Association Forum - Leveling boat on trailer.

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Leveling boat on trailer.

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Waterboy
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
204 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/07/2004 : 14:31:51

My boat isn't sitting level on the trailer - it looks like it's rising up a swell. Using the rub rail as a reference, the bow appears to be around two feet higher than the stern. Methinks this isn't right or good for long road trips.

The trailer is a galvanized "Performance" brand two wheel with one set of drum surge brakes. I don't know if it's the original and designed for a C250 or not. It has the small bow roller, centerboard slot, and two carpeted wooden bunks. The bunks are adjustable; three large set screws are used to secure a small up/down adjustable square tubes inside larger tubes welded to the trailer frame. There are three of these per bunk.

HOw does one go about adjusting these? Can I use a series of jacks and leave the boat on the trailer? I've read the centerboard shouldn't be bearing much weight, so there isn't much room to lower the bow roller, and the aft most supports don't look to have enough length left to raise the stern by a foot or more.

Any advice please?

Edited by - on

Waterboy
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
204 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2004 : 15:53:54

a few pictures of this ... not real good but ain't s'posed to be art

http://c250sabrosa.home.mindspring.com

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2004 : 16:39:36

Measuring where each is now above the trailer frame ought to provide the basis for a little trig math to determine new heights for each with a more level configuration.

The alternative would be to float or lift the boat over the trailer and adjust them up.

I would ask the basic question first, why are they the way they are to see if there is a reason. I can imagine that the angle is very contrary to easy loading and can appreciate your wanting to adjust it. Also, the c250 has some critical issued regarding rain gutters. If it sets too low in front, the hatch rain gutter will drain well but the companionway won't... the other way too much and the hatch won't drain well... so the 250 does better when its stored about 2 degrees down in stern. Your hatch in my opinion would leak unless you lowered the front of the trailer a long way.

Course it never rains in AZ...

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2004 : 20:23:02

Can't see it on the picture, but please tell me there is a "V" to support the bow and keep the boat from sliding forward

Again, it's hard to tell from the shots, but my carpenters eye seems to think someone adjusted the forward roller up, for reasons unknown. I would start with making sure the hardware on the forward roller support is easy to work and lubricated, then launch, just enough to float, and lower the forward roller a couple of inches, retrieve, and see how she sits, repeat as necessary. She'll slide a little further back on the bunks every time, but the curvature of the hull/bunks should stay about the same as she goes.

If you run into trouble with the centerboard doing this, (that's why I suggest small adjustments, and bring diving goggles, and go to a ramp with clean water) you might have to raise the bunks some. In that case I would make sure all the hardware is workable (squirt the you know what out of it with liquid wrench for a week, and work all the nuts one at a time) then launch and raise the bunks a few inches.

Is there any evidence of the hardware having been in another position? Also, see if the manufacturer can tell from a serial # what it was made for.....

It would help If you took a picture showing the whole thing in profile, so we can eyeball it a little better.

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake

Edited by - Oscar on 03/07/2004 20:49:15

Keith D.
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2004 : 10:41:25

There is a post "Trailer boat guides" in arcive which has a lot of good pictures of a preformance trailer with and without the boat on it. From this you can compare yours to see the diffrences.That one looked ok on the trailer. http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3201

Edited by - on

mday
Navigator

Members Avatar

197 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2004 : 19:21:59

As I recall, the previous owner was painting the bottom on the trailer and moving the position of the bunker boards. Yeah, I agree the boat shouldn't look like it's going through a swell -- more like it should be sailing flat down the road.

I recently recarpeted my bunker boards, and I don't recall the adjustments you mentioned on my trailer (also for a WB). If you like, I can stop over and measure where they are on my trailer. Or you could just wander about the storage yard at Lake Pleasant and take some measurements on a C250 WB there.

Edited by - on

Waterboy
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
204 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2004 : 09:21:40

A big "Thank you" to each respondent. The front hatch did leak in out last deluge, and there is evidence (marks on the supports) of different positioning. I cannot however come up with a reasonable explanation as to why the bow was so high. Oscar, yes there's a V up front; any sliding however was to the stern as the boat was 'inclined' ;~) to work it's way back down the bunks.

With much patience, forethought, and cautious use of a several cinder blocks, wood scraps, and small hydraulic jacks I've been able to get the stern raised and bow lowered a few inches with the boat still on the trailer. Keith, thanks for the archive link; I missed that one in my search. The photographs were quite helpful. It will be interesting to see how she looks in profile when I get her out of the little dry-dock cubbyhole I've got her squirreled into.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.