SUPPORTING A 23

[Bob23]

Hey there, fellers and gals:
   I'm planning to do a epoxy barrier coat job on Koinonia, my 1985 23/2 and I'm planning to do it while shes on her trailer. Of course, the four support posts and pads are in the way so I'd like to temporarily support the ship without anything touching areas below the waterline, for obvious reasons. So, question is, has anyone done this? I'm sure someone has and I've got it kinda figured out but the more input, the better. I'd rather not drop my 3000+ pound baby on her side in the driveway...she doesn't really like to be mistreated.
   Just sitting on the keel is not enough for my liking. Here's a shot of her sitting on her trailer.
Thanks in advance for your help! Grog to yer all!
Bob23

[skip1930]

Simple. She'll sit on her keel.
1~Jack the trailer level. Take the weight off the rubber tires, they squish around. Level the boat on the trailer.
2~Keep the bow tight into the vee block with the winch.
3~Or just shore up under the rail with 2 x 6 boards and staked.
4~This can be done with the boat backed out of the vee block. How? Jack the keel up, lifting the boat and move the trailer. Get rid of the board under the keel. Rollers = space.
5~If you like strap the stern cleats to the trailer, down the side of the hull. Really not necessary.
6~Lower the hull bunks. Either all four at once or each side separate.
7~Paint her up.

Worked fine with my 2000+ CP-19.

skip.

[MacGyver]

If you werent in to big of a hurry I would just take opposite pads down and do those then swap.
So port stern and starboard bow, then do the opposite.
One thing my boss always says is the pads are just to keep the boat from falling over.

Mac

[brackish]

Bob, I jacked mine up on two jacks on the keel. I only went up about three inches, just enough to get a small roller over the bunk.  My drive way is slightly out of level, so when I did so the boat stayed on the bunk on one side, came off the other.  After I had finished that side, I tied it off so that it would stay on the finished side, so I could do the other.  When I jacked it back down, I took the jacks out and finished the spots where the jacks hit the keel.  I used a short 2 X 10 between the rollers on the Jacks.  The problem I see with you doing that is that your keel is supported by a solid board, so how do you get under it?

After doing the job I kind of decided that next time I would take it to a yard that can sit it on stands but allows DIYers to do the work.  In the old days with my 29" Columbia, I beleive they pulled it, pressure washed it in the slings, and set it on stands with three days before the demurrage charge started all for about $130.  Probably more now, but I sure got tired of crawling around, under, through, and over that trailer.

Originally, I was just going to drop the bunks, then winch the boat back on the rollers a short way to do under the keel at the support points.  When the first bunk lock screw twisted off, I abandoned that plan.  Here is how she was set up for that:

[wes]

I used Brack's system with the 2x4s, with a couple of modifications. Even though I tied off the boards at the midpoint to the trailer, I was concerned about the boat slipping off. So I removed the vinyl rub rail, cut the top of the 2x4 at an angle to sit squarely under the hull to deck flange, removed one of the flange bolts and drove a nail through the hole down into the 2x4. The result was very solid. With a total of four 2x4s (two per side)  I felt comfortable completely removing my hull bunks and keel guides, so the entire hull was accessible except the spots where the keel touches the rollers. I even removed the trailer winch post and the bow eye during painting. I was doing not only barrier coat and bottom paint but also painting the topsides.

I will say that I didn't use cheap ass "white wood" studs. I found some old yellow pine studs in my basement, removed from my 1959 house during some renovation work. That was back when Men Were Men and studs were actually 2" x 4".

Wes

[Bob23]

   Thank you, Gents: I hoist a Guiness in your honor. Once again, the collective wisdom of the "Owners" comes through.
  In reading the replies, I'm thinking of combining a few different aspects or your techniques into one daring approach:
  Using 4 bottle jacks, I plan to jack the trailer up about 6 to 8 inches and level. Then, using Bracks and Wes's methods, I'll support each side with 3 2x8's, screwed through the flange and crossbraced. The bases of opposing 2x8's will also be tied together with a 2x4 screwed to the 2x8's to help prevent spreading. Then the trailer will be lowered, allowing access to the entire bottom so the barrier coat/bottom paint job can be done uninterupted. I'll sit down with paper and pencil with this mornings coffee and see if I can spot any weak links in this chain I'm forging. I covet any feedback from you guys.
  If this works, it could be an engineering marvel surpassing the Eifel Tower and St. Pauls Cathedral. If it fails, there will be a cheap, fixer-upper 23 for sale in NJ and a widow who will be really mad at you guys!
  Photos will be taken!
Bob23

[Shawn]

"If you werent in to big of a hurry I would just take opposite pads down and do those then swap. "

That is how I do it. I have two boat stands which I chain to the trailer and use them to lift the weight off one bunk, drop it, paint that side and then raise the bunk back up with it is done. Repeat for the other side.

Still don't have a good way of getting under the keel though. My driveway is a hill so I can't try the jack it up method. Where the trailer/boat sits over the winter is on gravel so I wouldn't trust jacks on that.

Shawn

[Bob23]

Getting under the keel is the problem. Plus, in doing a barrier coat and hard bottom paint job, that would split the entire project into 2 parts meaning more time. I've gotta think about this before I do it. I was just doing some drawings to narrow down any weak points in my plan.
Thanks for all your help, gents. Keep those cards and letters coming!
bob23

[wes]

Bob - I did not attempt to remove my trailer. The 2x4s were only preventing the boat from tipping, not carrying any weight. The weight remained on the rollers. When the job was nearly finished, I rolled her a few inches to expose the unpainted spots.

Not sure how I feel about putting the full weight of the boat on the hull to deck flange. Hmm.

Wes

[brackish]

I  second Wes's concern.  Mine was off the trailer but always supported under the keel with the jacks.  that is where all the weight is going to be.  I didn't end up using the rub rail supports as mentioned in my post, but they were only there to keep the load from tipping when  I lowered the bunks.  All the weight was going to still be on the rollers with that method.

[Bob23]

Thanks. I'm also concerned as there would be about 550 lbs. on each 2x8. I know the flange is strong but it was never designed to hold that kind of weight. Maybe I should do the entire project less the keel bottom then get the boat to the marina, have them block it up and get under the keel. Sounds safer and maybe faster.
Bob23