How to reposition on trailer (without water)

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 6:39 am

During the trip home my C26 shifted back on her trailer. This created negative tongue weight. I don't want to tow an hour to put her in the water in this state (although I probably already did to get her home).

I'm assuming simply winching her forward would put too much stress on the bow eye area, but I could be wrong.

I'm thinking about wetting down the pads with soapy water to ease the move but then what? Winch? Drive forward slowly and hit the brakes? Simultaneous winching while multiple people push on the stern?

FYI, the original owner tells me that the trailer was made from the original cradle. The pads are supporting the boat, the fixed keel is not touching. Currently the swing keel is resting on the trailer. I'm guessing it would be best to crank up the keel while doing the move.

Feel free to post any theories you might have. I'm just brainstorming myself.

ronc98 · Post by **ronc98** » Wed May 20, 2009 6:44 am

I had to winch mine up on the trailer once. It slide back a bit and when I disconnected it from the trailer the trailer shot up and I could not get the tongue down until I winched the boat up. I hated doing it and I know it is not good for it. I would not recommended doing it unless you have no other choice.

NYCSAILOR · Post by **NYCSAILOR** » Wed May 20, 2009 6:55 am

Please send a pic of you trailer...

If the boatweight is resting on the hull and NOT on the keel, I would be even more cautious about repositioning her....the points on the hull should not be supporting the weight of the keel and boat..

Here is what I might do .. (never did this, just another thought ) get a hydraulic bottle jack or two and with a large timber to spread the load, jack up the keel shoe area to lift the boat ever so slightly and THEN roll the trailer back a little. Careful, slowly, don't be under the boat when doing any of this. -- AND only if you absolutley have too. life and limb being more valuable than an old boat.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 7:05 am

Here are some pics of her on the trailer, courtesy of the previous owner.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Wed May 20, 2009 7:07 am

WOW!
Yeah, sounds like all the points have been made. If you really have NO WAY to get her to water safely, then maybe a car wash in soap or wax mode plus winching her and maybe a few friends pushing from the stern?

Maybe you can park on a steep slope with the boat pointed down hill and all tires blocked? ? ?

One of my 22's ended up aft of the sweet spot on the trailer. When I parked her I simply blocked the tongue and trailer frame behind the rear wheels so she could not accidently tip. I used 8 inch cinder blocks with wood between the trailer and blocks. I left her that way until the next launch.

Use extreme caution with an unbalance load! if you go to fast you WILL fishtail and loose it! An I mean above about 45-50mph in our explorer

Let us know what you end up doing and how well it worked for you! I'm sure many of us have had similar issues!!

Scott

kokezaru · Post by **kokezaru** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:00 am

Instead of attaching your winch to the bow eye, maybe you could run a strap around the fixed portion of the keel, and pull on that.

For that matter, if you can block or tie the trailer so it can't move, attached the strap around the keel and then to your vehicle and drive slowly forward.

--Richard

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:07 am

A strap around the keel sounds like a good idea. I like that better than pulling out my bow eye. I could even pad the strap until I feel all warm and fuzzy about it.

I think a come-along attached to the trailer tongue would probably do it, and give me a bit more precise control than pulling with my van.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:11 am

Scott,
We had a quite a scare going down a steep hill on the way home. The trailer was steering and I was just making directional suggestions. That's why I want to fix the problem as near as possible to where it's sitting now (storage lot).

parared · Post by **parared** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:41 am

Can you borrow 4 stands? Then lift the boat and move the trailer underneath?

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:53 am

Parared, being a land locked sailor there are no stands around here. Nice idea though.

IslandHopper · Post by **IslandHopper** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:14 am

yeah... pulling a 14000 pound boat by the pad-eye is a recipe for torn fiberglass!

Soap water on the pads... tie the trailer to a large tree (with more than one strap.) ... then pull the boat forward from a strap or two around the keel and/or pushing on the transom.
I'd probably try to get a bunch of friends to pull it by hand before I pulled it forward with a vehicle... but that might be what it takes to get it to move.

goodsax · Post by **goodsax** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:15 am

almost looks as if the trailer is not set up properly. I've spent some time setting up bunks and rollers for ski boats.

Is there any clearance to use an automotive floor jack? perhaps you could take the load up just enough then winch forward. the jack would carry the load and it would roll.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:23 am

IH,
That's a 5,000 pound boat, not 14,000 pounds. Still a lot.

GS,
What makes you say it looks like the bunks are not set properly? It seems to be missing two, but I don't know if they were ever there. Apart from that it seems OK. I do like the idea of supporting the weight on the fixed keel, so I'll be looking into that. OTOH, if this is indeed the original cradle from Chrysler, and it's been working for 30 years, maybe I should leave well enough alone.

I think there might be room under there for a floor jack, but I would then be supporting the boat on the swing keel and pivot pin unless I misunderstand something.

parared · Post by **parared** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:33 am

How strong is the tow vehicle? You could alway throw 50~100 lbs of weight forward on the tongue ( or what ever it takes to get the balance correct ).

Moving a boat like that without lifting it sounds scary.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:56 am

The tongue weight is currently somewhere around -80. It would take a lot of weight attached to the tongue to bring it anywhere near the 10% I'd like.

IslandHopper · Post by **IslandHopper** » Wed May 20, 2009 2:44 pm

tgentry wrote:IH,
That's a 5,000 pound boat, not 14,000 pounds. Still a lot.

I was guessing ... but in the case of 5000#, a handfull of guys ought to be able to muscle it back up there with the pads slicked up and the trailer tied down

Of course, that's gonna cost you a case of beer or two !

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Wed May 20, 2009 4:25 pm

I've seen this done, but am not endorsing it, just relating the story.
A guy I knew once backed a cruiser size boat up to a large tree and gently pushed the boat forward on the trailer like that. He wet the bunks, and since the tree and the boat weren't going anywhere, the trailer slid under the boat.

Not sure I'd have tried that.

dennis knudson · Post by **dennis knudson** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:13 pm

Tom, I have moved to boat on the trailer many times. I place a hydraulic bottle jack just aft of the cast pivot on the keel. I raise the boat off the forward pads and use a cable winch and a tow strap to slowly inch the boat forward. The tow strap is placed around the keel and is held in place be a couple of lines attached to the stern lift eyes. should go well especially if the pads are wet.

Good luck.

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:18 pm

My brother's ramp is vary steep, so the boat never gets all the way foard. I yse a floor jack to take some of the weight off the bunks, then winch it forward. But my Mac. 25 & C-20 are only 2500 # An all the weight is on the bunks, I lower the kill down after the boat is on the triler. My C- 26 is on a EZ LOADER traier, it has not ben offin 16 years, an it sits on the rollers not the kell, the boat has keeped it's shape no sign of stress. I have Photos of it, trying to post them. I have moved the boat for & aft to remove paint, easy to do when the boat is on rollers. Nice looking boat, best of luck. If you have 80# tung weight now, I would just take a stren on the winch an leve it.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:43 am

Thanks for all the replies. Based on what I've been thinking and reading here I'm going to try something like what Dennis suggested. Especially since he's done it on this particular boat and trailer

Thanks Dennis.

Chrysler20%26, that's NEGATIVE 80 pounds (estimated) on the tongue, not 80 pounds. The tongue was a little stuck to the ball and when it finally released it popped up.

I'll take pictures as I go and report back.

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:59 am

But if the Keel is resting on the raised bottle jack, and you move the boat forward, doesn't it pull the jack over, and the boat fall off the jack ?

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Thu May 21, 2009 6:22 am

I'm planning to use a floor jack, so it can roll with the boat. I suspect that's what Dennis meant.

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:37 am

That makes sense. Watch yer fingers. EE is out for a couple repairs still, and she wound up too far back as well, needed blocking under the trailer rear to be able to climb aboard!! But I'm only 30 feet from the ramp so I decided to leave it alone.

goodsax · Post by **goodsax** » Fri May 22, 2009 7:01 am

it looks as though the hull would not be able to sit on the keel because of the position of the bunks. Can you move the trailer wheels back? That would change the load. If so, move the winch tower back to meet the eye and you'd be golden.

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:59 am

I also use a floor jack on my c20 an mc. 25 works good on 2500 lb. boats

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:30 am

Just need a 2.5 ton or bigger jack

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:36 pm

I would use two floor jacks, one in front of keel an one behind keel. 5,000 lb. is a lot. an jacking on the swing keel could harm the cable, or trunk. Best thing to do add more weight to front of boat, in side or out. An head for water, nice boat would be bad to put hole in it.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Mon May 25, 2009 6:48 am

We moved her Saturday. The floor jack under the keel sunk into the plywood it was sitting on so it would roll. We ended up winching her forward with a strap around the fixed keel only for an inch or two, then release the jack and repeat.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.