Centering boat on trailer

T

Tom&Marge

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Jan 18, 2004
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C Dory Year
1990
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Hull Identification Number
443
Vessel Name
PELICAN
Quite a while ago, someone put in a letter about making spacers on the side bars of his trailer to center the boat when loading up. It may even have been on the other site. Anyway, if that unknown nice person would tell his story again, and guide me to his photos, I would appreciate it. Seems like we are always on one side or the other on the trailer, no matter how hard we try.
Thanks!
 
Just put your shoulder into it after it is on the trailer and just rock it to the center. I used to spend way too much time trying to get it centered till I saw Jon (C Lou) just put his shoulder into it and rock it to the center, now just once and I am done.
 
Thanks for your response. I know that will work if your trailer has bunks. However, ours has rollers. We have tried the shoulder trick, to no avail. I think the key is having the trailer perfectly level on the ramp so it doesn't slip over to the lower side as we pull out. At the moment, the stern is sitting too far to starboard. We have the side guides which help, but the boat ends up resting against one of them a good part of the time.
 
Yup, I think that my roller trailer does have potential problems also. It almost always has the boat leaning on the starboard guide-on. Perhaps there is some alignment problem with the rollers. I don't know how to rectify the problem however, and often have to keep backing the boat/trailer into the water and watch in the rear-view mirror when the boat gets centered and then pull out before it moves again. Even in the water, if the boat is resting on the rollers, I can't skid it to center the thing. Digger
 
Tom I have a new King trailer with the yellow rollers not a bunk. I have no problem putting my shoulder into it and rocking it to the center. Sorry that I could not be more of a help.
 
I just bought a new King Tandem Trailer from Les. I am curious as to how much space should be between the guides and the side of the boat.

I have about five inches on each side.

It seems to me if they were closer together it would be easier to center the boat.
 
C-Sick: I don't know what the "official" optimum measurement is, but I've got about 1-1/2, on each side, which seems to be both centered enough to consistently center the boat on the trailer, and room enough to provide some clearance. It possibly could be a little tighter, but some wiggle room is good, especially if the ramp slopes a little sideways and skews the guide-ons off center of the rollers or bunks, and also effectively narrows the opening between the guide-ons. Joe.
 
Good move, C-Sick! Now if we could just get you freed up a bit for boating on Sundays! :wink

C-Sick":23fcdda0 said:
I just bought a new King Tandem Trailer from Les. I am curious as to how much space should be between the guides and the side of the boat.

I have about five inches on each side.

It seems to me if they were closer together it would be easier to center the boat.
Click to expand...
 
Hey Fred, I found a better way to center the boat on the trailer instead of the "ol middle linebacker shot. Check these out.

These things work great!
 
Chances are...if you are having trouble centering the boat on the trailer...your trailer is too far in the water. Leave the trailer higher...and the bunks...or rollers...will pick up the hull and center the boat perfectly as you load.
 
I recently saw some"self centering" rollers that were supposed to help with this problem
I'm pretty sure they make them in a variety of sizes/capacities. Has anybody tried these or similar?

Roger on the SeaDNA
 
I have a pair of carpet covered boards about 20" long with some clips on them. I'll stick them on the ends of the side boards to help center the boat. Once the boat is loaded the boards pop off and get thrown in the back of the truck. Photos available if desired
 
I have seen B~C's boards work, and they work well. I am too lazy to make any, so here's what I do.

I like to back the trailer in deep enough to walk the boat nearly all the way up. Then after cranking it the rest of the way, it will still slide sideways on the bunks and stay wherever it lands. So, I take a small towel, folded four times, and put it between the hull and the dockside trailer side rail, pull the boat tight against it, and it stays dead center while I pull up the ramp. And the towel is one of those forty-in-a-bag-for-cheap-at-Costco, so if I forget to take it out before heading home - no big loss.

No matter what we come up with, though, we ain't gonna stop Fred from the 'ol middle linebacker routine. Robbin likes to watch it.
 
Our trailer has bunks (not rollers), but I do something similar to what Tyboo described.

With the boat properly positioned on the trailer, I measured the distance between the boat and the siderail then went searching for an appropriate "shim." I wanted something that was cushiony (is that a word?) and cheap. Hmmm....

It turned out that a small styrofoam block works pretty well. Thread a piece of cord through the center of the block and tie it in place; maybe better would be a piece of velcro on the block, and it would adhere to the siderail carpet.

The next step is to see how long it takes your grandkids to notice that their styrofoam pool "noodle" (toy) is about two feet shorter than it was last summer ... heh, heh, heh.

Casey
C-Dory Naknek
 
Ditto on the spacer technique.The final inch or so of perfect balance between guides can be easily achieved by parking the trailer with the widely spaced side downhill, then the slightest gravity assisted shove puts the stern dead center; strap her down and off you go.
Mike 'Levity'
 
When I bought my new King bunk trailer it had four bunks on it. Initialy we took two off and went with two set wide apart. I had a lot of trouble centering the boat so I switched the bunks around and replaced the two that I had taken off. I placed them to the center so that they were just wide enough apart so that the center rib on the bottom of the boat goes down the middle. it centers perfectly every time now.
 
Hello Tom and Marge, I believe that it was me that posted the pictures on the old site. I have been trying for two days to get some new pictures to upload on to the photo site. Finally tonight it worked. If you go to the Mary Ellen photos you will see a couple of pictures. I just took a board the same width as the carpeted trailer side guides and then screwed a couple of pieces of plywood to them and added carpet. I just slip them in placed just before hauling the Mary Ellen out and it does a good job of centering the boat. Hope this Helps, Big Mac.
 
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