Trailer spec's for keel rest to hull bunks & cp 23 keel width ?

[hockeyfool]

I promise this is the last time I will ask all whom can or have already retrieved and hauled in their boats...
  but I just can't tell how high to raise my trailer's side bunks from the keel rest bunk. Is it dangerous to be off as I pull the boat
   out of the water ? I thought if safe to do so, I would leave a bit high, retrieve boat until I am completely out of water, stop
and get the wrenches & rubber mallet out ; then bang em snug, re-tighten bolts . But also, some say keel is 9.5" wide and some
say 12" wide; I just dont know know where to put my keel guides for sliding the boat onto trailer ? !
All whom read this and have trailer/boat on the hard; please chine in .
Thanks in advance -- because this can be really stressful when you paid $4200 for a complete rebuild of the bottom of hull !

[Bob23]

   Have you call the Hutchins boys? They did build the boat so they should know. I don't know if this has changed in different years. Mine is about 9 1/2" wide at the base but the keel gets thicker as it rises toward the hull bottom. In other words, it flares out so you may want to duplicate that angle.
   Do you really need to make the side bunks that close toleranced?
Bob23

[Cruzin]

The maximum width of the keel base of my 81Compac 23 is about 10-3/4" wide. It would not hurt to pull your boat out without the side supports as the majority of the weight of the hull should rest on the keel. The side supports are for balance only and should have minimal weight based on some information listed elsewhere on this site. I also adjusted mine with the boat resting on the keel. I have a trailer set up specs diagram from Compac if you need it just let me know. The trailer width is eyeballed (no beer) to the best of my ability with mine sitting on the trailer. Good luck!
Dale

[brackish]

My keel guides are installed with the top of the guide 3" above the keel support.  They are set at 12-1/2" inside dimension.  With the boat on the trailer I have about 3/4" clearance on either side at the widest point.  My boat has rollers for keel support and they are slightly tapered, so in essence somewhat self centering once the boat starts to be winched onto the trailer. 

I launched and retrieved a dozen times and have not any problems with this set up.  Your only concern if you are using a board for support, is to not set them any wider.  A board would not be self centering, so the guides in my mind would have to provide the centering force.

[Greene]

Had the boat off the trailer today, so I measured the distance between the keel guides  - 13".

Mike

[hockeyfool]

  Ok - THANKS TO ALL - for replying to my need for this help on trailer fitting !
 PICS AS PROMISED ! -- [img width=450 height=600]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m483/Ypsi-Compac/1012121920.jpg[/img]

[skip1930]

I tried this, strong canvas webbing from Ace Hardware as a guide to 'slide and guide' the hull down into and between the two keel bunks.

After several tries that continually kept the keel setting on top of the carpeted 2 x 4's and peeling off one or both keel bunks [both if the keel goes cattwampus], I decided to forgo the thought of ever sliding and guiding the keel between the hull bunks. A good idea on paper that did not work. LOL.

Enough! The 'meat' in the 2 x 4's that may have been left to screw the lag bolts back in was gone. I gave up and took the straps off.
A dismal failure to be sure but well worth the try. My recommendation to the group, "Don't do this."

My solution was to place those orange fiberglass driveway markers at the back of the trailer. With no wind blowing these position and hold the hull centered over the trailer and out she comes.
Occasionally the keel is just a tad off center and my little 1/2 ton bottle jack and a block of wood will push the keel back to where it ought to be. It's more work but works for me.

The trouble with those keel boards instead of rollers is that it is hard to jack up and move the boat on the trailer for balance, or more or less tongue weight, or cleaning and painting the hull.

skip.

[Geoff]

As a follow-up on this thread, I am customizing my trailer to fit a CP23. I've seen a number of discussions on this and I could use a few tips:

1. How long is the keel of a CP23 at its bottom (where it would rest on keel board)?
2. How high above the top of your keel board/rollers are your bunks, and at what width is that height? (I am thinking that this would be done by measuring from the centerline of one bunk board to the centerline of the other bunk bunk board -- and measured at the midpoint of your bunk lengths)
3. How long are your keel bunks?
4. How deep/tall is the keel portion of the boat itself, from bottom to where hull flares out?

Thanks so much for your help. I'm buying a CP23 and have to make a trailer for her to yank her out of the water and bring to a new home.

Geoff

[Cruzin]

I have a diagram I received from Hutchins for trailer set up specs. I tried to upload as PDF but no luck. Send me a PM if you want a copy and I can email it to you. I used these specs to convert a non Magic Tilt trailer to haul my Com-pac 23 and all works just fine.
Dale

[hockeyfool]

  My keel bunk is a 12 footer because I think the 23's keel is close to 10 long for to aft edges, so if the bunk is only a 10 footer, you will have overhanging of the keel.
  also - used a 2" x 10" treated 12 footer and just barely fit the widest section of keel within board. 

[Greene]

I have a diagram I received from Hutchins for trailer set up specs. I tried to upload as PDF but no luck. Send me a PM if you want a copy and I can email it to you. I used these specs to convert a non Magic Tilt trailer to haul my Com-pac 23 and all works just fine.
Dale

Dale has kindly emailed this info out to several of us, so I told him I would post it for all to use.



Thanks Dale

Mike