[Rhodes22-list] Bunk

Bill Effros bill at effros.com
Wed Mar 22 12:46:25 EST 2006


Rob,

That I have seen when I didn't put the board down.  If the board is down 
far enough to engage the slot, the boat can't go on the trailer 
cockeyed.  It only has to be that far down, no more, no less.  I haven't 
had a cockeyed retrieval since I started making sure the board was 
always in the correct down position, which might not be all the way down.

I use the motor to back off the trailer if I'm unhappy with the way the 
way the boat sits on the bunks.  This is hard to do when the keel is 
wedged  in the wrong place. --  Back the trailer down the ramp even 
further to float the boat off the bunks.  But it should never happen 
when the board is down.

The exposed bunks at the bow lift the boat right out of the water and 
stop it long before it hits the front stop -- which it should never do.  
When you learn the right amount of exposed bunk for your boat and 
trailer, you can nail the position every time--almost with your eyes closed.

I find the easiest way to move the boat on the trailer to achieve an 
exact tongue weight is to put a bottle jack under the keel just after 
pulling the boat from the water.  (Put a piece of wood above and below 
the bottle jack.)  Lift the boat so the weight is off the bunks, but the 
wet bottom with ablative paint is still on the bunks.  Then slowly drive 
the tow vehicle forward or backward to put the boat where you want it on 
the trailer.  The boat will slide on the wet bunks very easily.  There 
is no danger, because the boat will just fall back into the bunks if it 
happens to fall off the jack.  (This has never happened to me.)  The 
entire process takes less than 5 minutes, and the boat is exactly where 
you want it.

Bill Effros

Rob Lowe wrote:
> Bill,
> I'm still not sure what happened, but I did back the trailer into the water
> more than I usually do in an attempt to get the boat forward enough on the
> trailer.  I usually have to winch it pretty hard up against the bow stop and
> I figured it would be easier if the trailer was more submerged.  I don't go
> in board down because I'd be hitting the bottom of the ramp with it, but I
> can see putting the board part way down to help as a guide.  The bow was
> positioned between the bunks OK but I guess the stern was cockeyed a bit.
> The stern usually settles down nicely when I pull the trailer but that time
> it just came down on the bunk and cracked it.  I just backed up,
> repositioned the boat, and she came out just fine.  I'll be more careful
> from now on.
>
>
> Rob Lowe
> S/V Getaway
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:02 AM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Bunk
>
>
>   
>> Rob,
>>
>> I didn't know that was possible.  Elton taught me to position the
>> trailer with roughly a foot of the leading edge of the bunks out of
>> water.  On my boat ramp that always forces the keel into the slot.  I go
>> in with the board down, or at least part way down, and the trailer
>> forces the board back up as it aligns the keel in the slot.  The leading
>> edge of the bunks lifts the bow out of the water before it can hit the
>>     
> stop.
>   
>> It works for me.
>>
>> Bill Effros
>>
>> Rob Lowe wrote:
>>     
>>> Lou,
>>> Thanks for asking the question, I have the same problem.  Somehow when
>>>       
> we
>   
>>> were pulling the boat last fall it got off to one side just a bit.  When
>>>       
> I
>   
>>> started to pull the trailer and boat out of the water, the boat lurched
>>>       
> to
>   
>>> one side.  I backed into the water and we reset the boat on the trailer
>>>       
> and
>   
>>> pulled it out, but noticed the bunk was cracked.  Seemed the keel had
>>>       
> come
>   
>>> to rest on top of the bunk and broke it when I tried to pull the trailer
>>> out.  Probably got the trailer too deep into the water and the keel
>>>       
> floated
>   
>>> up over the guides.  The boat has been sitting on the broken bunk just
>>>       
> fine
>   
>>> all winter, but I need to replace the bunk once I float the boat. - rob
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Lou Rosenberg" <lsr3 at MAIL.nyu.edu>
>>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 4:40 PM
>>> Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Bunk
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>>   I have a serious question about ,, well, bunk.
>>>>
>>>>   My trailer has 2 bunks and one is broken.  I need to  cut new wood
>>>> and resurface the bunks and was wondering what type of  bunk cover
>>>> anyone might recommend??
>>>>   velour is out of the question and terry cloth is too light.
>>>>    and that ebay boat has PROJECT written all over it. But its
>>>> probably in better shape than mine so I'll be quiet now.
>>>>   safe sailin to those in warmer climes..
>>>>   Lou
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> __________________________________________________
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>>     
>
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>
>   


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