Rigging for clearance to apply bottom paint.

S

Schuster

Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
220
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5
C Dory Year
2007
C Dory Model
25 Cruiser
Vessel Name
Sea Witch
Looking for suggestions on how to safely rig my CD-25 to make clearance from the bunks on the trailer so i can apply a couple coats of bottom paint. I would like to get the boat up a couple inches above the bunks to get a roller between the boat and the bunks. I dont want to apply undue stress to any part of the bottom which may damage the hull. Thanks, Dave, Sea Witch.
 
When I did this with my 25 last year, I used a couple of bottle jacks between the trailer frame and the boat hull, placing heavy wood blocks between the jack and the hull. Then I used some heaving blocking between a couple of spots on the boat's hull and trailer frame, so I wasn't just leaving the jacks in place. The blocks were towards the stern. For the bow I used a heavy piece of 2x2 square iron I had to go across the trailer frame under the boat's bow. Everything was placed conveniently, so the spots on the hull that were held up above the trailer bunks with blocks, were accessible to finish painting once I lowered the boat back onto the bunks. Colby
 
One can also use the leverage of the trailer, by lowering the tongue as much as possible, then securing the stern, with cribbing/jacks on the transom, or mid line transom, then raising the trailer tongue to give clearance aft. You can then use hydraulic jacks for ward under the keel. and jack the forward part of the hull up--putting the trailer at neutral, and giving room for working between the blocks and bunks.

Some will remove the trailer--doing this requires using cribbing in several places forward.

You want the main weight to be on solid areas--for example the transom/keel area. You want to balance the boat with jack stands, but not take the weight of the boat on jack stands. Always speed the force out on the boat, never put a metal jack top on the hull.

I prefer to use wooden cribbing. Concrete blocks can be a problem--and break. I have some auto jack stands, rated for 4 tons, and used wooden cribbing of 4 x 4 and 6 x 6.
 
Thank you for the responses to my rigging question. Bob, I like the idea of how you got the back of the boat elevated using the trailer and cribbing. I will use a combination of both your suggestions to get this project done. Thanks again.
 
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