How to get your day sailer off the trailer without a crane, of some sort, and get it ready to work on!
Tie one end of a strong line thru both gudgeons, a big bow line knot works the best, because it distributes the the force equally between the gudgeons. Tie the other end around a tree, a bumper hitch or what ever wonÆt move.
Two guys grab on to the tung of the trailer and pull the trailer out from under the Day Sailer. The transom should come to rest on the ground on something soft e.i. grass, carpet scraps or an old throwable cushion.
Place a saw horse near the bow area so that when you roll the boat over it will rest on the saw horse on the bow. Make sure the saw horse is tall enough that the cutty will not touch the ground. Do not let the boat rest on the cutty as it is not strong enough and will break.
Same two guys lift at the chain plate area and roll the boat on to its side. One balances the boat while the other runs around to the other side and the balances the boat until the other can get over to help let the boat down so the bow rest on the saw horse and the transom is on the ground.
You now have you boat in a hull up position so it is very easy to fill holes, sand and paint or pull the centerboard.
Most older Day Sailers who have not raced, have a sloppy centerboard. This does not help your pointing ability.
You need to have the centerboard shimmed so it is in the center of the boat. Most of us racers use sheets Formica thats screw and glued to the centerboard head so that it still rotates easily but doesn't wiggle.
Gus Heismann (marktdes-at-oneimage.com)