doing that can leave dents in the hull. Best to move the boat while the bunk covers (mine were like outdoor carpet) are wet. The normal trick to get the boat to move completely up into the bow chock is to pull forward up to about 5-10 mph and stomp on the brakes. And hope it goes in, not to the side.
Seems, not matter how tight I thought the winch cable was, the Mac always settled back a bit.
I don't know about the H23 trailer, but on my old Mac 22 when I replaced the trailer bunks I used a pair of 2x8's. Counter drilled the bolt holes so the heads were below the sufface.
As to friction, usually the boats I've been around didn't slide worth a hoot on a dry trailer. In fact, doing that can leave dents in the hull. Best to move the boat while the bunk covers (mine were like outdoor carpet) are wet. The normal trick to get the boat to move completely up into the bow chock is to pull forward up to about 5-10 mph and stomp on the brakes. And hope it goes in, not to the side.
Seems, not matter how tight I thought the winch cable was, the Mac always settled back a bit.
The boat is about 8 inches short of properly being seated. The bowl does not sit in the front I guess you would call bunks that are on the trailer. My trailer has a long rubber piece that the bowl of the boat sits in. I could not get it to go forward the extra 8 inches, it would not slide. The boat has a great deal of weight on a board that is in the center of the trailer that the keel sits on. The bunks were soaking wet as I had literally buried the trailer in the water. It was in so far that my tailpipe on my Mountaineer was just out of the water. My mountaineer is a 4x4 that sites pretty high off the ground. Knowing the problem I had the trailer worked on. It has a 5 foot tung extension and I had it out as far as it could go. I went on line and nosed around and found a company that made an extension for the extension. I went to a welder and had my version of the extension for the extension made so I could pull it apart and only have the original extension used to the trailer when I was trailering the boat long distances. I went and took my boat pole and marked it off in 1 ft increments to see if this idea would work as far as depth of water and distance that I could bury the trailer. I think it will but have not had a chance to try it. The problem is lining the thing up to the ramp with the nine foot extension on. It should be a blast. The real problem is that I have to float the boat on and off, or I have to have a way to get it on the trailer and have the ability to wench it the rest of the way. If I could just get it to slide my problem would be solved. Because it is not exactly on the trailer the balance point is all screwed up and it is back heavy. WHen I released the coupler the front of the trailer went straight up in the air fortunately I had 2 spare tires up the back so the boat did not bounce off the ground. As they say a boat is big hole that you soak money. The bunks and the bottom board both are covered with carpet. :cry:
TE=Bob Poff;730961]Can you describe what you mean by:"It is on it but not correctly" ?
I don't know about the H23 trailer, but on my old Mac 22 when I replaced the trailer bunks I used a pair of 2x8's. Counter drilled the bolt holes so the heads were below the sufface.
As to friction, usually the boats I've been around didn't slide worth a hoot on a dry trailer. In fact, doing that can leave dents in the hull. Best to move the boat while the bunk covers (mine were like outdoor carpet) are wet. The normal trick to get the boat to move completely up into the bow chock is to pull forward up to about 5-10 mph and stomp on the brakes. And hope it goes in, not to the side.
Seems, not matter how tight I thought the winch cable was, the Mac always settled back a bit.[/QUOTE]
TE=Bob Poff;730961]Can you describe what you mean by:"It is on it but not correctly" ?
I don't know about the H23 trailer, but on my old Mac 22 when I replaced the trailer bunks I used a pair of 2x8's. Counter drilled the bolt holes so the heads were below the sufface.
As to friction, usually the boats I've been around didn't slide worth a hoot on a dry trailer. In fact, doing that can leave dents in the hull. Best to move the boat while the bunk covers (mine were like outdoor carpet) are wet. The normal trick to get the boat to move completely up into the bow chock is to pull forward up to about 5-10 mph and stomp on the brakes. And hope it goes in, not to the side.
Seems, not matter how tight I thought the winch cable was, the Mac always settled back a bit.[/QUOTE]
When I bought my 23 I had a tough time getting it on the trailer too. I added a few mods, and adjusted the bunks. I replaced bunks n carpeted them, also sprayed them with silicone. I raised bunks equally until the weight of keel gently rested on center bunk. I added keel guides to center bunk and trailer guides near trailer fenders.
Now when I retrieve boat it centers on the trailer easily. When winching forward the bow goes right into chocks. the tongue weight is around 230lbs too. Before, I had to block up the rear of the trailer when I disconnected or the rear of the boat/trailer would drop with any weight-now it works great, I can even climb the swim ladder to board while it's being stored. No damage to boat that I can tell.
I'm still trying to figure out a way to easily store my rudder and motor on the trailer for travel. Any ideas for that?
Now when I retrieve boat it centers on the trailer easily. When winching forward the bow goes right into chocks. the tongue weight is around 230lbs too. Before, I had to block up the rear of the trailer when I disconnected or the rear of the boat/trailer would drop with any weight-now it works great, I can even climb the swim ladder to board while it's being stored. No damage to boat that I can tell.
I'm still trying to figure out a way to easily store my rudder and motor on the trailer for travel. Any ideas for that?
The rudder should not be an issue it pulls up to the height of the gunnels. You should have 2 lines on the rudder one that keeps it in the water and the second when you take it out of the water holds on a cleat and keeps it. I use a couple bungee chords to half way center it. The bungees may be better served with either rope or another rig. The motor is another story. I do not know what kind of motor you have but I have a 4 cycle Honda 5 and that sucker is heavy. I dare not travel with it. The boat has the original mount which is a u shaped fiberglass that is cracked, I think just from the motor being on the trailer and not moved. When this one goes I am not sure what I will do. I guess get a reverse sprung Gerlick. I had one and it worked great.
I just bought and installed a set of trailer guides also but have not tried them. I also found out that the bottom bunk on mine is nothing but a rotten piece of plywood that needs replaced.
I posted something about raising the bunks and was told do not do it. That would solve my problem if I could raise them just a little to get the pressure off the bottom bunk. Have you noticed anything with the boat since you raised them. How far did you raise them? My bunks are already carpeted.
I also had an extension to the extension made that I can put on the tongue and take off. It now has the potential to be 9 ft.
I just bought and installed a set of trailer guides also but have not tried them. I also found out that the bottom bunk on mine is nothing but a rotten piece of plywood that needs replaced.
I posted something about raising the bunks and was told do not do it. That would solve my problem if I could raise them just a little to get the pressure off the bottom bunk. Have you noticed anything with the boat since you raised them. How far did you raise them? My bunks are already carpeted.
I also had an extension to the extension made that I can put on the tongue and take off. It now has the potential to be 9 ft.
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