Retrieval problem

[Potcake boy]

Winching the last foot or so the boat seems to be hung up then after considerable winch effort - both cockpit winches because the trailer winch strap gave way - she suddenly shudders and lurches forward - winches easily the rest of the way.

Checking the rollers, found second roller from front to be higher than the others believe this to be the problem.

Raised the winch to give some lift to bow during winching and plan to raise front of supports a tad to assist bow lift. This is a stock Performance trailer.

Any one else had the problem - any further suggestions?

Thanks all,
Ron

[Paul]

I'd take care of that second roller.
$0.02

[Craig Weis]

Retrieval problems start with not being able to float the boat on to the Performance trailer proper...I guess that would be snuggly pulling the bow of the boat into the rubber vee block of the trailer winch Assembly. And placing the stern in the middle of the trailer.

To do that the trailer needs to be in the water far enough to float the boat over the trailer. Additionally to keep as much of the tow 'vessel' out of the water as possible the trailer tongue needs to be extended as far possible.

Generally YOU need to be in the water to guide the boat. As an aid to this I have mounted a pair of flexible fiberglass orange driveway markers on the trailer that just barley touch the hull's side when the boat sits correctly on the trailer.

See the photos on the Frappr pictures linked at the CPYOA homepage at the bottom of the page. I post pictures here since I keep having messages that my photo album is filled up. No limit on Frappr.

Now if the boat is not in the right spot when she comes out of the water, than a pull might be necessary.

Here it is a 2000 lb boat. At no time will the flat keel sit on all the trailer rollers at once. If I crank on the winch attached to the nose ring, up comes the back of the keel and only the front roller touch the keel. If I relax the winch strap then only the back rollers touch the keel. NO BIG DEAL.

Additionally look~see at the hull bunks. The three verticals ought to be 'pumped up till the 2 x 4 hull bunks just touch the hull. But remember that the boat will 'rock' fore and aft depending on how tight the winch is. So pick what you like and adjust the hull bunks using a jack for a LIGHT touch. Each end of the hull bunks will be higher then the center. It is this arc that the boat sits in that makes it hard to pull the boat fore and aft on the trailer.
The other way is to smartly drive fwd and slam on the brakes...maybe she'll slide up into the vee block with a little tention from the winch. I doubt it. If it slide fwd. then the back verticals ought to be jacked up till the back of the hull bunks just touch again.

Boats with a bow spirit have a dolphin cable going to the eye near the waterline and this means that the vee block and winch needs to be positioned to be below the cable.

Select what you like and do the set-up. That is where the boat will rest. I don't really put the hurt on the winch when my boat sits on the trailer. I don't want to strain the eye ring.

Additionally I use no strap over the stern and to the two welded rings on the back of the trailer for a few reasons.
1~The strap leaves a mark on my boat.
2~If I hit a bump hard enough to dislodge the 2000 lb boat from the arc of the bunk boards then I have bigger problem then just keeping the boat on the trailer. skip.

[Potcake boy]

I have moved the winch up almost a foot from the previous position which now is correct location for the bow rest and will provide some upward lift when winching. I also removed the plastic collars in the ends of the second roller which dropped it about 1/2 inch. When I pull the boat again next week hopefully that will make a difference. If not, I believe I will visit the welding shop and have the rollers correctly aligned. Of the four rollers the second from the front and the rearmost are significantly higher. It should have been built with adjustable height bow rollers, and as you mentioned Skip, the keel only bridges three of the four rollers at once - also dumb.
Will provide update on results next week.

[Craig Weis]

I'm of the mind set that it is OK to only touch some of the rollers. My keel need not sit on all at once. For me it is more important to position those hull bunks correctly and not worry about the where the keel sits.

Yea I moved the winch and vee block five or six times till I found a location that I liked.

I also looked around in my junque pile and found a thick piece of rubber that I ban sawed to size and placed and glued between the tang that is bolted to the hull along with the bow ring and the head of the fastener for the dolphin cable that faces the hull.

So now this rubber bumper keeps the head of the fastener away from the fiberglass and prevents unsightly chipping of the fiberglass.

When I winch the bow tight the vee block squeezes the tang and hence the fastener against the hull.

As fore the keel boards they appear to me to be too low and as I said the next installation of these on clip angles will position them about five inches higher.

In any regard she 'ain't gonna fall off the trailer'. skip.