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"Ken Harrison" wrote in message
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wrote:
The welder who modified my power boat trailer into a sailboat trailer,
used a bathroom scale to see how long the trailer tongue had to be to
give a downward force of 200 pounds on the ball.

Serious questions coming up: How does a power boat trailer differ from a
sailboat trailer; isn't the "downward force" known as "tongue weight;" and
why could not the boat (whether power or sail) be repositioned on the
trailer so as to provide the (presumably) requisite tongue weight
regardless of type of load?

I ask the latter because, first of all, I do have a (ski) boat and trailer
(which I might like to use for a different boat), and I also have an open
frame trailer set up to haul several four-wheel rail "speeders" (one at a
time of course, but of varying weights), and I have simply created wheel
chocks to be placed at appropriate points on the trailer frame depending
on which speeder I am towing, so as to assure a tongue weight of 150
pounds.

Sounds like you've got the problem cured on your "speeder" trailer! However,
boat trailers aren't quite so conducive to moving the weight around.
Difference between motor and sail(boat) trailers . . often the sail
trailer carries the boat much higher to account for a weighted keel. Doing a
complete rebuild of a trailer such as converting sail/motor you can do some
tongue weight shift in the design, but a longer tongue might be the more
practical way, plus giving you the advantage of the longer tongue.
To the guy who says his boat trailer tracks better and is "easier to
back" with the longer tongue . . absolutely! Many yrs. as an OTR driver
teaches you that a 48' trailer backs much nicer than a 45', and a 53' is
better yet. Never tried one of those 28-30' "pups" but know from talking to
others they are a "bi*ch" to back up.

--
Nahmie
The only road to success is always under construction.

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