[Rhodes22-list] Loading boat on trailer

[Mary Lou Troy]

Rummy is spot on if you have the center guides below the bunks the 
hull rests on. Not sure if all older Rhodes 22 trailers have them. 
having the centerboard down will keep the boat centered. Even so, we 
once had a sobering experience. We had the centerboard down but when 
we pulled the boat out, the very edge of the keel rested on the top 
edge of one of the keel guide boards. As Fred started to pull the 
boat out, I noticed she was sitting high. Almost immediately and 
before I could even say "stop", the guide board splintered and the 
boat slammed back down onto the bunks. No damage (amazingly) to 
anything but the guide board and the roller the keel rides on. The 
centerboard neatly retracted into the trunk. No damage to the hull. 
It was a moderately steep ramp and I believe we probably had the 
trailer in too deep. Maybe. I wouldn't recommend it. I also believe 
we were very lucky there was no further damage. It made a very loud 
noise. We now make sure we can see the forward ends of the bunks and 
bring the boat out slowly paying attention to how the hull is resting 
on the bunks.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Rock Hall, MD


At 12:22 PM 11/16/2009, you wrote:
>This is an easy one. My guess is that you tried placing the Rhodes on the
>trailer with the centerboard raised, a mistake many people make. Leave the
>centerboard all the way down and the guides on the trailer will center the
>hull  just fine. Just make sure that once on the trailer you pull the
>centerboard line  tight and cleat off. Otherwise if you try to launch, the
>centerboard will get  hung up and push the centerboard cap upwards, 
>breaking it into
>many  pieces.
>
>Rummy
>
>
>In a message dated 11/16/2009 11:34:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>rlowe at vt.edu writes:
>
>We  pulled Getaway this weekend, had to take advantage of the 70 degree day
>as we  only had two weeks left to get her out of the water.  Had a heck of
>a  time getting her centered on the trailer.  The keel kept landing on top
>of the lower guide bunks and when I started pulling the trailer the boat
>would  lean over to the side as the keel settled on the bunk.  A 
>fellow sailor
>that was observing suggest the swing keel could be hung up and catching so
>donned swim mast and dove under water to check (glad the lake was still
>relatively warm!).  Swing keel was fine.  Finally got her centered  enough to
>come out straight.  Questions.  Does anyone use some sort  of guides on the
>trailer to aid in centering the boat?  My other thought  is I replaced the
>all the wood on my trailer last year and perhaps I got the  slot between them
>too narrow.  But I thought the guides would center the  boat on the
>trailer.  Guess I had the trailer in the water too far?   How far do you all
>submerge your trailer?!
>I have to about  submerge the top bunks so that I can winch the boat far
>enough forward on the  trailer.  Any feedback welcome. - rob
>
>S/V Getaway
>1976 Rhodes  22
>
>
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