Trailer

[Guest Dennis M]

I need to purchase a trailer for my boat (CS 15). Could anyone give me some suggestions? Thanks.

[Guest Dennis M]

Thanks, Ray. There is a local company that sells galvanized trailers, the smallest is rated for a 1000lb capacity, which I think might be too stiff for the boat. I think the boat weighs well over 250 lbs, and seems much heavier than my 17 footer. Is there a particular brand name type that you could recommend? I'd appreciate the help.

[Guest Dennis M]

Thanks, Ray. I appreciate it.

[Tom Lathrop]

I've bought many trailers in the past and have mostly used 600# capacities for small boats.  Have two of them now and one went to Maine with Lapwing aboard.  It has 8" wheels but the big 540 tires.  12" wheels would be better for the highway.

[Randy Jones]

Dennis,

I bought a new ezloader trailer for a CS17 last year and messed around with it all winter.  My boat is also lighter than intended for the stock trailer springs and it wanted to bounce off the trailer until I strapped it down quite tight across the rear bulkhead.  Also, I had good luck using a bunk trailer with keel rollers added for support. The bunks keep the boat stable side-to-side while the keel rollers catch maybe half the weight.  This arrangement is quite easy to launch and retrive and most importantly it feels solid when standing on the foredeck to install/remove the masts.

I recommend a new or newer bunk trailer with real wheels if you intend to travel any distance at highway speed.  Also, I added a hinged trailer tounge that shortens the trailer about 3 feet for easier storage. 

- Randy

[Peter HK]

beering buddies

I have to vote that as one of Ray's best typos.

I had an instant mental image of a group of mates drinking and talking complete rubbish ;D

Cheers

Peter HK

[Guest Dennis M]

Randy and Tom,

Thanks for your replies. In hunting around, I could have purchased a trailex trailer with 500 lb capacity for 1100 bucks. To rich for my blood, although the trailers are quite nice. So, I purchased a Genesis Trailer (made in Holland, MI) with a 1000 lb capacity for 600. Much more reasonable, but there went the money for sails. I'm hoping that I can have the trailer fixed and the boat fitted to it today. I'd like to launch the boat either tomorrow or Saturday, but need to check the weather. Regardless, the boat will be launched within the next few days. I'm heading to Portage, MI next week-end for a sailing/camping trip and would like to have a shakedown sail or two before then. If I launch this week-end, I hope I can find someone with a digital camera who can take some pics. I've lost the disposable with the construction photos to this point. It is buried in the garage somewhere under construction debris. Perhaps I will find it when I move the boat onto the trailer and out of the garage and begin to clean up.

[Guest Dennis M]

Keel Rollers and Bow Stops -- Questions

I have spent the last day fiddling with fitting the boat to the trailer I just purchased. I have a couple of questions:

First, since my current boat has a flat dory like bottom, I have never had to contend with keel rollers. I do not mean here the rollers that attach to transverse framing. Those I get, or so I think. But the roller that fits the longitudinal beam fwd is a puzzle. If I adjust the thing  so that it fits simply in the first hole, the boat seems to ride inordinately high on the trailer (or higher than I am used to). If I adjust it down one, then the roller rides on the beam and the boat looks more normal, but I question how effective the roller has become now that it is being squashed between keel and beam. Could someone clue me in on how to fit and adjust this thing?

Also, when setting the height of the winch in relation to the bow eye, does the eye go under or over the bow stop? Does it matter?

Thanks

[Randy Jones]

Dennis,

I was able to tip my bow roller toward the rear of the trailer at an angle in order to get the height where I wanted it.  I placed a bolt in the bottom holes of the roller frame and then in the slotted holes at the top of the frame.  I can email you a photo if needed as I can't seem to post a photo here.  Regarding the bow eye, my bow eye is below the winch roller and it doesn't seem to didn't make any difference as long as I remember how to hook it up when loading the boat.

[Guest Dennis M]

Randy, a pic would be very helpful. If you like, please send it to my email address:

thedumbox@att.net

Thanks.

[Tom Lathrop]

Bow eye should always be below the roller/ stop.

It is a safety feature.  It helps prevent the bow eye from raising up in a sudden stop.  IE the bow does not try to ride up the roller... The roller stops movement by imppinging on the bow eye.

True enough Ray, but if you are traveling very far, the bow should be tied down to the trailer frame in addition to the winch connection, which can go walkabout.  This is very important on larger boats where it could prevent the boat from becoming an extra passenger in the back seat in a panic stop.  Do not depend on the winch as the main tie down for the bow.

Many (most) of the small trailers are not very rigid in the tongue area and the boat should be snugged securely so that the trailer and boat reinforce each other.  Otherwise they will vibrate independently and the boat can be damaged.  Over 50 years and many thousands of miles trailering boats create the opportunity for most of the bad cases that can happen.