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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Painting bottom while on trailer (help)

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Scott L
1st Mate

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52 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/13/2004 : 09:28:31

I plan to paint the bottom this spring while the boat is on the trailer. It seems pretty simple to get to most of it but how have some of you gotten the spots under the rollers.

I was thinking of tying the stern to a building or tree and pulling the trailer ahead a foot or so (a little nervous) to expose the bare areas. While supporting underneath the stern of course.

Thanks,

Scott & Kelly Larson
"Ahti"
1980 SK SR
Southern Oregon

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 09:34:58

Scott, what kind (brand) of trailer do you have?
If you have an EZ-Loader it's pretty easy to do without building
a cradle.

If you have an EZ loader, post back and I can PM you some pictures of how
I lifted mine.

Edited by - on

rclift
Navigator

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USA
152 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 09:49:33

Scott,

A lot depends on the trailer that you have. Mine is one of the heavier EZloaders with rollers and I am actually able to roll the boat a foot or so to stern using a come along attached between a bridle that is hooked on to the bow eye and one of the stout braces of the trailer. Pretty simple, pull the boat back with come along and pull it forward using the trailer winch. Leon can chime in with the details but it works for me. I block up the back of the trailer and all but have yet to sense that the boat is going to tip. Gary Bruner has an interesting way of blocking Encore up that he might share.

Edited by - rclift on 02/13/2004 21:13:28

Scott L
1st Mate

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52 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 10:02:51

The trailer is a Trailer Rite w/ rollers.

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 10:06:40

<font color="blue">A lot depends on the trailer that you have. Mine is one of the heavier EZloaders with rollers and I am actually able to roll the boat a foot or so to stern using a come along attached between a bridle that is hooked on to the bow eye and one of the stout braces of the trailer. Pretty simple, pull the boat back with come along and pull in forward using the trailer winch. Leon can chime in with the details but it works for me. I block up the back of the trailer and all but have yet sense that the boat is going to tip. - Ray</font id="blue">

That is almost exactly the way I've done it in the past. One minor difference ... I park my truck over the tongue of the trailer, so if the boat does tip back, it will only tip back 'til the tongue stops underneath the bumper of my truck (or maybe it will catapult my Toyota into the next county

).

I've had nightmares about the boat tipping back ... can you imagine your "pride and joy" resting on her (now broken off) rudder, with the bow pointing up in the air?

'Scares me to think about it.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 10:23:01

Scott,

I hitch my trailer to my tow vehicle, lower the keel support, loosen the winch cable by about 10-12 inches, back up and hit the brakes. The boat rolls back. Then I do the same thing again until it has rolled back far enough to have access to the unpainted spots. Before you do this, make sure your cable is in good condition and that your boat's bow eye is in good condition. When the work is done, just crank the boat forward and re-raise the keel support. I would feel very uncomfortable about rolling the boat back while the trailer is not hitched to the tow vehicle. If the trailer tips backward, you could easily launch the boat in your backyard.

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 11:05:42

Scott, I have an EZ Loader with rollers. I did a strip and barrier coat last spring. I have jacked up the stern a few inches and placed padded blocks on the support arms....and then lowered the boat onto the blocks. Then I jack up the bow, block it on the support arms, then I have removed the rollers themselves. I then work around the blocks, with few impediments. When the boat is lowered to the re-installed rollers, I then paint where the blocks were. It's a bit of work, but I like this method, especially if there's a lot of work, i.e. sanding to do. For a simple re-paint, I may try the "rolling back" method next time. One advantage is that, with the boat sitting 3-4 inches higher than normal, I can lower the swing keel a little further and get more of it painted.

BTW: I always have slack in the cable when jacking so I am NOT lifting the weight of the keel with the jack, nor supporting it with the blocks.....

My method makes me a trifle nervous during the time when the boat is supported at three points: the blocks or roller either bow or stern, and the jack, whether it's bow or stern. I have done this a number of times, however, with no problems, but I go slowly and as carefully as possible. Always glad when it's back down on the rollers, though!

Gary B.
Vice Commodore

Edited by - on

Steve Kostanich
1st Mate

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88 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 11:53:28

Since I had access to a welding shop at the time, I fabricated a set of auxilary bunks that I bolt to the trailer frame. The bunks have all-thread posts for the supports. I simply jack the boat off the trailer and follow it up with the all-thread posts. The main trailer frame is kept level with four axle stands under each "cornor". The boat can be raised about 9". My trailer is a Caulkins with bunks...no rollers, so the roll back and forth method is out.

Steve Kostanich

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 12:01:51

In the past I have parked my car out to the side of the trailer, 20 yards should do. I then tie off the bow and stern cleats to the hitch on the car. for a swinger I then drop the end of a bunk or a set of rollers. If you have a fixed keel you can drop the entire side at once.... and repeat.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 14:22:51

Scott,
I also lower one rack of rollers at a time (Trail-Rite.) Before I do though, I make sure the bow in winched snugly into the v-block. Using a hydraulic bottle jack to raise the racks back into position will make the job much easier.

Good luck.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 18:54:58

Scott & Kelly,

I move my C-25 swing keel back and forth on its Shore Line roller trailer using a combination of the methods described by Ray Clift and Steve Kostanich. That is, the main trailer frame is kept level and stable with four or five heavy duty jack stands, one under each crossmember end, and the fifth stand under the tongue below the winch.

I then roll the boat back a foot or two using a hefty come-along attached between a rope that is looped through the bow eye, and one of the cross members of the trailer frame. It helps to lube the roller axles first. Laying on your back under the trailer while you do this is a good opportunity to see how your rollers are working. (If the trailer is too scary for you to be under, then it's too scary for your boat to be on top of.) I pull the boat forward again using the trailer winch. Watch carefully for signs of overloading the winch and/or its pedestal.

I did an entire bottom grind down, major blister repair, refairing, barrier coat, and bottom paint using that method.

I've also used the method of jacking under part of a roller cluster to lift the weight off a pair of rollers for servicing them with the boat still on the trailer. I've even jacked under the hull centerline to reposition a quarter or half of the rollers at a time on the frame. I think I even repositioned a bolted in crossmember that way once or twice.

Be careful, and good luck.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Scott L
1st Mate

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52 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2004 : 19:58:08

Thanks Everybody

I plan to use the come along method with support under the back of the trailer and the winch cable let out a little bit and with an extra strap through the bow eye just for extra security, oh and the trailer will be hooked to a tow vehicle.

Funny story:
My father was loading a fork lift onto a flat bed trailer hooked to a truck and when the fork lift got almost onto the trailer with the front wheels, the truck lifted up into the air and the back of the trailer hit the ground. Several seconds later the rear wheels of the truck fell back to the ground and the trailer folded just in front of the axles. 8,000# fork lift, 6,000# trailer. Lesson learned.....Priceless.

Thanks again for the info.

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