rebuilt trailer

[jdoorly]

This last week I rebuilt my trailer. My DS2 trailer is actually older (1971) than the DS (1973) but is still in pretty good shape due to being hot dip galvanized. I got new (painted) wheels and tires, and jack stand last Fall and new hubs this Spring. Seeing rust spots on my new stuff made me decide to re-galvanize EVERYTHING! (FYI: Galvanizing is adding an external layer of sacrificial zinc to metal so it doesn't oxidize/rust.)

Took off all the bolted-on stuff, wire brushed rust spots and ruffed up the surfaces. Couldn't afford an axle and springs this year but I did spray them with Rustoleum Rust Reformer. Sprayed the frame, metal parts, and even fasteners with Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing. I cut new 2x4 bunks and replaced the carpet so there was more layers under the boat.

I had noticed that all the height adjustments of bunks and rollers were all all the way up and decided to try and lower them to make deploying and retrieving the boat easier. I measured the bunk-roller differential and when I assembled the trailer was able to drop the keel to ground height by 2 inches. I also moved the winch location 12 inches toward the rear figuring the 130 pounds of batteries just aft of the mast had moved the center of gravity not only down but forward. The tongue weight is now light enough for me (think decrepit old man) to pick it up! but how much should it be?

I had replaced the trailer lights and cable last year but seemed to spend 15 minutes fixing something each time before driving off to go sailing. So I decided to get the electricity off the trailer and keep everything dry. I mounted the lights on a board and can slide the board onto my boom gallows. Now,I don't need a helper to check the lights before I'm off...

[algonquin]

You bring out several good points here. The trailer is often neglected. Especially the adjustments of the bunks and tongue. These seemingly minor adjustments can make trailering and launching much more enjoyable. Many buy a trailer and leave it as they received it paying little attention to adjusting the components to fit their particular boat.

I like your idea of a portable light bar. I did something similar to a previous boat I owned and found it extended the life of the lights. Even a light designed as submersible will eventually leak and fail. The removeable bar will help prevent this. Brad

[hectoretc]

Reading this old post reminded me of a question I've been meaning to ask as well.
If you purchase a trailer separate from the boat (DS II in my case) how do you know how to adjust it to the boat? This trailer has 4 center rollers, and bunks at the rear. It looks to me (not knowing anything) that the bunks were set for a deeper V than the flatter bottom toward the stern of the DS II. It seems that high bunks would have a lot more drag making it difficult to launch & trailer, but would too low bunks over stress the keel when trailering?
Thanks

[K.C. Walker]

Fitting a trailer correctly to your boat will greatly extend the life of your boat, especially if you trailer often. An improperly fit trailer can even damage a boat while it's sitting still, though. Improperly fit trailers that have pressure points that flex the hull will soften the bottom pretty rapidly.

The generally recommended set up for a DaySailer trailer is to support most weight in the center with rollers and then balance the boat with bunks at or about the edge of the seat tanks. My feeling is that this is inadequate support for the thin flat sections of the DaySailer hull. I think that rollers are fine for the forward parts of the boat. That is, where the keelson and centerboard trunk add a great deal of strength. I think it is much better to spread out the load on the flat areas with bunks, that is, bunks that are contoured to the boat.

The DaySailer is so light that it's really no problem for me to launch and retrieve my boat with only one roller at the bow and the rest is carpeted bunks that fit the contour of the hull.

[GreenLake]

The other adjustment you'll need to make is how far forward you move the winch post. That will determine how your boat balances over the axle and affect your trailer's tongue weight. Depending on the trailer construction, it will also affect the location of the rollers relative to the CB. Unless you extend a bunk underneath the CB, you'll want to have one, or better two, rollers that can support the CB.