Raising the Boat Off The trailer

Tug · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:50 am Post subject: Raising the Boat Off The trailer

I'm considering ( new plan ) just raising the boat about 6 inches off the trailer and bottom painting. I would raise the boat, insert 4"x6"'s on the trailer bunks running Port to StarBoard and than lower the boat.This would give me enough room to sand,epoxy and bottom paint.Question is : would the 4"x6"'s running Port to StarBoard do any damage to the keel or straks with the boats weight resting on them. Thanks Tug

Matt Gurnsey · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:57 am Post subject:

I wouldn't think so.

But here's an alternate plan. When we paint boat bottoms, we support the boat at the corners of the transom and at a point forward on the keel.

Lower the tongue of the trailer down as far as it will go- (if you can use a floor jack and swing the tongue jack out of the way it might be even better). This gets the stern as high in the air as possible.

Block the corners of the stern, and then raise the tongue of the trailer. As the bow comes up, the stern will be supported on the blocks and it will be higher than the trailer. For extra lift jacl the boat along the keel about 1/3 of the way back from the bow, or about where the aft bulkhead of the V-Berth is. This will lift the bow off the trailer.

At this point you can work on the boat with it suspended above the trailer,

OR
Using the jack point on the keel to support the fron of the boat, roll the trailer forward until the first cross member of axle comes to the jack. Lower the bow onto the trailer, and rejack with the jack aft of the cross member.

Roll the trailer to the next cross member, and repeat the process. You could do this until the trailer is completely removed from undre the boat to give plenty of room to work.

Block the keel at a coup,e of points to support the boat, and work away without the trailer being in the way.

Have fun!

Tug · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:07 pm Post subject:

Matt,thanks for the good advice.Yes it should be fun! Tug

matt_unique · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:07 pm Post subject: Timely

This is timely for me as I will be attempting to lift Napoleon off the trailer for the same reason tomorrow.

Lifting a Tomcat off the trailer is an entirely different kettle of fish of course. I don't want to hijack this thread so I will add to existing Tomcat lift threads.

Good luck and be super cautious. Never put anything between the boat and the trailer that you don't mind crushing (until you have your cross members of course removing any chance of a crush). Very easy to forget when you get working - be super careful.

Matt Gurnsey · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:38 pm Post subject:

An addition-

While the jck trick under the keel works well, for those who have the rquipment, the really easy way is to attach a strong strap or line to the bow eye, and loop it over the forks on a fork lift or bucket on a tractor which is in the air over the bow.

We use this method of suspending the bow, with two heavy straps looped over the forks of the forlift and attached to the bow eye. Lift the forks, the bow comes up, and the trailer can be rolled out from under the boat, and blocking put in place on the keel.

journey on · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject:

Don't forget, as you lift the boat off the trailer, the boat will follow until the springs are unloaded. Just make sure you have enough lift.

Boris