capt jake Posted March 17, 2003 Posted March 17, 2003 Well, the boat is on a trailer, though I have to go out again tommorow to get some different brackets for the bunks and rollers. Only took a few hours, block and tackle and some brute strength to get it done. Scrambling trying to get things tidied up around here. Selling our house and buying another. What a nerve racking e thing!! Made an offer on one and have countered the offer on ours. If all goes through, we have a mere 30 days to move, etc, etc! Anybody up for a moving party? A question also; the best solution to tie down the stern to the tralier?? I have pondered u-bolts through the upper rubrail, though they would be horizontal, and my fear is the stresses would be too great for this configuration. Thoughts? Quote
Frank Hagan Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Go to Walmart and buy a "gunwale strap" for a powerboat. Or use one of those 2" wide racheting straps. Put eyebolts in the trailer about equal with the front of the cockpit (or wherever you can put the strap over the splash coamings without damaging them) and put the strap there, and tighten up some. You only have to hold the boat DOWN to the trailer, and she'll stay there. No need to have any more mechanical stuff sticking out of that beautiful hull! I use two straps ... one just behind the splash coamings and another up toward the front, which goes over the forward hatch. Then the winch is clipped to the bow eye and a safety rope is tied there as well. Works like a charm! Quote
Mike Donlin Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Two 1" wide motorcycle straps will hold these boats just fine. The winch strap holds the bow to the winch post. Then I have one strap between the mast stub and the cabin. This strap goes under the main beam of the trailer and hooks to itself. (just make sure the ratchet body can't rub on anything) The second strap hooks at the end of the trailer over the boat at about the midpoint of the cockpit and back down to the trailer. This is plenty to hold these boats down. Make sure that you put some twists in the straps so they don't flutter going down the road, a flat strap wants to act like a wing, a twisted strap doesn't move. Also tie or tape up the excess strap so it doesn't destroy your paint job. Quote
capt jake Posted March 18, 2003 Author Posted March 18, 2003 So it sounds like the u-bolt idea through the upper rubrail would work? Judging by the replies I see. I am not fearfull of the bow, with the winch and all, just teh stern of the boat. The u-bolts will help keep the straps away from the finish. Twisting the straps!!! Doh! Why have I never thought of that!! That is a great tip!!! :) Quote
Mike Donlin Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Jake, I wouldn't put any U bolts through the rub rails, they are not needed. The straps can't go anywhere once they are cinched down. I just use one strap in back, hooked on one side of the trailer, up and across the boat at about the midpoint of the cockpit and back down to the other side of the trailer. I have seen the short transom/gunwale straps but I didn't want to put in U bolts anywhere (and wasn't sure we had any spot on the boat strong enough for that kind of point load) I have pulled this boat about 2000 miles total and this strap arrangement works great, easy to unload and easy to tie down. On your masterpiece to protect the finish, I would take pieces of carpet and form a sleeve and slide those over the straps so that these will cushion the straps against the finish. On our boats with a work boat finish we don't have to bother with protective pads, we consider strap marks and dings "character" and my boat is getting to be quite a character. Quote
captain red Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Hi, Captain Jake. Sounds like you have more than a few plates spinning at once :shock: I hope you get in the water soon ! I also wanted to say that you have one pretty kayak, Very Nice 8) . I would like to build one of those someday after our vacationer is done. Captain red Quote
Chris Gerkin Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 What kind of trailer did you end up with and how well do you like the fit. Quote
capt jake Posted March 18, 2003 Author Posted March 18, 2003 Thanks all! Chris the trailer is a modified EZ Loader. Very modified! It fits on it pretty well. the numbers are all gone from the MFG sticker, so I don't know the particulars. Once I get some of the junk out of the way, I will take a few pictures of it. Quote
Knut Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Jake, most of it is said already and I totally agree that one strap across the mid cockpit area is quite adequate, especially if you also have a bow support where you tighten the bow against it with the winch (mine is pulling the bow down/forward at about 45 degrees). Also consider this: U-bolts sticking out through your upper rubrail will sooner or later catch on piling or some other fixed mooring part (or some other boat) and this could lead to some really nasty damage :shock: Anyway, it is your call. Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Amen on avoiding the "U" bolts thru the rail or anywhere else to attach the boat to the trailer. You really don't need to do that to have it held down securely. If the rubbing is the primary concern on your rails, then pad the staps at that point so the straps rub on the padding not on the rail. One side to side strap across the cockpit area should do a more than adequate job of holding your "very precious" cargo in place. Yes...secure the stem to the front of the trailer with it in a block to postion it and away you go. Quote
Phil Gowans Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Here's another point of view. I started with the gunwale strap. I found I had to tighten it really tight to keep the boat from moving around and even then it didn't work well. It also was wearing away my varnish on my coamings. I looked at all the powerboats and they all used transom straps. I placed some small pad-eyes on the lower back rail. They have never been in the way. I did not want u-bolts for my steering, but these are not similar. I love these straps and would not go back to a gunwale strap. The boat is extremely stationary now. Some of the difference I'm experiencing from other is probably due to the wide trailer that I am using. Here is a picture of what I am talking about. [/img] Quote
Knut Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 Phil Gowans wrote: I placed some small pad-eyes on the lower back rail. This looks like a very neat idea that I may change to myself. The two bolts shown on the picture are totally out of the way and there is no risk of catching anything when and if gliding along some stationary piling or similar. The transom will hardy ever be at risk of such moves. Quote
capt jake Posted March 19, 2003 Author Posted March 19, 2003 What Phil shows is what I had in mind. Though I don't have the transom rails on my boat, I was thinking about putting them on the side rails. I see that they will probably be in the way if I install them there though. I need to finish building the bunks first! How many trips to finish a trailer?? More than the average plumbing project!! 3 trips today, and I see that I must go back again tommorrow. Looks like the house is sold. Now I have a lot more plates to keep in the air!! Not even on the market for 7 days and we had 9 showings and 3 offers!! The last showing I did at 8:30 last night, don't I get a commission for that??? That is the offer that flew!! Quote
Guest Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 Capt, we have been house shopping for three weeks, full time. Four offers, and before we could get the offer ink dry, people were overbidding for the house. We were used for a bidding war. People from up north,came with wallets full paying full and more, more than the average worker, full time, in our area could ever afford. The rates increased with the market yesterday 1/2 point fomr last Thurs. Glad to see the economy is in a slump. Geewizz :wink: Speak to Meerkat. Drag him oout of his closet. Tell him the world is passing him by. Quote
capt jake Posted March 19, 2003 Author Posted March 19, 2003 I know in my gut we could have gotten more. The thing is, we have a full price offer in on another property with the contingency. In order to make it happen, and not loose the house we want, we settled on a little less. All in less than a week!! New place has a detached heated shop!! Of course I will have to add on to it!! :D Secret to a good marriage?? I only make the important decisions; so far I haven't had to make one!! :) She got her way!! :) Quote
capt jake Posted March 20, 2003 Author Posted March 20, 2003 Finally got the trailer securely under the boat. Registered the boat (painless and only $62), dropped off Bronze for engraving the HIN. Still debating on the best way to tye down the stern (I appreciate all of the input on that). Oh, and the house sold, just heared!! Time to pack and start getting the other place in order! Quote
Johannah Posted March 20, 2003 Posted March 20, 2003 You are going to be one very busy sailor/firefighter. I'll be thinking of you as you enter moving frenzy. When we were young and even more nuts, we moved a lot (we lived in different towns 90 miles apart for the first 3 years of marriage, kind of the reverse of the modern system), sometimes twice a year in 2 different places. Who could ever have been that loony? We moved to Philly 21.5 years ago and stayed put. Now we are viewed as the old, stable people on the block. Just the word "moving" gives me sympathetic hives, probably because we moved my mother 4 times in 6 years before she died in the fall and my mother-in-law only 3. Oof, what memories. Courage, Captain. Sending you prayers and good wishes for new home and workshop. Just be careful with all the stuff your wife values!!! :shock: Let's not have any Konrad type stories, OK? :wink: Quote
capt jake Posted March 20, 2003 Author Posted March 20, 2003 Just be careful with all the stuff your wife values!!! Well, we are both going to have to part with a LOT of stuff!! The house is much smaller than this one. We have been here 10 years and it is amazing the junk you gather (it's all good junk though). We are already realizing that many of our paintings and special wall type stuff will not fit. Bummer. It's kinda funny, we are downsizing the house but upsizing the land and garage space! This present house is just too much for us anymore; 5 bed 3 bath. It is only my wife and I here most of the time. 2 kids once in a blue moon. Yes, work is popping also, everything breaks when you are the busiest. There is no such thing as Firefighter proof! We can break anything!! Quote
Johannah Posted March 20, 2003 Posted March 20, 2003 Jake, stuff expands to fill the space available. We still have a few boxes moved from Boston a score of years ago and the kids' junk and my mother's stuff and the collection of great doors scrounged from the trash and the tires that belong to no car we can remember, etc., etc. Don't even start on dishes. Why do we (that's my team) like dishes so much? We live in a 10 room, fairly narrow, Victorian city house with 2 cats and only one kid. Stuff everywhere! If you figure out some good techniques for "de-stuffing" please post them here. 8) Quote
capt jake Posted March 20, 2003 Author Posted March 20, 2003 If you figure out some good techniques for "de-stuffing" please post them here. I am figuring on a 'free' garage sale. Meaning everything is FREE!! I can't beleive the stuff in my shop. I know it is all 'good' stuff, but this is the stuff that will be free!! I have 'fire' wood out the door!! I amy ask the new owners if they want a few paintings (for a price), that way I can leave them where they are! One is a beautiful waterfall, but it is 5'x5'! Looks great where it is!! LOL :D Quote
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