How to: Jack RIB off Trailer?

[mikew4]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

I tried with car ramps, and the trailer wouldnt go up them - it just kept dragging the ramps along the floor, or firing them out.

- Drill the front of the ramps and tie some rope on.
- Lay the rope in a straight line in front of the ramps.
- When the trailer is reversed close to the ramps, it is on the rope.
- As the wheels hit the the ramps they will slide back back a little as the rope is tensioned under the weight of the trailer wheels.
- Trailer will then ride up onto the ramp.

[GuyC]

Does it have a planing pad?

What I do with mine is:

A couple of ratchet straps, one port one stbd from the bow ring to somewhere robust on the trailer back aft.

If the aft 12" of planing pad overhangs the back of the trailer, undo the jockey wheel so the tow hitch is as close to the ground as possible. This will lift the aft end up slightly.

Place a substantial block and packers under the planing pad at the aft end.

Do up jockey wheel and lift forward end of trailer up as much as possible. This should transfer the weight of the boat to the block.

You can then release the bow winch by 12" and tighten the ratchet straps. This should in effect start to 'winch' the trailer from under the boat. When the bow winch becomes taught, check everything and repeat the process.

At some point the front of the trailer will start to lift off the ground as the weight is transferred aft. I drop the front of the trailer lifting the boat up slightly, place a block under the keel and then raise the front of the trailer which often frees the trailer from under the boat. You can let some air out of the tyres (not tubes) if you need a bit more clearance.

My Pac 22 is happy with a block under the planing pad at the aft end and one about a third of the way from the bow to the stern during the removal process. Once she is off the trailer I add a block with wedges in way of the intersection of the keel and the transverse frame forward of the engine compt. When using wedges, don't put the wedges directly against the keel. Have a block of wood between the keel and the wedges.

Before doing too much crawling around I add some props to keep the whole thing stable.

I suspect that this is a slow method of doing it but it does leave you in control.

I do like your RIB.

[gtflash]

I did mine 8.1m last year. Someone on here very kindly leant me some tripod props 4 of, which I placed on the hull and pulled trailer out. It was a bum clenching moment and the tripods got in the way of the trailer, so we had to keep moving them. After doing this, Some of the hodge bodge methods would never be on my list. It was really quite scary, however very satisfying. The getting it back on the trailer was a dream none the less.

[willk]

Originally Posted by gtflash

I did mine 8.1m last year.

How did that Coppercoat hold up?

[gtflash]

Originally Posted by willk

How did that Coppercoat hold up?

Mine isn't living in water yet. It's still brown with some greeny runs. Kinda like it now but can't feedback yet