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Spindrift 12 build log


Walt S.

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Does anyone have an opinion on this CE Smith trailer?  It looks like I can remove at least 1 leaf spring on either side to somewhat match the net weight capacity to my boat.  There are no keel rollers, so I might have to add some.  8" tires are attractive since I won't have to back all the way into the water.  It goes together faster than I can travel to a nearby county and back.   

 

I'm going to check out a couple of other trailers this week.  I can't find anything used that doesn't require a lot of money/work. 

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Here are some good threads on the wooden boat forums about foot stretchers.  As a temporary solution until I put down non-skid, I think I'm just going to get some nylon webbing and loop it around the centerboard trunk and tie loops in both ends to make foot stirrups.  I'm not thrilled with the idea of drilling through the hull or longitudinal bulkheads to put down cleats for stretchers or anything like that.  

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Still waiting to hear on whether I can buy a used trailer with a spring weight capacity of 500 lbs.  If not, I"m buying a Trailex 250-S.  

Anderson bailer installation follows. 

 

I went underneath the boat and measured over from the centerline 3/8" for the keel + 3/8" for the bailer flange + 1/2" for a safety margin and to clear most of the centerboard trunk glass tape.  Then I traced around the cardboard template. 

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I drilled a small hole in one corner of the template trace to mark that corner.

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I positioned the corner of the template over the hole drilled from underneath the boat and measured to ensure that the template was parallel to the centerline

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After measuring to ensure that the template was parallel to the centerline, I drew around it.

20170728_205309.thumb.jpg.543c584c15a1db546bd4efc91c694426.jpg

 

I routed out the inlay using a dremel pretty much how Alan did it in his Coresound 15 build (video 18 or 19).  I drilled 1/8" holes through the Anderson bailer's fastener holes into the hull as I set it in the cut-out.  Then I widened the holes to 3/16" to be plugged with epoxy and cabosil.  I counter-sunk each hole.  I put 3 coats of epoxy on the inlay.  I bedded-in the bailer with LifeCalk and put the bolts through the 1/8" re-drilled holes.  The bailer ended up 3/4" over from the keel.  

20170808_081403.thumb.jpg.f36c3485be9832b18360d851c1023b3e.jpg

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@Steve W @Thrillsbe  I see a couple of PWC trailers.  They aren't drilled for bunk brackets nor do they have keel rollers.  I'd also have to take out springs.  Here's a good example:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tro/d/shorelander-single-pwc-trailer/6256041125.html

 

Does this look like a bargain?  I'm concerned I'd put another $200 into it and a lot of work and still not get what I want. 

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I suppose I could put something like this on the back and just drill.  There's nothing that says I can't drill into the frame.  I can also U-bolt on new bunk brackets.  I guess the remaining question is, "Can I make the suspension the appropriate weight?"  Generally, these PVC suspensions are rated to 1000 lbs.  Even if I pulled out springs, I doubt I could get it down below 500 lbs.

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry I didn't see your post until now, WaltS, I'm doing some "intensive vacationing".  There's always a risk buying a used trailer (or even a new one) that you can drop $200 or more into it, to make it work.  The other issue with PWC trailers (and I do have one, so I know) is length.  Sometimes they need to have a 4' extension added.  That's more money to shell out.  I think your trailer looks great.  You chose wisely.   If it were mine, eventually I'd get a higher front bumper tower.  But that can wait.  Get out on the water!  She's a cutie.

 

Another thought-- get your boat as low as possible on the trailer.  Some ramps have a shallow launch angle.  When your boat is higher off the ground, you have to back the boat in further.  A tilt trailer solves this.  Since I don't have one of those, I'm sensitive to this.  At one launch site, I couldn't even launch-- I had to leave.

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"What Thrillsbe said." Looks like your trailer should adjust easily to get the boat lower. I'd also add upright side guides similar to these:  https://www.amazon.com/CE-Smith-Unlighted-Replacement-Accessories/dp/B0000AXDLQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505566026&sr=8-1&keywords=trailer+side+guides

Also be sure to keep enough  tongue weight. It will "fishtail" at highway speed if you don't have enough weight in front.

 

Bat looks GREAT!

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Guys, I adjusted the front roller higher so that it's supportign the keel.  I'm not thrilled with the front bumper tower but didn't really want to buy the winch and tower.  I'm just going to use another ratchet strap on the front.  

 

The oar leathers are duct-taped on.  I'm going to try it out.  

 

Don, the wheels are 8".  I could probably drop the bunks another 2 inches but was thrilled with how well they fit so I didn't want to adjust anything.  The clearance of the keel over the center beam is actually not great.  I did a good job measuring and beveling the bunks before I put on the boat. I can always adjust later.  This trailer's so light I'm probably going to use is as a dolly when I get to the ramp.  It's not very long, so it's impossible to see where it's going from the rearview.  I probably need to add some guide-ons as Chick suggested.  

 

Finally, I ordered a clamp for the hitch to eliminate the slop between the hitch and receiver. I took the empty trailer up to about 50 mph and didn't notice any fishtailing.  

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Main thing here is to have some tongue weight (with the trailer loaded).  Once, I borrowed a trailer that was neutral.  Not only did it rattle on the ball, but the rattling shook the trailer loose from the car.  Since the owner had used hardware store S hooks for the chains, they straightened right out.  Fortunately, no one was hurt-- I only had to change my pants.

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Thanks, Don.

 

The trailer has tongue weight.  The trailer and the boat together are only 300 lbs so there's only so much I can add.  I will put a spare tire further forward to add weight.  

 

I'm not ready for freeway trailering.  I haven't fully figured out how to secure the bow using only a bow painter.  Yesterday, I used home depot poly line for the bow and found it too stretchy.  I think also that Trailex intends for you to use the bow roller tower handles as a kind of cleat to secure the bowline.  

 

Now that I've built a boat, the real learning begins. 

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  • 4 months later...

Welp, I should've made the oarlock horns wider to accommodate side mount or angle mount sockets.  Instead, I drilled for topmount sockets and the width of the gunwales + plywood was barely enough for the socket holes.  I think rowing put enough stress on the starboard gunwale to crack it.  In fact, I could see the gunwale flexing as I rowed.  I now have a cracked gunwale.  I'm thinking of drilling in the sides around the cracks and adding dowels with titebond or other wood glue.  Does anyone else have suggestions? 

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Just shooting from the hip here:

on the outside, below the gunnel, add a filler piece of solid timber to act as a supporting gusset . Close the hole for the oar-lock with some masking tape and lay some glass tape, preferably UD tape, over the full width of the oarlock, extending down over the gunnel and filler piece onto the topsides as well as down inside the boat.

If you want even better rigidity, add a 4mm or even 1/4" piece of plywood to the inside before adding the glass. Let the plywood extend all the way down from the top of the oar-lock down to the seat. Let the glass tape on the outside also extend down at least to the level of the seat. You will be creating a vertical beam to act as a load-path for the forces on the oarlock.

Drill through the glass to open the hole again after curing. Fill any remaining cracks in the gunnel with epoxy as best you can. Adding an inverted-U cap of 45 deg bias glass over the gunnel that extends perhaps 6" - 8" on either side of the oarlock should allow any remaining torsional loads to get distributed into the gunnel without causing any stress concentrations.

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It is hard to see in the photo, but I mounted my rowlock block on the inside of the gunwale.  This unfortunately means my oars rub on the bumper guard.  If I had to do it again, and I might some day, I would fabricate a wider block that laps over the top of the gunwale and move the actual rowlock up and maybe outboard a little.  My Spindrift was built as a tender and therefore I have this bulky fendering in the way that most don't have.

By using the wider block, that sits on and laps the gunwale on the inside you would have a wider block and more glue mating surface.

Winge in yard 015.jpg

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Dave,

Rather than raised oarlock blocks, a modification of the Bolger oarlocks might work.  A second spacer could be braised or bolted underneath the first one to give the oarlocks the desired height above the gunwales.  The materials are available at all the big box stores.  

http://www.jimsboats.com/webarchives/2002/15aug02.htm

Quote

Just shooting from the hip here:

on the outside, below the gunnel, add a filler piece of solid timber to act as a supporting gusset . Close the hole for the oar-lock with some masking tape and lay some glass tape, preferably UD tape, over the full width of the oarlock, extending down over the gunnel and filler piece onto the topsides as well as down inside the boat.

If you want even better rigidity, add a 4mm or even 1/4" piece of plywood to the inside before adding the glass. Let the plywood extend all the way down from the top of the oar-lock down to the seat. Let the glass tape on the outside also extend down at least to the level of the seat. You will be creating a vertical beam to act as a load-path for the forces on the oarlock.

Drill through the glass to open the hole again after curing. Fill any remaining cracks in the gunnel with epoxy as best you can. Adding an inverted-U cap of 45 deg bias glass over the gunnel that extends perhaps 6" - 8" on either side of the oarlock should allow any remaining torsional loads to get distributed into the gunnel without causing any stress concentrations.

 

William,

 

I think I'm going to sawzall off the oarlock horns and add side-mounted oarlocks:
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2382&familyName=Perko+Side+Plate+Oarlock+Sockets

 

I'm going to build some Bolger oarlocks using my harbor freight stick welder.  

 

I think I still need to do something about the damaged gunawales.  I suppose I could try to flow some epoxy into the cracks.  I'm not sure how well that would work.  I don't think I could get any in.  

 

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