Bringing the new boat home!

[sanman60]

Hi everyone!
I just bought a C 19 down in St Petersburg, while down there on a bareboat certification school... (stared down the Barrel of Charley while on a Hunter 46, too... but thats another story and I really hope everyone in Punta Gorda and points NE came through it all right...it was some scary, scary stuff)

Anyway, The wife and I will be heading back down in a couple of weeks to pick her up and trailer her home. The trailer looked to be in good shape. it is the original galvanized trailer I believe, but has been "freshened" up. It has the smaller tires... (I'm guessing,  because they are smaller than my utility trailer's tires, anyway)

My questions are.. what is the best method for tying the boat down for transport. (appx 11hrs on the Hwy) and how fast do you guys typicaly pull the boat?
I have a GMC Z-71 Pick-up w/ a v-8  which would probably be capable of towing it up to 100mph  :shock: ... but I'm not THAT crazy... :lol:

Also, what type of emergency on the roadside equip should I take along on the road trip? I know others have made long-ish trips to pick up their boats, what did you guys do how did it go?

Thanks in advance!

I've been on forums like this before regarding Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and they work SO much better than Yahoo!

I'm looking forward to "getting to know" everyone.

[Chip Estabrooks]

Right now I have 3 different boats and  trailers.  I am comfortable pulling them all 70 -75 mph in good weather.  I have F-250 Diesel with plenty of weight to stop the light boats.
I hate the 12" wheels on my CP16 trailer but have learned to live with them. On hot days the little tires will heat up as they make many more revolutions/mile than the truck tires. I've not had any failures but I do check them from time to time.
The last boat I picked up and hauled x-country I bought a spare before leaving because the tires looked marginal. 300 miles later I was looking for a tire store and replaced both old trailer tires because I was losing tread on the dry rotted tires.  Maybe it was the 75mph +  :wink:
Take a jack, proper lug wrench,  blocks and a portable air tank if you have one.  Any doubt and I'll check the wheel bearings before starting out.  Be ready to work on trailer lights and my CP16  trailer came with a 1 7/8 ball. I had a 2" in my receiver when I went to get it. :x
Check the keel rollers as the boat rides on it's keel.
I double tie the bow eye to the winch and tie the back down with a rope from the rear cleats to the trailer.  
Take the motor off and throw it the back of your truck.
Take a zillion bungie cords. I hate rigging flopping in the wind.

Good luck.  Your gunna love that boat.

Chip

[Craig]

Maybe I'm a fool, but I've hauled my boat over 150 miles one way with only the winch attached to the bow eye.  I've NEVER had any trouble with the 16 staying put, even at 65 to 70 MPH.  I did put a strap around it when I traveled 600 miles one way, but had to stop and tighten up the strap so often that I doubt it was doing much.  Having said that, it is probably better to tie it down than not.  

I carry a spare tire, a grease gun to shoot some grease into the bearing buddies, a piston jack, rachet with socket that fits the lug nuts, and my cell phone.  I also carry spare bulbs for the trailer lights, extra rope for tying anything and everything, and small tool box to make minor on the road repairs.

[sanman60]

Thanks for the great advice!

So the small tires are usually 12 inch tires?
Is that an industry standard?


also,

Where is a good place to get a spare? Sears? or do I need to go to a "Tire" store... or a trailer store?...I have regular compact car tires on my Utility trailer, so they are everywhere...but these small ones I may need to go do some investigation....  

We will be there on a Saturday, so finding a spare shouldn't be too hard, right? or should I just take one with me? any reccomendations for a tire dealer in St Pete?

any idea of how much they run?

Anyway, Thanks again y'all!
I am putting together my "on the road kit" for the trip.  

[Gil Weiss]

I would recommend a marine store as a source for the spare. Make sure the tire's load range is what you want. Boater's World, West Marine ans Boat US stores all carry tires. You can order on line too.

I double tie my CP16 at the bow eye to the winch and I use a strap around the hull at the rear of the trailer. My web strap has a great locking mechanism and stays tight. If I had a larger boat I might consider some tie downs at the transome, if feasible.

Having a small scissors jack for the trailor is a good thing. Having a jack stand along is good too.

Like Craig said, lots of bungees are needed to secure the rigging. Pad everything so the road vibration doesn't chafe through paint or mark up metal. Leave nothing to blow in the wind.

Re speed, I don't like to go much faster than 60 because of the small tires and potential heat problems. Conditions need to be considered too. Many states have special trailer speed limits, so watch that too. ( I was pulled over in Illinois and warned about that while trailering an exhibit to a trade show in St. Louis a few years ago.)

Make sure your hitch is adjusted to properly fit your trailer ball. It should have a slight amount of free play so as not to bind up.

When you launch your boat make sure you unplug the lights so as not to blow the bulbs when they get into the water.

[mhrivnak]

I have to stress that the most important thing you can do to prevent tire problems is to make sure that they are properly inflated.  Bring a tire pressure guage.  Chances are that a standard car guage will not go high enough for the tires on your trailer.  Whatever the tire has marked for intended PSI, stay as close as possible.

Even when the tire is properly inflated, there is often a small bulge at the bottom.  When under-inflated, that bulge is larger.  Consider that as the tire rotates, the bulge moves to whatever part of the tire is on the bottom.  So, the walls of your tires are constantly changing shape as you drive.  The more drastic that change, the more wear, and the more heat you generate.

You can check me on the calculations, but I've computed that if your tire has about a 20-inch diameter and is going at 70 mph, it's making about 20 complete revolutions every second!  That's a lot of changing shape, and so operating at proper inflation is a must!

Not to mention that relatively small degrees of underinflation can cause fairly significant decreases in gas mileage.

[sanman60]

I've computed that if your tire has about a 20-inch diameter and is going at 70 mph, it's making about 20 complete revolutions every second!  

:shock:

gads... I never thought about it like that... but, of course, you're right and it does make sense. In fact the tires and hubs are what have me most concerned...always the weakest link... I plan to basicly take it easy, take a spare, check them at every stop, and replace/renew at the earliest opportunity.

Thanks, Guys! ... great info/suggestions

[spaul]

These are terrific suggestions. I've been trailering many types of  boats for 30 years now. I agree with all said. I do like to stress the following:
1. Bearings, don't guess and don't rely on Bearing Buddies to keep things lubed. Once wet, things can go bad quickly.
2. I like to strap my boats front and rear so that the straps are pulling the boat towards the middle of the trailer. That way a forward surge is supported as well as a rear surge (up hill, whatever). Use carpet remnants for padding on the gunwales soft side down to protect the gelcoat.
3. Make certain you have enough tongue weight. I believe 10-15% works pretty well. Otherwise you will have fish-tailing at higher speeds or when a semi leaves you in their wake. Once the fish-tailing has begun it can get pretty dangerous quickly. I've done it before I got smarter.
Good luck
Steve Paul

[sanman60]

These are terrific suggestions. I've been trailering many types of  boats for 30 years now. I agree with all said. I do like to stress the following:
1. Bearings, don't guess and don't rely on Bearing Buddies to keep things lubed. Once wet, things can go bad quickly.
2. I like to strap my boats front and rear so that the straps are pulling the boat towards the middle of the trailer. That way a forward surge is supported as well as a rear surge (up hill, whatever). Use carpet remnants for padding on the gunwales soft side down to protect the gelcoat.
3. Make certain you have enough tongue weight. I believe 10-15% works pretty well. Otherwise you will have fish-tailing at higher speeds or when a semi leaves you in their wake. Once the fish-tailing has begun it can get pretty dangerous quickly. I've done it before I got smarter.
Good luck
Steve Paul

Hey Steve,

1. Roger that.
Seller is having trailer inspected by the original manufacturer and serviced prior to pick up. (but I plan to verify, too  :wink: )

2. Good Idea!... ratchet or cam type straps?
  I have LOTS of Cam type, from trailering motorcycles, but seeing as a Com-Pac weighs considerably more than my race bike...(trailer my STREET bike?!? surely you jest?) I'll probably go ahead and invest on some heavy duty ratchet types... right?

3. Been there, done that too...NO fun! :shock:

[spaul]

I don't recommend a strap type. Depending on your boat and trailer I would always recommend a continuous strap. I have ratchet types on my cp27 but that is a 6K + load to keep in one place. If the boat is loaded properly on a well made trailer good strapping will just make it so much more worry free. I do know that the straps will vibrate and can cause wear on themselves and on the boat gel coat. You can avoid the wear on the boat by using straps and the carpet pads to keep a good spacing from the boat sides.
Good luck just don't get in a hurry.
Steve Paul

[sanman60]

Well, After a 32 hr drive for 1150 miles...(Left at 4pm Friday, home 11:45pm Sat. night :shock: ) there is a  1990 Com-pac 19/3 sitting in the driveway!

The trailer towed just fine on the small tires up around 70 mph and all was good with the tie down situation. the rigging was probably over secured, but didn't want to take any chances.  

a VERY big thank you to all the folks who gave me the advice on trailering. I really appreciate the "hand holding".

I'll post a pic when I get a minute, over in the photo album.... I may slip one into the C-19 topics as well :roll:  :lol:

Anyway, we have some work to do on her, needs some cosmetic attention like a new boot stripe and cove stripe, and probably do a "poly glo" job on her topsides... and her pulpit is a little bent, from the P.O.'s davits; however, she is very sail-able as is, and we'll be headed up to Lake Guntersville this coming Labor-Day weekend to air out the sails a bit  :wink:  

Thanks again... I'll probably come up with some more newbie questions as I go.

[CaptK]

Congratulations! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Good to hear the (long) trip went well! Looking forward to the pics, too.

[Craig Weis]

Even though it's an old post, I'd toss in my two cents.
~One do the speed limit.

Resistance squares as speed doubles. Save gas.  That would be resistance to rolling, or pushing wind. As any Airforce guy would tell you. [Read the book 'Skunk Works, by Ben Rich and Leo Janis.]
Say 4 hp to do 16 mph. And 16 hp to do 32 mph. Ect. [that's hp delivered to the wheels.]

~Burgess in his book about Com-Pac and other small sailboating hauled his C-P 19 around with a Ford Pinto! Arguably one of the worst cars Detroit ever screwed together.

~Tire dia means little. Check the load rating indicated on the sidewall, and fill'em up hard with air. I run my trailer at about 95 lbs 'cause that's the max load rating at that inflation pressure. And the tires are tiny.

~Third. Put a lot of tongue weight on the ball hitch to not fishtail.

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