[Rhodes22-list] Michael W.s Tongue

[Michael D. Weisner]

Ed,

The situation with the trailer was originally discussed with Lou Rosenberg 
(offline)
since he was having problems with s/v Miracles about the same time (Sept 
'07).
In response to his question "How did the launch go?" I replied:

    Well, it's not good news, but it certainly could have been worse, much
    worse.  We failed to launch yesterday due to a trailer problem.

    At 8:45am we were down at the river, the tide was coming in, the sun was
    getting warm, the wind was picking up, everything was ready.  As we 
extended
    the trailer "tongue", we noticed that there was much more rust than we 
had
    remembered.  The square stock pole had holes clear through in a few 
areas,
    particularly on the bottom.  We extended anyway and made a note that we 
need
    a new trailer (no news, really.)

    As I backed down the boat ramp to the water, I applied the brakes and 
all of
    a sudden the front portion of the trailer rose as the extension pole 
bent
    right at the rearmost part.  I stopped the truck, we chocked the trailer
    wheels and levelled the boat and trailer.  The extension was toast!  We
    discussed launching without the extension but I really didn't want to 
dunk
    the Nissan.  We also talked about walking the trailer into the water and
    launching but I was afraid that I would have difficulty recovering at 
the
    end of season, having to winch the trailer to the truck.  It could be 
very
    cold and I would not want to be in the water.  If it was earlier in the
    season, I would have launched figuring that I would have the whole 
summer to
    obtain a trailer (or at least an extension.)

    It required a sledge to straighten the extension pole enough to allow it 
to
    be replaced into the trailer so that we could return home.  At least the
    boat & trailer didn't break loose while launching and we were able to 
tow
    home and park without further problem.

As I said, in the spring, I will either have a solution or I will launch 
just to get the boat
off the trailer for more detailed repairs or replacement of the trailer.  I 
actually thought
about installing an offset extension as is used on the Precision 23 trailer 
but I think that
I would rather put the $$$ toward a more permanent solution such as a 
replacment trailer.

As far as steeper ramps go, I do not have access to a deeper launch site. 
Most of the LIS
ramps are shallower than the one at the Kings Park Bluff (Nissequogue 
River.)  Due to the
7-8' tides on the north shore of LI, I can only launch within 2 hours of 
high tide and recover
within 1 hour of high tide even with the full extension and the rear wheels 
in the drink up to the
hubs.  As a daily trailer-sailor 25 years ago, I watched the clock very 
closely.

Mike
s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
Nissequogue River, NY

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tootle" <ekroposki at charter.net>
To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 8:18 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Michael W.s Tongue


>
> Mike:
>
> I think that when under load all extensions bend.  Maybe your bending is
> excessive?
>
> Go buy a piece of I beam long enough to reach from trailer hitch to
> somewhere back on trailer that allows for physical attachment to main
> trailer chassis.  Get about four large U-bolts with cross pieces and bolt
> the whole thing to extended extension and actual trailer chassis.  Just 
> like
> you were sistering a plank supporting a house?  I guess you could even use 
> a
> wood 4 x 4 about 12 feet long and make it work for the occasion.  But that
> might be too thick to get down a ramp.
>
> Locate a steep ramp that does not require extension.  When lake level is 
> up
> here at Hartwell there are many that you do not need extensions on.
>
> Ed K
> Greenville, SC, USA
> “Stainless steel’s resistance to corrosion relies on exposure to oxygen in
> the air or water.  When you tape a stainless steel turnbuckle or rigging
> terminal, you deprive it of oxygen, and the metal is more prone to
> corrosion.”  Bill Seifert
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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>
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