schoolboy error...!

Revenger715 · 23 July 2014, 22:36

Got brave enough to try and drive my boat onto trailer for the first time but by the time I had put the trailer in the water, run around to get boat from mooring etc the tide had dropped a bit so when I came in I hit the rear beam of the trailer before the swing roller picked up the hull. Bu@@er...!

Have scraped/gouged my keelguard an inch or two but it seems to have done the trick and damage has not got through to keel. Is there anyway I can repair the keelguard (fill it and rub down for example) rather than peeling the whole lot off and replacing?

Cheers, 715

Chris Caton · 23 July 2014, 22:47

oh dear, not good news

1st time I recovered my Revenger when it was brand new a RYA instructor demonstrated how to drive on to the roller trailer, resulting in a horrible grunching noise and little flakes of gel coating drifting away in the current, to say I wasn't impressed is putting it mildly, took a long time before I had the confidence to drive it onto the trailer again

sort, can't offer any advice with the keelguard

Pikey Dave · 24 July 2014, 07:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revenger715

Got brave enough to try and drive my boat onto trailer for the first time but by the time I had put the trailer in the water, run around to get boat from mooring etc the tide had dropped a bit so when I came in I hit the rear beam of the trailer before the swing roller picked up the hull. Bu@@er...!

Have scraped/gouged my keelguard an inch or two but it seems to have done the trick and damage has not got through to keel. Is there anyway I can repair the keelguard (fill it and rub down for example) rather than peeling the whole lot off and replacing?

Cheers, 715

It "should" be possible to set up the rollers so that the keel can't hit the beam no matter what. The rear cradle needs to be far enough back & the 2 sets of rollers close enough together to prevent the keel from hitting the beam, regardless of the approach angle. If you can't set it up like so, look at fitting a small "V" roller onto the beam in the gap between the rollers.

Peter_C · 24 July 2014, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

It "should" be possible to set up the rollers so that the keel can't hit the beam no matter what. The rear cradle needs to be far enough back & the 2 sets of rollers close enough together to prevent the keel from hitting the beam, regardless of the approach angle. If you can't set it up like so, look at fitting a small "V" roller onto the beam in the gap between the rollers.

Agreed. You should be able to slam your boat on the trailer as long as you get the bow between the stanchions (Trailer guide bars). If it hits the trailer, you need another roller. In theory you should be able to winch it off the ground, onto the trailer only touching rollers (Especially if it falls off the trailer

)

Now that you have the first scratch in it, you have broken it in and it is ready to perform for you

In other words the keep guard worked, and it is a superficial damage.

9D280 · 24 July 2014, 09:33

I had similar the first time i winched on. (thankfully before i sorted the hull out!).

Other trick is once you have moved the swing beam far enough back a length or two of bungee will make sure the rollers are guaranteed to be facing the right way when you get back!

Carl · 24 July 2014, 11:10

bunks

Revenger715 · 24 July 2014, 17:31

Thanks chaps for the advice - where does one get the small V rollers from?

Also on the repairing question - thinking maybe re-glue and fill a bit with some sikaflex, but anyone got any better ideas? It's not a huge issue but looks a bit unsightly and my boat is immaculate (fussy git...!).

Cheers,

715

Peter_C · 24 July 2014, 19:35

Amazon, Ebay, most any marine store, and every marine trailer outfitter should have boat rollers.

I had never seen rollers set up like in the thread below before. Maybe your trailers needs some rollers there in the middle of the trailer, but I would use a regular boat roller.
http://www.rib.net/forum/f16/avon-so...tml#post634873

stevedonna · 25 July 2014, 07:30

Now you have all put the s****ers up me . We were shown how to recover on our PB2 course by driving it on so it's the only way I have done it since .

What do you guys do if you don't do that. Do you let more of the winch cable out and wade out to hook it up ?

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Pikey Dave · 25 July 2014, 08:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevedonna

Now you have all put the s****ers up me . We were shown how to recover on our PB2 course by driving it on so it's the only way I have done it since .

What do you guys do if you don't do that. Do you let more of the winch cable out and wade out to hook it up ?

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Yup. Or normal MO is I approach the slip, missus jumps out & hold onto the painter. I kill & tilt engines, jump out, fetch car/trailer, reverse down slip, snub boat into rear cradle, hook on & winch. There is a slip in France that we use that can be a tad lairy if it's blowing onshore & the missus isn't strong enough to hold the boat. It's inside a small harbour but the slip is at 90deg to the swell that runs into the harbour mouth. What we do here, is come into the harbour, tie up alongside, get the trailer onto the slip & drive the boat onto the trailer. I leave the engines running & in gear (I know, I know! before anybody says anything

) jump out hook on & get some weight on the winch before I stop the engines.

Having the trailer properly set up is a must, & is time well spent as the OP has found out.

Chris Caton · 25 July 2014, 09:00

715, have you a photo of the rib on the trailer taken from the back so we can see how the rollers are setup, my 715 hull is no where near the swing beam when launching or recovering

stevedonna · 25 July 2014, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Yup. Or normal MO is I approach the slip, missus jumps out & hold onto the painter. I kill & tilt engines, jump out, fetch car/trailer, reverse down slip, snub boat into rear cradle, hook on & winch. There is a slip in France that we use that can be a tad lairy if it's blowing onshore & the missus isn't strong enough to hold the boat. It's inside a small harbour but the slip is at 90deg to the swell that runs into the harbour mouth. What we do here, is come into the harbour, tie up alongside, get the trailer onto the slip & drive the boat onto the trailer. I leave the engines running & in gear (I know, I know! before anybody says anything

) jump out hook on & get some weight on the winch before I stop the engines.

Having the trailer properly set up is a must, & is time well spent as the OP has found out.

That might help save our marriage . I currently drop donna off at pontoon she legs it round attempts to reverse the trailer down the slipway , gives up and asks someone to do it . Then I drive boat onto trailer hold it in place with engine on low until she hooks up then we winch it on . If it's quiet and we have a pontoon I reverse the trailer down and then leg it to boat and drive it on . Donna is not comfy with the idea of driving the boat on hence having to do the trailer reverse .

Your method could make life a bit easier or. I could just not bother telling her

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Nick Hearne · 25 July 2014, 09:18

I do not like dunking my trailer hubs so always have only gone in up to them and pushed boat off and winched back on again!
On my current set up for my 6m as a precaution I have rapped an old door mat (have used carpet too on anther trailer) around the rear cross member with cable ties holding it on,
So If I do run in to it it's now protected, worked for 3 or 4 years with out a problem

stevedonna · 25 July 2014, 09:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

I do not like dunking my trailer hubs so always have only gone in up to them and pushed boat off and winched back on again!

On my current set up for my 6m as a precaution I have raped an old door mat (have used carpet too on anther trailer) around the rear cross member with cable ties holding it on,

So If I do run in to it it's now protected, worked for 3 or 4 years with out a problem

Sorry now got a picture of you raping a door mat . Hopefully you brought it inside before starting

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Nick Hearne · 25 July 2014, 09:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevedonna

Sorry now got a picture of you raping a door mat . Hopefully you brought it inside before starting

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I do like them ruff cores and dirty!

stevedonna · 25 July 2014, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

I do like them ruff cores and dirty!

Thinking about it I have been accused of treating my good lady like a door mat . Next time she says that I will remind her of what you do to them .

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Chris · 26 July 2014, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revenger715

Thanks chaps for the advice - where does one get the small V rollers from?

Also on the repairing question - thinking maybe re-glue and fill a bit with some sikaflex, but anyone got any better ideas? It's not a huge issue but looks a bit unsightly and my boat is immaculate (fussy git...!).

Cheers,

715

Hi, sikaflex will stick back any lifted bits of keel guard, if you use a heat gun to warm the area first it can make you life easier. If you lost a big chunk I would cut out the section and just replace that piece, saves a costly replacement.