Trailer keel suport

[rogerschwake]

  Here is something to think about, that's about all we can do up north with snow and ice all around. Have considered replacing the rollers the keel sets on with a treated board. That is a lot of weight setting on two rollers, a board would spread that weight out in my thinking. Had the brackets for one roller fail so replaced both sets. The boat floats all but the last foot or two on my trailer so I think this would be a good change. Think about it and let me know what you think about this.
ROGER

[capt_nemo]

roger.

Treated board sounds much better than weight resting on just two (2) rollers.

My trailer has a board which works quite well and also provides a "resting" place for my centerboard when trailering. Yes, I habitually release the tension on the centerboard line once on the trailer, to prevent excessive chafing of the line if left taut and rubbing against something when bouncing down the road. REMEMBER to tension the line PRIOR to launch to avoid problems!

Consider covering the board with a waterproof slippery surface material, well secured to the board, to help the keel slide off and on easier.

capt_nemo

[skip1930]

Use the rollers. If 'you' squish and distort the rollers to a point where these crack at the ends, then there is not enough of the boat's weight on the hull bunks. Jack the hull bunks up to pull the keel's weight off the phenolic rollers.

Forget the wood. Note that the angle of the rollers are welded so not the whole keel sits on all the rollers. No big deal. When your trailering, crank the bow into the vee block. When just sitting on the trailer in storage, loosen this strap. You'll see the boat's weight teeter on different rollers.

With the use of the rollers ... that allows you to pick the entire boat up with a floor jack. Which you may wish to do to reposition the boat on the trailer. [Move the trailer around under the boat]

... " That is a lot of weight setting on two rollers " how heavy is the boat, divided by two rollers?

skip.

[tmorgan]

My trailer has a board that the keel rests on...no rollers at all.  I also release the centerboard pennant when traveling.  I've only forgot to reconnect  it once which didn't take long to detect!   We've trailered thousands of miles with no problems.

[BruceW]

I had rollers for years, and the last trailer had a board. I put those slick white plastic strips on it to help me slide the boat further on. Never an issue with either. I did replace a few rollers, but mainly because I found some yellow ones I liked better than the black ones. Can't remember ever having an issue with a bracket.

I guess what I'm saying is, both have worked for me.

[rogerschwake]

  Thanks for all the advice. It sounds like some of the Suncats came with the keel setting on a board. Hope to get this done the first time it gets above 40 degrees. That's a good idea to loosen the line for the center board, but something else to remember at launch time.

[jb]

tigersailor

  re "slick white plastic strips" ? What are they???


thanks

j

[BruceW]

Here you go: http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Caliber-Marine-Trailer-Slides-3W-x-15L&i=31336&r=view

You screw them in, putting the screws in the deep channel so they don't scratch the boat. I put them on the keel guide boards instead of carpet, and I put a layer down on the keel support board as well. If I had to replace the bunks, I'd put them there too, but my bunks had the carpet and it was working so I didn't have to do that by the time I sold the trailer.

[jb]

 tigersailor, 

thanks,  looks like a  possible solution to my problem?

j

[tmorgan]

I need those slides too. Thanks

[BruceW]

I'm now rebuilding a trailer and the supports I have are a V shape. I can't figure out how to connect a board, so looks like I'll go with replacing the roller brackets. I have 4 of them, but I don't think the keel will use more than two at a time. The ones I have are the separate piece ones. I might scrape and derustify them, or just get new ones. These are cool because the axles have nuts screwed on the ends instead of just those tap on caps.

[nies]

Unless I am mising something the nut holds the bearing in the hub and the cap is just a dust protector..................nies

[skip1930]

" ... That is a lot of weight setting on two rollers, a board would spread that weight out in my thinking. "

Your not believing that the entire weight of the boat [which is not a lot] sits on the one set of keel rollers do you?

What about the two hull bunks?

The ultimate strength of steel in 10,000 lb x the thickness of the steel in decimals divided by a safety factor of 4.

If the rubber/phenolic rollers having steel rods [3/8"+ ??] passing through them and supported by 1/4 inch thick x 2 inch wide  welded on arms are severally distorted by the weight of the keel, jack up the hull bunks a bit and take some of the weight off the rollers.

Is the boat pulled into the vee block with the winch and strap while trying to be dragged across a treated board [with or without UHMW friction modifying white plastic strips] or rolled on with rollers?  Or maybe the boat is just floated on and pulled in ... making both the rollers or board superfluous.

skip.