??? Rollers or bunks for wooden boat???

[Porkchunker]

I'm in the process of restoring a wooden boat that received keel damage from the trailer. Hit a curb hard enough to break the tire, and one of the keel rollers cracked the glass cloth and allowed water intrusion into the keel. Once I get this repair done, I'm thinking of swapping out the trailer for a bunk trailer. But before I do, I wanted an opinion as to what is best for a wooden boat.

Any experience on this subject?

Porkchunker http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats/skopje179.html

[Victor]

Bunks.

[maa. melee]

I 2nd Victor.

[pcford]

If you want to destroy the boat, get a roller trailer.

[Wild Wassa]

When club racing, we submerge the trailor and float off then float back on, I think is the only way to go if your ramps are good and launching areas are smooth and without holes. I do that to a 700lb Flying Fifteen on weekends with my Skipper.

Midweek two of us launch a 16ft Corsair off a beach trolly that has bunks, launching in a different spot (in very shallow water) to the launching area for the FF.

Rollers are pressure points and eventually distort the hull ... having been there with my boat. I have rollers on my trailer and don't like them, but they are necessary.

Rollers on a self launching trailer might be your only option, if you are a one person operation (that's how it is when I launch my boat by myself where I like to take her to be with Sea Scouts) and find floating off and floating on not practical because I launch over a bank at the Sea Scouts beach, which is not good. The rollers are essential on a pivotting trailer, as my dinghy and trailer are too heavy to heave back up the bank.

Three different places we can launch from during the week and each area requires a different launching system and trailer.

I agree with the others ... bunks if possible. Wide fibre glass ones covered in marine carpet.

Warren.

[ 02-07-2006, 02:25 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Victor]

You might not be able to use every ramp with a bunk, but I launch and retrieve singlehanded all the time with mine.

[Alan Peck]

Why change out the trailer? Converting to bunks shouldn't be too hard to do yourself and save a lot of money while you are at it.

[Buddy Sharpton]

Definitely modify your trailer for bunks. Keel roolers should remain, and be adjusted to support the ENTIRE weight of the boat. The bunks should be adjusted to only, and just only, be in contact with the hull enough so that it can't topple to the side. A little wobble into the carpet's pile is more than OK. Release the tension from the tie down straps when in storage. Don't trust the winch rope or rachet pawls to secure your boat on the road. Tie off the bow eye with an additional rope.

[Gary E]

Our boat sat on bunks except for the 4 or 5 rollers that were under the keel on a cam all linked together so one lever lifted all rollers aprox 3/4 inch when launching or retrieving.

[Porkchunker]

Thanks for the replies.

Dad also made the trailer himself with a pile of iron and welding tools. Axle came from a 1948 Chevy of some kind. That worked well when we were in WY, NE, and MT in fresh water. Also worked well for him when he retired to FL--also fresh water.

I'm now in the Annapolis area, and run the boat on the N. end of the Ches Bay. Although the salt concentration is very low, over time, rust is starting to eat at the trailer. I am planning to replace the trailer, so I have a good opportunity to change the style from roller to bunk, or rollers under the keel with bunks directly below the stringers.

Porkchunker

[Porkchunker]

Originally posted by Porkchunker:
Thanks for the replies.

Dad also made the trailer himself with a pile of iron and welding tools. Axle came from a 1948 Chevy of some kind. That worked well when we were in WY, NE, and MT in fresh water. Also worked well for him when he retired to FL--also fresh water.

I'm now in the Annapolis area, and run the boat on the N. end of the Ches Bay. Although the salt concentration is very low, over time, rust is starting to eat at the trailer. One of these days we'll move to Williamsburg, VA, work a few more years and retire there. I plan to use her on some of the Ches Bay tribs in VA--also some level of salt concentration.

I am planning to replace the trailer, so I have a good opportunity to change the style from roller to bunk, or rollers under the keel with bunks directly below the stringers.

Porkchunker

[Porkchunker]

Man I screwed up that "edit."

Porkchunker

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

The key to trailering or cradling a wooden boat is support. Different boats have different areas of strength. I support my CC on stands resting on the chines, because that's where the boat has strength.

Your boat has significant weight at the back, with the two engines. Make sure your bunks address that weight, perhaps by having secondary bunks over a short length near the transom. Where ever possible, you want to distribute weight over a long distance, resting on where the boat has structural strength.

I've seen lots of boats damaged by rollers, mostly because there wasn't enough of them, but also because of the roller position based on how the boat loads on the trailer.

[pipefitter]

The trailers for the boats at our shop,the bunks are lengthy and towards the chines. They also have rollers but from my understanding,the last few turns of the winch handle should bring it up on the bunks and weight off the keel rollers.The rubber rollers will distort and get a squash spot over time and roll like a flat tire.They should only be used as an aid to winch the boat on.If you have difficult ramps with smaller boats,maybe a tilt trailer is an option.

Plans and the picture are from web page

[ 02-08-2006, 12:38 AM: Message edited by: pipefitter ]