# Flat-bed trailer & keel boat: cradle, supports or bunks?



## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

I've just bought a 22 ft fin keel Abbott 22 (see sailboatdata.com) and am considering using a cradle or stands or wedge stands on a flat-bed trailer, for both winter storage and launching. I may have found a suitable flat-bed tandem axle trailer at a good price.

The trailer with the Abbott in the photos below is shorter than the one I'll be looking at; I figured the frame overhang at the rear (stern end) of the trailer I'm looking at could be cut back as necessary to end the trailer frame at the transom, assuming that the boat's CG is located somewhere between the tandem axles to give proper hitch loading. Any comments on shortening the frame like that? How long is a good length re transom?

Is there any consensus of opinion as to whether, on a flat bed, a cradle is more suitable than stands, jack or wedge, or even bunks? What are the opinions?

The Abbott in the photos appears to be on jack stands welded to the trailer frame. Is this feasible for launching, or would the boat have to be craned onto the trailer? Would a cradle be any different? Would bunks be better than pads?

I'd read a post by _Hudsonian_ (from 2009) about Jowi cradles:
"Clearly there an imperfect market for cradles. Around here you can always buy a used Jowi for $300 but if you're lucky you can find an abandoned one at a yard that uses jack stands. A friend bought one for $50 delivered."

I hadn't heard about these cradles. I was wondering if anyone knows where such an area as is mentioned in _Hudsonian_'s post, ('around here') might be - it would be affordable to find one abandoned in a yard! If it's not too far (from either Detroit or Buffalo, as I'm in Canada) I'd consider driving to get one - that's a price that can't be beaten! Always assuming that you can float the boat off.

All comments and advice gratefully received, and thanks in advance for your input.


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## thehardaground (Jan 19, 2011)

Personally I would go with the mount a cradle to the trailer option. It is going to remove the ramp launch option though. If you shorten an existing trailer it can be a bit nice if it's still a bit longer than the boat. Always better to have the trailer hit something before the rudder/transon does.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

*Generally, boats that require a cradle or stands to sit on a flat bed trailer are not trailer launchable. Most ramps aren't deep enough to allow launching of a keel boat off of a trailer, especially a flatbed trailer with a cradle or stands attached, since that increases the height of the boat off the ground and effectively increases the depth needed to launch said boat. *IMHO, they're not trailerable boats technically, they're boats that can be stored on a trailer and moved with a trailer.

Also, consider that trying to clear the cross bar on the trailer pictured would require another THREE feet of depth for the launch ramp--which just ain't gonna happen.

A flatbed trailer with cradle or a cradle trailer like the one shown are great to have since they allow you to transport the boat reasonably easily, but they WILL REQUIRE A CRANE OR TRAVELLIFT to get the boat on and off of the trailer. They're great for winter storage and for doing maintenance on the boat.

Most keel boats are not going to be ramp launchable. The ramps aren't deep enough, and if they were, the truck would have to be too deep in the water to be safe unless you have a fairly long tongue extension.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

You could launch a boat with a keel like this, assuming you had an extendable tongue on the trailer, and a steeper ramp. Otherwise, as mentioned, you will need a crane something or other.

But a trailer like that that would work. an over the tire bed would be better for a bigger boat like you have. OR also as mentioned, something built into the frame and going up to the boat. Here is a link to my stepdads getting his boat he built off the ground, and onto his trailer. Boat is 9.5'wide. His trailer is similar to the one you showed, but a lot beefier as his boat is about 6-7000 lbs or there abouts. I would not want to tow this boat with a ford ranger, other than thru a yard to the launch "crane" 
https://picasaweb.google.com/jjanwalter/SeabirdII02#slideshow/5113480874490653218

Marty


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks y'all for your replies and comments.  I'm at the conclusion that a keel boat doesn't launch from a trailer without a lot of very careful planning and consideration, good luck and special circumstances!

@_the hardaground_ - I agree most strongly that it's a good idea to keep the trailer just a little longer than the transom position, to protect the boat.

@_sailingdog_, you confirm my thoughts that I'd need a minimum of about 6 ft of water depth to float off the trailer. My first intended location for the boat was on a reservoir which can drop level in the late summer/fall. This might cause me to have to haul-out a month or so sooner than anyone else  Not a good thing.

There is a club in the area, on Lake Huron, which although further away, brings in a crane for launch and haul-out. That would completely solve the issue.

I like the idea of bottom paining on the trailer (I know, I know it should be _painting_, but that typo seemed so appropriate  ) For this work, I think stands of some sort - jack or wedge - would make life easier than with a cradle. With three pairs one could temporarily remove one pair in turn to get at the areas covered by the pads. Could it be done if the trailer has two pairs only as in the photos, by removing one stand at a corner, at a time? Has anyone done this successfully? i.e. didn't drop the boat?

@_blt2ski_ that was a really nice trailer, the type used by pro boat haulers. The open end would make life much easier, but requires very, very strong side arms - just look at the massive size in your photos! Not affordable for the rest of us with occasional use needs. 

Has anyone heard about the 'Keel Hauler' trailer mounted crane? It's supposed to be able to lift up to a 30 ft/5,000 lb sail boat out of the water and onto its trailer! It's reportedly made by Brooks Sales & Engineering, of Chassell, MI. An Internet search found no website, but enquiries continue... I'd need a very great deal of reassurance before attempting this, but the idea sounds intriguing.

Thanks again for all your input.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

knotty, 

there were two trailers shown, one is a professional boat hauler, the other was what was hooked up behind my pickup, a much smaller trailer. That one is available locally for around $4K custom built. The one behind the semi, not going to guess what that trailer runs, probably in the low to mid 5 figure thousand dollar range! The truck and trailer was probably around $100K+! 

You should be able to find a trailer like the one you showed initially for under $3G new and or way less used.

marty


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Hi marty: _way_ less than 3Gs sounds like my price range...

I just missed a 36 ft ex-house trailer (park model, superstructure stripped off, just the frame), with tandem axle & electric brakes, for $800! I figured a cradle on that, cut some bits off the back, and I'd be good to go. A friend of the present (now previous) owner bought it.

So it's doable for less than $2000 buying a new (cough, hack) cradle, and probably closer to $1000 if everything is used and just needs welding, or bolting together. I can paint.

@_sailingdog_ - I didn't observe in the photos the horizontal bar running side-to-side across the supports at the front and back. Thanks for spotting this! I think this bar could be replaced at the back supports with a bolted bar, to be removed while launching. Additional support could be provided with sideways diagonal bars like the fore and aft bars between the supports and the trailer bed. Look at a Jowi cradle, there's adequate room to slide the keel out backwards between the supports.

Does anyone know where to find abandoned or even used Jowi cradles?


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

FYI, the boat in the photos I posted is for sale, and is located in Brockville, Ontario. I've emailed the owner to ask for details on the trailer, and will post what info I get back, if, as and when.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Removing the bar and putting a bolted on bar in its place is a bad idea. If you forget to tighten the bolts or replace the bar, the aft stands could easily spread and cause your boat to drop off the back of the trailer. At least with the bar there, if the stands spread, the boat won't move very far aft...


knotted said:


> Hi marty: _way_ less than 3Gs sounds like my price range...
> 
> I just missed a 36 ft ex-house trailer (park model, superstructure stripped off, just the frame), with tandem axle & electric brakes, for $800! I figured a cradle on that, cut some bits off the back, and I'd be good to go. A friend of the present (now previous) owner bought it.
> 
> ...


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks for the pointer _sailingdog_! I agree totally. I'm paranoid about either dropping the boat while parked and especially while working on it, or leaving it behind in splinters on the highway while driving 

I'd prefer something that's not removable, and therefore it becomes impossible to forget to put it back, or tighten bolts properly etc. Nothing wrong with redundancy and preventative measures!

While a complicated gate mechanism with permanent pins on the bar dropping into holes on the frame could be done to 'prevent' forgetting to tighten or even replace a bolt, one still has to remember to put the bar back although hinging the bar might help there. (Getting _way_ too complicated!) And while the bar's off, the possibility of spreading always exists. According to Murphy's Law, it _will_ spread but not until you've dropped the trailer off the side of the ramp....

Triangular bracing across the back of the trailer would leave an opening of sufficient size for the keel to pass through, and prevent spreading of the supports, I think. All subject to proper design, of course.

The Jowi cradle would seem to be the answer. The 0.5 model has the capacity for the boat, with a length of 105 inches x 60 inches wide, and triangular bracing at each corner to boot! They're often made into trailers by attaching to a flat bed, I believe. This is the next larger Jowi, but same design:










Anyone know of a marina or yard with used ones 'for sale', or better yet, abandoned ones? I'm scouring craigslist, eBay, and thanks to _Hudsonian_ some NY marinas.


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## thehardaground (Jan 19, 2011)

Bunks vs. pads:
Bunks are really nice when the crane is putting your boat on the trailer, and provide a bunch more support for the boat while it is in storage.
Pads are really nice in the spring when you want to paint underneath before the crane comes to launch your boat. Really nice that you can drop them one at a time to paint underneath. Had a guy at my club a bunch of years ago that had an Abbott 22 that would come down in the morning one day in the spring, drop all four pads leaving the boat just balancing an the keel, and paint the bottom. Asked never to be stored next to him again.


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

thehardaground said:


> ...a guy at my club a bunch of years ago ...had an Abbott 22 ...would come down in the morning one day in the spring, *drop all four pads leaving the boat just balancing on the keel*, and paint the bottom. Asked never to be stored next to him again.


Very wise! would scare the heck out of me just to do the work like that, I just know I'd trip and fall against the boat... or forget I'd taken the stands down and climb on board for a minute to get something.... I'm surprised no-one at the yard said anything; 'course, they probably never knew, or saw and didn't care...

Dropping one pad at a time, _and replacing it with a temp brace or prop_ would achieve the same ease of painting with much greater safety. You always wonder why some people take the apparently easy but also unsafe route.

I feel that bunks might give better hull support, but will hinder bottom work. Some of the methods I've read, about people using cinder blocks 'n all to get the hull off the bunks, really scare me! For a keel boat, the best method of support is supposed to be on the keel, so bunks are of lesser importance, I'm told. The posts 'just' provide stability.

Source of used Jowi cradles, anyone?


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## thehardaground (Jan 19, 2011)

The posts/bunks are definately just for stability. Seen a couple of boats with their hulls indented because their pads were jacked up wy too high. One of the things you can do with a cradle with bunks is support either the front or back of the boat with a jackstand or two while dropping the bunk for painting/sanding.


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## mikehoyt (Nov 27, 2000)

Knotted

If the boat you are looking at is the one in first pic on the trailer then you should buy boat with the trailer. It is a nice trailer.

Remember that a lot of the used cradles and trailers may be old and rotted. The one you showed looked very nice and woulpd make your life much easier since you could move the boat home for maintenance season ,etc...

Mike


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Use adjustable pads. 

And the trailer you have pictured will need almost 8' of depth at the end of the ramp to launch. Measure from the ground up to the w/l. Then measure the height of the cross brace to the trailer. Add those together. That's how much water you'll need. Probably close to 8' wich ain't gunna happen. 

Also, go around and measure the ramps you'll be using. I called twice to a marina asking if they could launch a 4' draft boat, 2 people told me yes and when I got there the water depth was 4' exactly at the end of the ramp. They made $120 from me b/c I had to pay for a travel lift. I would've argued but had to get to the starting line that day. I learned a lot.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

The rear cross piece on the shown trailer could be removed, and an angles piece going towards the center installed. OR< doing a removable for launching is doable, then put the par back in. The issue I see with the bar, is if the supports to spread a bit, you may not get the bar back in place. Otherwise, this is no different of a setup than many of use with racks on our trucks, ie the 1 ton in the link I showed earlier. My back and middle crosspieces are removable. 

If the trailer had bigger main for aft rails, a support in the back as this has might not be needed. You could also get the boat lower if the axles were not below the keel, ie preferably slightly behind, then the boat could sit up to 6" lower. Which would make ramp launching a bit easier, but still close to impossible. 

But getting a cradle on a trailer, vs a special built trailer, look for both. buy which ever you find first. In the end, you will be hoisting the boat to launch and remove from the water, this boat is not easily going in via a ramp. Unless you had a minimum 10-15' tongue extension. There was a manufacture in the 70s out of CA that did this, but most of the trailers I saw were for boats with CB's or equal lessor draft rigs that could float off the supports.

Another issue with that trailer, at least in my state, with out tire covers, that rig would be illegal. One needs to have the top half of the tires covered with fenders or equal to be legal. Your state/providences laws may vary, but look into them. This is to keep water spray among other things from hitting other cars blinding them in wet conditions.

Marty


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Good point about the fenders, _blt2ski_, they would be essential if going on-road.

A long tongue for towing stability _and_ a long extension tongue to get into deeper water at launch, would be good.

The bottom of the cradle could sit just above the top of the axle, as the cradle could fit between the wheel arches. The axles could be drop axles to get a little lower. I think it's time to do some calculations to see just what the lowest reasonable height for the cradle could be. Still need the keel between the axles for stability, I feel, and slightly closer to the front axle to get adequate tongue loading.

_zz4gta_, thanks for that 'heads up'! There are two ramps where I'd like to sail. The people at one have doubts that it's possible at their ramp, as the deepest boat they launch is about 10 inches shallower, and their ramp isn't steep, it's long and flat. (So only worry about going off the end is sticking in the mud....) The people at the other ramp say theirs is steeper and into deeper water, and believe there won't be a problem with launching a 4 ft draught, but that because water levels drop in the fall, a haul-out a week or two earlier than normal might be necessary.

I'd rather have a trailer that _removes_ difficulty, however, rather than _adds_ to it, so I'll be seriously thinking about how to do this. I've got time, as I won't need a trailer until Sept or so. Neither facility (club or public ramp) has a crane, so it would be at my cost to bring one in if needed. If it can be done affordably, I'd rather have a trailer that removed the need for a crane, and opened up many more ramps for possible launches in the future. Tempting to think of manufacturing such a trailer 'for sale', but as someone pointed out somewhere, the liability is terrifying! But only I suspect if the design is faulty and or the construction shoddy.

@_mikehoyt_, yes that is a nice boat and trailer, Mike, but not the one I bought. I know where that boat is (it's for sale also) but the trailer definitely needs a crane to load or unload the boat. Basically, I feel it's a only yard trailer (no lights, no fenders). I like the idea of maintenance at home, without an hour drive to the yard. And pads would be easier to work around than bunks.

What I want is a road trailer from which I can launch off a ramp where there is little more than 4 ft of water. I'm not asking too much, am I?


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## thehardaground (Jan 19, 2011)

Where in SW Ontario are you? On the Canadian side of Lake Erie I can only think of Leamington as the only `reasonable` ramp, of course you would definately need an extension. I did ramp my Merit 25 into the water in Port Stanley, but the water did need to be up and there was no chance of ever ramping out. Way too steep of a ramp. The trailer for the C&C 27 I now have has an extension for ramping too. I have no intention to ever do that though.


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## sailkeys92 (Jan 4, 2011)

Hey,
I was wondering if anyone know of a trailer for sale thats suitable for a Tartan 27? In the Carolinas or georgia. I also have the option of having one built, so I'll need some basic dimensions/stand height and width. I'd appreciate any help, thanks.


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

_sailkeys92_, you might want to check out this website for info on Jowi cradles. I'm sure there are other cradles; these seem to fit the bill. You'd likely need a Model 1, but if you email, they'll provide info.

As for a trailer, if you make up a tandem axle frame trailer with a Jowi secured on top, this should be fine for both travel and storage. You'll need to crane on and off, however, unless the trailer is specially designed to get the cradle down to grade level and or your tow vehicle has snorkels! 

Try looking for a trailer on eBay, Craigslist, Kijiji, and searchtempest Check your spelling on these search engines; searchtempest especially seems to hang if you miss-spell!

Good hunting!


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Our club launched and hauled boats from a ramp using Jowi cradles and a flat bed trailer for years. The trailer had a removable wheel on the front and we used a long chain, not an extension bar, to allow the trailer to float the boat on or off. Jacks are need to get the the trailer on and off the truck trailer hitch. Launching is easy. Hauling is much trickier. We hauled and launched boats this way up to 33 foot and 6 foot draft. Now we have a hydraulic hauler and use jack stands. We probably scrapped 20 Jowi cradles when we made the switch.


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## jaalex (Aug 19, 2004)

I used to launch my Catalina 28 of a trailer with stands all the time. What it takes is very deep ramp and a long extension between the boat and the truck doing the pulling. Check out the pictures here for the last time that I did it.

Serenity pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

@ _JimsCAL_ And all I'm looking for is a Jowi 0.5, somewhere not too far from Windsor/Sarnia/Buffalo! I gotta get the timing right to find one _before_ it's scrapped! I'll even drive to pick it up.... but maybe it'd be just as easy to fabricate stands on a trailer frame?

Did you look at the photo of _jaalex's_ trailer? Maybe your set-up was similar with a dolly at the hitch and chains instead of the extension bar?

@ _jaalex_ That's a decent trailer, with stands permanently attached. Is the padded part that appears to be running front to back, a guide for the keel? It looks like it's open at the hitch end, but that might be perspective or viewpoint.

How long was the extension? Obviously, long enough to get to deep water, which in turn depends on the slope of the ramp, water levels, etc, etc, but wondering about yours.


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## jaalex (Aug 19, 2004)

knotted;705036
Did you look at the photo of [I said:


> jaalex's[/I] trailer? Maybe your set-up was similar with a dolly at the hitch and chains instead of the extension bar?
> 
> @ _jaalex_ That's a decent trailer, with stands permanently attached. Is the padded part that appears to be running front to back, a guide for the keel? It looks like it's open at the hitch end, but that might be perspective or viewpoint.
> 
> How long was the extension? Obviously, long enough to get to deep water, which in turn depends on the slope of the ramp, water levels, etc, etc, but wondering about yours.


You would have to have a dolly with the setup that we used. Otherwise there would be nothing to support the front of the trailer.

It was a great trailer. I say was becasue I sold that boat and have moved on to a Catalina 320. The boat went to Canada and I had a bidding war on my hands for the trailer. We used this trailer on an inland lake in Iowa. There was a guy that did boat works in the area that actually figured it out. He would take the trailer and then weld the stand in the correct place for the boat using his crane to lift and set it the first time. When I left he had done about a dozen of them for boats as big as 32 foot. Acutually a Catalina 320 went on and off in the same process as you see in my pictures every year.

The extention and dolly was about 40 foot long. The lake we sailed on was a flood control lake so the water level fluctated a lot. The ramp that we used was very long but I don't remember at what angle. At the end of that extention at 40 foot the trailer was deep enought that you could float onto it without hitting any of the stands. The padded area you see is as you guessed a keel guide. Because the trailer was completely under water you needed to have the boat line up without being in the water. What you don't see clearly in those pictures is there is a block that stops the keel at the right place moving forward and backard on the trailer.

Once your over the trailer as evidenced by the thud the truck got as the whole thing bumped forward. The boat pilot would just put on power and the driver would start to pull out. We had two spotters that would watch the boat to make sure it was in the right place and that the pads had landed correctly. Some years we would have to back down a bit to get the boat in the right position.

But overall it was a very nice system. It would take us about 15 minutes to get the boat out of the water. Now we only did it one a year. But I don't see why you couldn't do it more.


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks _jaalex_, a super system! With a 40 ft extension, you'd need that dolly for sure. Sounds very straightforward, the way you describe it. It would open up a lot of water access for those of us with fixed keels, who, in time, might want to sail other than home waters. (and no, I'm not talking of straying...) Your wing keel might have complicated a little the 'landing' on the trailer, but something you just work with after the first time, I expect.

So your basic technique was to pilot onto the trailer and then in coordination with the truck, part way up the ramp until you ran out of water, while the truck pulled ahead with the trailer, which eventually took up the boat? As long as the coordination is good; it would seem to have worked fine for you. Could you have winched the boat onto the trailer, even with a line from the deck round a sheave on the trailer and back to the deck? or just too much trouble and effort to do that compared with a little 'iron' help? I can see that piloting it on you'd need guidance and possibly other help. Do you think that a boat could be winched onto its trailer without using the engine as you did? Winch on until secure, then drive up the ramp. It would be great to be able to single hand.... but maybe I'm dreaming/wishing! Getting help just twice a year wouldn't be too bad in a club setting, when everyone is helping each other. And as with most other things, the buddy system is valuable and safer.

I, too, will be on a flood control lake, with water levels that drop in the fall; they must be monitored or it's crane time. Apparently, a 'cherry picker' will lift my boat (only 3,100 lbs dry) according to the builder, who used one in the past. At least a mobile crane rig mightn't be needed, at great expense.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

As I noted, the trailer we used had removable wheels that attached to the front. You need that or a dolly like jaalex used to suppor the front end of the trailer. jaalex gave a good description of getting the boat on the trailer when hauling. Since the trailer is under water you can't see where you are so battens and blocks to guide the boat into position are essential. And don't try it on a windy day with and kind of wave action.


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks, _Jim_, I figured that guide posts (very _tall_ guide posts  ) would be a minimum, with perhaps a 'chute' or some kind of entry guide to direct the leading edge of the keel into the keel slot.

Wind and waves can cause difficulty with most any activity in sailing, but I'd think it only needs just a very little of either to cause much cussing and swearing when trying to get the boat onto its trailer. Another penalty for leaving it late in the year to haul out: the onset of gusty weather!

The front wheel(s) on your trailer must have been bolted on, I doubt that a hitch attachment would stand up to the strain. Chains seem a good way to go for launching, at least they can be packed away easily afterwards! Although trying to muscle the boat onto the trailer and the trailer up the ramp using chains, with wind and or wave 'assistance', might try most people, I'd think. But it worked at your club for large, deep boats, so it's proven and effective; and for twice a year per boat, bearable.


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## thehardaground (Jan 19, 2011)

You don't muscle the trailer up the ramp with the chains. You attach chains to trailer and truck and pull out that way. At least that's what I would do.


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

Sorry for ambiguity in use of 'muscle'! Of course, two or three manpower to get onto trailer, and two hundred or three hundred horse power to pull trailer up the ramp, whether hitched to bumper with or without extension, or attached at the end of chains. Wouldn't try moving loaded trailer without at least a battery powered dolly to help, although it likely could be done (but not by me  ).


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## jaalex (Aug 19, 2004)

knotted said:


> Thanks _jaalex_, a super system! With a 40 ft extension, you'd need that dolly for sure. Sounds very straightforward, the way you describe it. It would open up a lot of water access for those of us with fixed keels, who, in time, might want to sail other than home waters. (and no, I'm not talking of straying...) Your wing keel might have complicated a little the 'landing' on the trailer, but something you just work with after the first time, I expect.


Actually the wing keel makes things easier. It's got a bigger surface on the bottom to sit down on the trailer. It is also more forgiving in it's placement when the boat lands on the trailer as your pulling out.



knotted said:


> So your basic technique was to pilot onto the trailer and then in coordination with the truck, part way up the ramp until you ran out of water, while the truck pulled ahead with the trailer, which eventually took up the boat? As long as the coordination is good; it would seem to have worked fine for you. Could you have winched the boat onto the trailer, even with a line from the deck round a sheave on the trailer and back to the deck? or just too much trouble and effort to do that compared with a little 'iron' help? I can see that piloting it on you'd need guidance and possibly other help. Do you think that a boat could be winched onto its trailer without using the engine as you did? Winch on until secure, then drive up the ramp. It would be great to be able to single hand.... but maybe I'm dreaming/wishing! Getting help just twice a year wouldn't be too bad in a club setting, when everyone is helping each other. And as with most other things, the buddy system is valuable and safer.


Yes you have it correct. The power from the boat is to keep the keel push up against the stop. The combination of the guides on the side and the keel stop keeps the boat in the correct position. As the back set of stands comes up out of the water it catches the boat and that's what keeps the boat from sliding backward into the water. We occasionally had an issue of the trailer getting back heavy and make the joint between the dolly and the trailer start to rise. In that case someone would just sit on the extension bar to add more hitch weight until the boat was further out.

I suppose you could winch the boat up to keep it in place but I guess in my opinion I would rather use the engine than use a which. I also don't think that I would ever try this alone. I think if you were alone and doing the winch you would want to get into the water and check the location of the boat. The first year I pulled out like that we had to try three time and I was in the water adjusting the pads and stop position.

Two issues that we did experience was that sometimes the boat would jump the stop and be to far forward. This would cause the trailer pads to miss where they should be. The other issue was that some years when the boat was very slimy the boat would slip backwards a bit on the trailer. In that case you would have to back up the trailer and set the position again and try coming up again.

As for help I was in a club and help was easy to find. We would often all plan to do it the same day and would pull 4 or 5 of boats out in this fashion in about 2 hours. As I said we did this with boats up to 32 foot in size and it worked well.


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## jaalex (Aug 19, 2004)

thehardaground said:


> You don't muscle the trailer up the ramp with the chains. You attach chains to trailer and truck and pull out that way. At least that's what I would do.


One of the guys in our club had the extension built right into his trailer. Would sit right next to the main hitch and then he needed it he would pull it out. His trailer also had a built in dolly. Based on my experience I wouldn't use chain between the truck and trailer. In our setup the trailer had to be at a specific depth. If it wasn't the boat wouldn't go on right.

Jason


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## thehardaground (Jan 19, 2011)

I've had built in extensions on my trailers as well with built in dollys, but it seemed that there was some previous confusion as to what was being done with chains a couple posts ago. I've seen a couple of pics of people ramp launching deep draft boats that needed 100'+ of heavy line to get the boat/trailer into deep enough water to launch then pull the empty trailer out.


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## knotted (Feb 22, 2011)

_100+ ft_ seems like a long way to go get wet! And for that kind of distance, and a draft deep enough to cause problems for the truck, chains make sense. So long as there is equal tension on the chains, I'd think it shouldn't be too, too bad - just go slowly enough to keep control and not get the trailer slanted or sideways.

For the rest of us who, hopefully, hit deep enough water before the truck submerges, extension bars should do.

I like the idea of a pull out bar from alongside or underneath the main bar - makes it difficult to lose, and is somewhere to stow it. Chain just gathers up into a locker or bag, of course.


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