converting to bunks on my trailer

[K.C. Walker]

I'm hoping to get some help on ideas for rebuilding my trailer. The frame is fine but it has roller cars rather than bunks so I'm changing those out to bunks.

Phil Root has some very good pictures of his trailer on this website. I'm hoping Phil or anyone else would help me out on a few points. One of the things I was curious about was the wooden track up the middle next to the rollers on Phil's trailer. Does this help guide the boat on? One other thing, is that plywood for the main bunks on Phil's trailer?

Also does anyone use guide-ons either posts or side bunks? I have been finding it difficult to center my boat when I pull it up on the trailer. It may have to do with my rollers, however it seems like some kind of guide-on would make it quick to get the boat on the trailer even when it's windy.

Thanks for any thoughts you might have!

KC

[kokko]

I had a roller in the middle to catch the centerboard, and a pair of bucks aft. I didn't think it held th eboat securely, so I added a pair of bunks forward. You can find all the hardware at

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm

[Roger]

I actually changed from bunks to rollers to make loading easier. I also added guide posts made from 2" PVC pipe about 3' tall. I marked with a piece of duct tape the depth that the post had to be at to float the boat. I would then back the trailer down the ramp until that tape was at water level, and the boat would just float off. Rollers helped guide it, and the guide posts kept it from blowing off to one side. Retrieving was a dream.

[K.C. Walker]

Thanks kokko,

I've bookmarked Eastern Marine for parts. How wide and how long are your bunks? Do you see any dimples in the hull from the bunks? That's the main reason I want to switch from rollers. That is, except for rollers down the keel.

KC

[K.C. Walker]

Thanks Roger,

Now that's interesting! When I bought my boat last summer I got it with a roller trailer that was designed for a bigger deep V hull. It has those roller cars with four small rollers each. I found a crack in the hull where the rollers had flexed the hull and there are dimples were each of the rollers sit. What kind of rollers did you switch to and how many?

I love to hear about your PVC post guide-ons! I am definitely going to do that. I love the tape mark tip for depth of trailer. Did you put them all away at the back of the trailer? And, how did you attach them to the trailer? Did they need steel reinforcement on the inside?

Thanks again, KC

[Roger]

I inherited solid metal (gunwale eating) 1 x 1" x 36" guide posts when I got my boat and trailer. To protect the boat I shoved a 2" piece of PVC pipe over the post... simple, quick and clean.

The year before last, when I was moving my trailer, I clipped the bow pulpit of an another boat and the weld holding the 1 x 1 near the fender broke off. Last year the other one shook itself off while transiting a very rough secton of road construction.

Currently I have a 2" flat of scrap iron, bent into an L shape. The bottom is held to the frame of the trailer with a square U bolt and another through bolt through the frame. I 'squeezed' the 2" PVC pipe with a large C clamp, slid it over the top of the L bracket, then released the clamp. Each leg of the L bracket was about 8" long whereas the PVC pipe was about 36" long.

The rollers on that trailer numbered about 10. There were two sets of four rollers set up on rockers for the back end of the hull. Each set of 4 rollers was the standard E-Z loader trailer set up, that is each roller at the corner of a 2' x 2' imaginary square, with one of these squares under the back of the hull, one to the left, one to the right.

Additionally there was another roller under the centerboard, and another roller under the bow just before it starting rising towards the stem. There as another bow piece just under the boweye, but it was not a roller.

I have a picture if you want to send me your e-mail to roger02 att mts dott net.

The rubber rollers were quite large, I would say 4", and there were lots of them. If I crawled under the boat, each roller supported about 50 pounds in my estimation, and I could just force it to turn using both hands.

[kokko]

THere were a pair of aft bunks each being a 30 inch 2x4 on edge, covered with bunk carpet - the supporting face was 30 x 1 1/2. THere was some oil canning. I changed both by glueing and screwing another 2 x 2 to each edge, so no the support surface is 30 x 4 1/2. Forward I installed two new bunks with 24" sections of 2 x 4. THe two new ones are mounted about even with the mast to provide forward support. THey are angled in toward the centerline so the hulls sits flat on them.

Happy days - both my Daysailer and Catalina 22 come out of storage Monday, so I can get started on the spring projects.

[K.C. Walker]

kokko-thanks for the dimensions on your bunks and how you changed that. That oil canning thing is something I'd like to avoid. So I will definitely go with more support. Congratulations on getting your boats out of storage!

Roger-thank you for your detailed post! This gives me some good ideas on what I need to do. I'll write you an e-mail for pictures. My present set up has 16 rollers of the EZ-loader style. There aren't any keel rollers though. I also can turn the rollers by hand but they still are leaving a dimple in the boat at each place that they rest. Maybe if I had a keel roller or three that would take enough weight off of them. Here is a link to a picture that shows the dimples. http://www.walkerguitars.com/boat/ds/img_1792.htm

KC

[persephone]

I have been stripping the paint off my boat, and wouldn't you know it was identical to yours originally. Your gelcoat looks a lot nicer than mine ever could.
What year/number is yours? I'm curious how many years they had that red over red color scheme.

BTW the guitars are exqusite

[K.C. Walker]

Geoff, my boat is a '74. The sale number is 7002 and the hull number is XDYD70020374. Who do you think made your boat? I'm thinking mine must be a Can-Am. The gel coat on mine is pretty thick. I had to repair a crack on the bottom last year and I was surprised at how thick it was. Might you possibly be able to wet sand and buff?

Thanks for the compliment on the guitars!

KC

[persephone]

I guess I'm not sure of the manufacturer. I thought the XDY in the hull number meant it was O'Day. Perhaps that just identifies the designer... I'm 68721073 so it could be an early Can-Am. I have an inquiry into Can-Am (they build windsurfers now), I'll let you know if I ever hear anything back.
The gelcoat has been sanded through in a few places, and there is a repair above the water line, so no wet sand and buff. The new paint is going to be Inetrlux ocean blue, with a bronze racing coat bottom.

[persephone]

Looking at the pictures, I'd say you could definitley benefit from center rollers. If nothing else it could lower the center of gravity, and the depth needed to launch. My trailer has 3, one fore and one aft of the centerboard trunk, and one under the bow. The only thing I have noticed about rollers is that they need to conform to the shape of the hull, if the 'v' is too deep you will end up with indents from the outer edge of the roller. My boat is off the trailer, if you want a pic along with all of my thoughts on what is right and wrong with my trailer, just ask.

[K.C. Walker]

Geoff...Oh my, that should be beautiful! I hope you're going to post before and after pictures! Do you have your boat flipped over?

Reengineering my trailer is kind of giving me a headache. I'd be happy to hear/see what you think is right and wrong with your trailer. Having you mentioned the roller end making indents makes me realize that my boat is probably no thinner than typical and that they are just lightweight boats.

I have already lowered the boat 4 inches on the trailer from what that picture was. Unfortunately, that's got me down very close to the fenders. Another obstacle I'm trying to figure out how to deal with is, that the trailer only has two cross members and they swivel with the roller cars.

My plan right now is to try taking the rollers off of my roller cars and using them to support bunks. I think I could fairly easily make four 2' x 4' bunks out of 3/4 inch plywood to put on top of the cars. I definitely want to spread the pressure out on my hull. Then it's figuring out center rollers.

[persephone]

The boat is upside down inside the shop where I work (nice dry warm place to work on it). I'll snap a shot or two of the trailer and post them soon.
I didn't think to take a close shot of the hull prior to removing all the old paint. I will take some of poor Persephone scandalized (as Jack Aubrey would say) for future reference but it might be indecent to post them.


I hadn't noticed the pivoting cross members, not sure where to go with that. I suppose the trailer is galvanized (can't be welded...). Is the winch post movable? I would bring that forward a few inches, just enough to allow mounting a roller right on the short cross member to support the bow. Tongue weight is the only thing to watch when moving the boat forward on the trailer. Then I would replace the rear rollers with a very wide bunk board (2"x6" maybe 3 or 4 feet long obviously laid so the wide part is supporting the boat). They might be better placed closer to the centerline (I think the hull is stronger about a foot outboard of the c/b trunk, roughly where the seat attaches to the floor). I think the front rollers might be fine. You could also drop a size or two in tires, that would allow smaller fenders. I added guide posts to my trailer (also moved the light to the posts, afraid of some idiot not seeing them way under the tail of the boat and slamming into it when I stopped), and promptly gouged the side the first few times. So a smooth top or cap is a necessity if adding guide posts.

[K.C. Walker]

Geoff,

Thank you for your trailer ideas, they are helpful in my thinking. Your thoughts of moving the boat forward is a good one and I have done that. I will install a roller at that short crossmember. The tung weight I took care of by moving the axle forward. This is a totally bolt together trailer. I found that it is a genuine EZ Loader, it appears to be white paint underneath the aluminum paint.

I agree with you about the hull strength at the seat joint. When I got my boat the rear rollers were set on either side of that seat joint. And, there was a crack running along that joint right between two of the rollers. This is actually what started the whole trailer episode. Right now the boat is pretty bouncy on the trailer because of hull flex. I want to eliminate as much of that as possible.

My latest thoughts are maybe I will run a pair of 2 x 6s on edge down the middle with flat bunk boards on top of those. Leaving just enough space between them for the keel. I could run a centerboard support in between those, which I have no crossmember for support at this point. I'd then put some large bunks further out to stabilize and support.

Are you using fairing compound on the bottom of your boat, underneath that racing finish? If so, what are you using? How are the stringers in your boat? I find that mine are toast. After a get the trailer straightened out the stringers are next.

KC