James W. Sloan wrote:
I'm getting near completion of a boat restoration project and will soon need
a trailer. How can I go about determining if a particular trailer will fit
my boat (17 ft. v-hull)? Are there some basic guidelines posted someplace or
is it a trial and error thing?

Thanks....James




--
I don't know if there is such a thing as a *standard* protocol for
this, but this is what I've done.

First, make sure all of your centerline (keel) rollers are the same
height (level?) and working.

With a tape measure I have checked the placement of side rollers
(bunks?) using the winch stand as my reference point. This assumes you
will winch the boat up to the winch stand/post, and that it has a roller
or "v" shaped piece of padded material to snug the stem up too.

Visualize taking a plum bob and dropping a reference point on both the
boat and trailer on the centerline/tongue, and measure the location of
the side rollers at the back end of the trailer. Say that they are 14
feet from the starting point under the winch. With the boat level,
measure the difference between the keel level and the height of the
contact point on the rising bottom.

If the side rollers/bunks are 3 feet off to the left and right of the
center of the trailer, you need to measure the amount of rise created by
the "V", at that point, 14 feet back from your reference point (the
winch or stem).

If you measure it at, say, 18 inches, at a point 3 feet out from center,
I would set the rollers/bunks for the initial loading at about 14
inches. Why? Because you want the bulk of the weight resting on the keel
rollers, not on the side rollers, so initially I have set the trailer up
a little "loose". It really the same thing as setting poppits to steady
the boat in the yard, but not carry the weight.

Once you have set the rollers/bunks approximately, and loaded the boat
the first time, you can level the boat, adjusting the various rollers
one pair at a time.

This seems a lot harder to explain than it is to actually do.

You might want to check and be sure all the nuts and bolts involved are
capable of being adjusted, or turned, prior to getting the boat on top
of them, particularly if the trailer has been backed into salt water on
a regular basis.

There may well be a much easier way to do this, that will have me
smacking my head when I read it

Good luck,

Jonathan



I am building a Dudley Dix, Argie 10, for my daughter. Check it out:
http://home.comcast.net/~jonsailr