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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Moving the upright on the trailer?

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/07/2008 : 18:14:46

I've noticed that it's nearly impossible for us to ever get the nose of our boat into the rubber snubbers on the end of the winch extension on our trailer. The keel is sitting flat as far as I can see, and the boat's firmly on it's six pads as well. This tells me that something's out of adjustment. If the boat's on it's pads and the keel is flat, shouldn't the nose of the boat be snugged up into the snubbers?

Is it possible that the upright on the boat is too far forward? Or that the pads keep the boat too far back? I wonder if there are standard measurements for these things somewhere that we can refer to? I think part of my problem with the boat porpoising on the trailer is that it's simply pivoting on the keel. I can move the whole boat with just my hand if I push up and down near the bow eye.

I've thought about designing a "kneeling" 3rd wheel so that I can level out the trailer on the ramp by lowering the tongue on a hydraulic ram or something, but then I'd need deeper water or a steeper ramp to do it. With the trailer kneeled, it would be closer to level so that it wouldn't be able to pivot on the front of the keel as it comes out of the water, and thus pull away from the snubbers up front.

Thoughts, ideas?

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2008 : 18:44:41

David,
Here's a trick I use to get the boat all the way up against the trailer stop. I coat all the pads and the keel rest with bar soap.

First, I wet the pads and then rub a bar of soap over the pads, then pull the boat on.

I crank it up as far as I can, it comes all the way up to the trailer stop but as I pull out the angle at the ramp causes it to shift back about 4 inches. I'll tighen the winch strap very tight, put my aft strap over the cockpit area but don't tighen it.

I'll travel few miles and stop, I find that the tension on the winch strap and the viberation while traveling allows the boat to "walk" up to the trailer stop. The soap helps this process. I then crank the trailer strap down again and then tighten the aft strap and I'm good to go.

The seems to have worked for me the last few times I've trailered.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2008 : 21:01:54

Tom,
That sounds like a much easier solution than moving the upright or worse, adjusting <i>all </i>the pads.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2008 : 21:04:34

I have the same issue. I think Tom's approach is a good one.

Still, the boat should not porpoise on the trailer. Perhaps your supports are not quite high enough.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 01/07/2008 21:06:25

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2008 : 21:18:06

I'm thinking maybe spending some time with the boat hanging in a sling so I can adjust the pads up. The problem with that is making it even harder to launch and recover (have to be deeper if the pads are raised).

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2008 : 22:45:33

Maybe so but I was told by Catalina that the pads should be taking up some of the weight of the boat. For my C22 they said 30%, not sure about the C250 but they should be bearing some load to ease the burden on the keel, especially when trailering. Using a hoist is a good idea. As for launching I can't imagine you need more than a 1" change in the pads at the most.

Do you strap launch? I do and the last time I pulled the boat I had 75' of strap out to get the rear axles at 6' deep. At that point a little pad change makes no difference!

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2008 : 21:19:55

We do strap launch, but we use a doubled 25' strap (maybe 30', I've never measured). Is your launch ramp like a 1 degree slope or something? Why do you need 75' of strap?

You're probably right about the difference in depth.

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Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2008 : 07:17:07

I have always been frustrated with geting my 250 snug up to the bow snubbers. I spent more time than I should have last fall getting it right. By the time I got the boat tucked away 2 miles from the boat ramp, it had slipped back. I quit.

I put a winch strap on the bottom snubber and winched it tight so that the top snubber hits the bow. That's how it is gonna work from now on. Don't need two snubbers anyway. Case closed.

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Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2008 : 07:20:19

One more thing . . . . .

Everyone should remember to add a chain from the trailer to the bow eye for transportation. That strap is not secure for transportation and over time has a tendency to fray.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2008 : 08:17:17

This is a photo of my Merit 25, you will see a bow stop, I added that. The trailer originally simply had a keel stop which you can see at the bottom of the keel. My point is that the wing keel boats can use the keel to set the location of the boats.

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Mike013
1st Mate

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USA
64 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2008 : 11:21:32

The first time "Ariel" was put on a trailer, she was hoisted aboard at a shipyard. The trailer was brand new and the pads had never been adjusted for the boat. The yard master told me that 70% of the weight would rest on the wing keel and 30% on the pads. The pads were adjusted with the boat still hanging on the hoist. I am glad I went this route because there is no way we could have pulled her out of the water onto that unadjusted trailer. By the way, we launched her into the lake using only the tongue extender on the trailer. She floated off just fine. I guess the angle of the ramp was just steep enough.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2008 : 14:30:38

Our ramp is long but not steep. Plus, I always need to go out further to retrieve than to launch. My rear vehicle tires never get wet.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.