[Rhodes22-list] Trailer Launching and Retrieving

Sat Jan 15 07:22:27 EST 2005

Bryan,

As I am reading the rest of the responses to your question, I find myself
asking another question.  Do you have a problem winching the boat up onto
the trailer until the bow is in contact with the V-shaped rubber bow stop on
the trailer?  After all, that's what the trailer's winch and the bow towing
eye are for.  GBI knew there would be some big forces involved in recovery
onto the trailer.  Therefore, all the pieces/parts are sized and/or
reinforced accordingly.  While you could certainly rig up something to apply
similar forces evenly (hopefully!?!) to the transom; but, why would you want
to?  Please explain how pulling from the stern of the boat will get the boat
further up onto the trailer than the trailer's winch can?

If you are having a problem with pulling the bow of your boat far enough
forward onto the trailer that the bow is in contact with the V-shaped stop
on the trailer; then I have two suggestions:

1. You may need to back your trailer further into the water.  For a
recovery, we back Dynamic Equilibrium's trailer into the water until the
bunks are submerged except for about 2 feet in the front.  We use those
exposed bunks as the target to aim the boat at while approaching the
trailer.  Basically, we try to center the bow between the two exposed ends
of the bunks.  The trailer tongue extension is usually required to get the
trailer sufficiently deep into the water at most launch ramps.

2.  One reason why I added the backup strap for the trailer's winch is that
the wraps of cable on the winch were often not tightly packed.  Under the
stress of driving out of the water & up the launch ramp, sometimes the boat
would shift backwards on the trailer by pulling some of this "slack" out of
the wraps of cable on the winch drum.  The backup strap absolutely
eliminates this issue.  Simon says, "Stay put boat!"

Once the bow of your boat is in contact with the V-shaped bow stop on the
trailer and held there, the winch & trailer have done their job.  The boat
needs to be positioned sufficiently far forward on the trailer that the
tongue weight is 10-15% of the gross weight of the boat + trailer + gear.
Insufficient tongue weight tends to causes problems with high speed yaw
instability on the road.  The position of the vertical strut that the
trailer's winch & V-shaped bow stop are mounted on is adjustable on my
trailer.  By loosening 4 nuts, I can slide the strut fore and aft on the
trailer tongue.  When I upgraded my outboard from a 2-cycle 6 hp Evinrude to
a 4-cycle Honda 8 hp, the additional weight of the new outboard at the stern
of the boat affected my trailer's tongue weight.  I had to move the vertical
strut forward about 3 inches to compensate for the additional weight in the
stern.  Small fore/aft position changes will probably not require any
adjustments in the trailer bunks.  But, a big fore/aft position change might
also require the bunks to be adjusted to match the curvature of the hull in
the new position.

Basically, if the bow of your boat is in contact with the V-shaped bow stop
on the trailer; then, you need to get it up there as discussed above.  If
the bow of your boat is up against the V-shaped bow stop on the trailer &
you still have problems with high speed yaw instability; then, you have two
choices:

1. You can slide the vertical strut forward as I described on my trailer.
Just move the vertical strut a few inches forward, winch the boat up to the
new position, and go test to determine if your high speed yaw instability
has improved.  Keep moving the strut forward on the trailer tongue a few
inches at a time until the high speed sway goes away.  If the fore/aft
position of the vertical strut is not adjustable on your trailer; then, you
should consider grinding off the welds and rewelding the strut in a new
position.  If this is your situation; then, please contact me off-line at
cen09402 at centurytel.net and I will take you thru a procedure to determine
how much to move the strut forward.

2. For trailering, you can shift weight from the stern of the boat forward.
Some owners accomplish this weight shift by removing their outboards and
stowing them in the cabin, on the tongue, or even in the tow vehicle.   You
can also remove all the gear from the lazarette compartment &/or cockpit and
stow it up in the V-berth.  Filling up the water tank will also add tongue
weight.  Shifting all this gear around will add to your setup and takedown
time.  I find this strategy to be an inelegant solution and a royal PITA.
But, it will work and some owners do it every time they trailer their boats.

Good luck!

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rik Sandberg" <sanderico at earthlink.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 10:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Trailer Launching and Retrieving

> Bryan,
>
> We ( Rod Ellner and I) have actually done the "winch the trailer up to
> the boat thing". You don't pull the boat down to the trailer, you pull
> the trailer up to the boat. We used a pair of 1/2 braided dock lines for
> the task. Tie the lines to the trailer right below the winches and pass
> the lines up to the winch on each side. Back the boat back into the
> water, deep. You will need room for the front of the bunks to raise up.
> Then just raise the trailer up to the boat raising each winch a little
> at a time. The boat will hold the trailer up easily. when you have it
> up, winch the bow ahead that last foot and you should be good. You will
> need to have some one holding the boat and trailer in place, because it
> will be free to float off to one side or the other once the trailer
> wheels are off the ramp. You don't want to have to do this every time.
> Is your vehicle hitch height set so the trailer is level, or better yet,
> slanting toward the front just a bit when parked on level ground??
>
> Rik
>
> Steve Alm wrote:
>
> >Bryan,
> >
> >I understand your problem well.  Quite a few of us have had the same
> >difficulty getting the boat far enough forward on the trailer.  In order
to
> >get sufficient tongue weight, I had to remove the outboard and lash it on
> >the tongue, remove the rudder assembly and stow it forward along with any
> >other gear that could be moved forward.  In other words a major pain in
the
> >butt!  I solved the problem by adding a second axle to the trailer.  I
know,
> >I know - pretty drastic and not inexpensive, but it totally fixed the
> >problem.
> >
> >Before adding the second axle, it didn't seem to matter how steep the
ramp
> >was.  The boat came out of the water in about the same place on the
trailer
> >no matter what.  I kinda doubt your idea to float the trailer will help,
but
> >it's worth a try.  Be sure to use two lines - port and starboard - so the
> >trailer and/or boat doesn't tilt to one side.  Don't use nylon line
because
> >it will stretch too much.  Maybe chains would be best.  Put a plug in the
> >aft cockpit drain because the extra weight will probably force water back
up
> >the drain hole decreasing buoyancy.  If you have an adjustable bow stop
on
> >the trailer, be sure it's all the way forward.  You may have to back in
and
> >out several times tightening the winch each time.  Proceed SLOWLY and
watch
> >for anything to go wrong.  Should one of the lines/chains let go, you'd
have
> >a much bigger problem!  I'm talking myself out of this - it sounds too
> >scary.
> >
> >Good luck and let us know if/when you try it.
> >
> >Slim
> >
> >On 1/14/05 12:08 PM, "Bryan Childs" <bchilds1 at peoplepc.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >>First, thanks for all the help in determining the surface coating for my
dingy
> >>floor boards.  I am adding the West resin. The job is almost done.
> >>
> >>Another question relating to launching the Rhodes, actually retrieving
it.  I
> >>have a single axle trailer and it is very important to get the boat as
forward
> >>on the trailer as possible.  For ramps with a gentle slope it is not
> >>difficult, but for steep sloop ramps it is near impossible.  When the
boat is
> >>pulled out it rotates from it's steep position to a position that is to
far
> >>back.  I thought of a solution and would like to run it by the group.
> >>
> >>Pull the boat out.  For a steep sloop ramp the boat will be too far
rearward.
> >>Then tie the stern of the boat to the rear of the trailer and put it
back in
> >>the water.  I would only need to go back to take some of the load off
the
> >>trailer.  I should be able to move the boat forward on the trailer.
Then when
> >>it comes out it will not rotate back.  Has anyone tied this?
> >>
> >>________________________________________
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> >>http://www.peoplepc.com
> >>__________________________________________________
> >>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >>
> >>
> >
> >__________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
>

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