Just guessing that the trailer is built for heavier loads. But let's start with the easy stuff first.
- boat must be tied DOWN to trailer at both bow and at bunks. A horizontal pull on the bow eye is needed to retrieve the boat from the water, a downward pull is stop the bow from lifting from the trailer once the boat is fully on the trailer. Usually the height of the winch can be set to achieve both, but if you can't get the winch height adjusted correctly, rig a strap or line to tie the bow eye down.
- A strap across the boat and down to the trailer frame on both sides at the rear end of the bunks is usually sufficient along with the bow eye. Even better is angling the rear strap inwards as it comes down to the frame on the 2 sides. Note that you don't want to over-tension this strap, but you want it to be tight enough to hold the boat to the bunks when the trailer bounces. Also, don't tie the transom down unless your trailer bunks extend all the way to the stern.
- bunk height should be adjusted to be as low as possible while leaving room for the keel to be on the keel rollers. If you have no keel or stub, and you have a dagger board instead of a centerboard, disregard this paragraph. Your centerboard/lifting keel should be carried by a roller on the trailer, and not by the boat hull. So part of the launch routine is pulling the centerboard up, and part of retrieval is lowering the centerboard to the trailer. Don't ask me how this became ingrained in my memory! In my case, the hull hangs out over the wheel fenders, which limits how low the bunks can be. Even with 2" clearance, I had to put carpet on the fenders to prevent hull to metal contact on the bumps in the road. I can tell they work because I have bottom paint on the carpet to prove it.
- goal posts are very useful for centering the boat during the retrieval in any kind of cross wind, but are pretty useless otherwise. Once you get a sailboat most of the way on, the maximum beam is already through the goal posts and the posts do nothing. But the further back you put the posts on the trailer, the more leverage they have during retrieval. Some prefer side boards to goal posts. Side boards would be better where the hull bottom is flat and there is no keel.
- improve the ride on the trailer by setting tire inflation correctly. This will require knowing the weight on the trailer tires. CAT scales cost $20/weighing, interstate weigh stations work if there is no truck traffic present. ST tires (trailer tires) have manufacturers minimum tire pressure charts for a given load (lbs) and tire size. Add 10% and use that as your tire pressure - you do check tire pressure before every trip? Highly recommended if you don't.
- slow down over bumpy roads, and avoid bad roads when possible. When trailering from North Carolina to Connecticut, I have learned the hard way to go way around New York City - the roads are that bad. My mast ended up jumping up out of the carrier on a terrible NYC freeway during rush hour. What a scary mess. Don't be me. Make sure the mast and its trailering supports are properly tied down, too.
- finally, make sure your trailer springs and frame are in decent shape - no cracked spring leaves or hangers, no cracked welds in the frame.
hope this helps
Fred W
Stuart (ODay) Mariner 19 Sweet P
