[Rhodes22-list] Long details re: a trailering experience

Claude Cox ccc974 at comcast.net
Mon May 4 08:01:47 EDT 2009


Thanks everyone who responded to my post.  I did manage to find me way into 
the archives, and the pertinent posts I read confirmed what all of you have 
said about getting the boat far enough forward on the trailer.  I am 
puzzled, though.  I did not have the fish-tailing problem when I last pulled 
the boat and towed it 50 miles, and a smooth tow at 60 mph.  The boat was 
positioned on the trailer using the port-over-the-wheel reference.  I'm 
guessing that I had a poor load distribution this time.  I don't remember 
what I had stowed in the cabin before, but probably less than this time. 
Thanks, again, all.

Claude
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Culp" <dculp at hsbtx.com>
To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2009 2:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Long details re: a trailering experience


> Claude:
>
> My first trailering experience was with a Ford Explorer also and I faced 
> the
> same issues as you.  I don't know about a "sweet spot" but I learned that
> you must move the bow stop all the way forward before putting the trailer 
> in
> the water to retrieve the boat.  You then make sure that the boat bow is
> winched all the way to the stop before pulling the boat out of the water.
> Once out, you will notice that the bow is no longer against the stop and
> now you must move the bow stop back to the bow.  The boat is in the proper
> position when I do it this way and I never had any further problems in the
> Explorer or my Frontier truck now.  I never go any distance with the motor
> or rudder attached and that helps too.
>
> David
>
>
> Date: Sat, 02 May 2009 21:23:35 -0400
> From: Mary Lou Troy <mtroy at atlanticbb.net>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Long details re: a trailering experience
> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Message-ID: <A1.45.32096.012FCF94 at BL-206>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> Re the sweet spot. We marked the moveable metal arm to which the bow
> stop is a attached with a painted line that indicated when the boat
> was properly on the trailer. With the boat properly positioned, we
> could move the bow stop up against the bow and the line would line up
> with the support for the bow stop arm. Not that we seem to trailer
> much any more.
>
> Mary Lou
> 1991 R22  Fretless
> Rock Hall, MD
>
>
> At 09:08 PM 5/2/2009, you wrote:
>>Claude,
>>
>>It is amazing how fast you can travel with your boat and trailer if
>>the tongue weight is just right.  The position of the boat on the
>>trailer affects tongue weight.  The further forward the boat sits on
>>the tongue trailer, the more tongue weight you have, the
>>less  fishtailing you would get.  The further back the boat sits on
>>the trailer, the less tongue you have and the fishtailing begins at
>>slower speeds, and gets worse as you accelerate.
>>
>>Mark the position of your boat as it sits on the trailer, and when
>>hauling it out of the water next time, ensure that it sits about 6
>>to 12 inches further forward and your fishtailing will be reduced,
>>if not eliminated.  I understand that a 10% of the weight you are
>>hauling should be tongue weight ball park figure.  There are those
>>on the list who can give you more precise information.  Bottom line:
>>if you are fishtailing your tongue weight is too light, and moving
>>the boat forward will increase tongue weight and decrease fishtailing.
>>
>>When you find the "sweet spot" please tell us.
>>
>>Caesar
>>
>>--- On Sat, 5/2/09, Claude Cox <ccc974 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>From: Claude Cox <ccc974 at comcast.net>
>>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Long details re: a trailering experience
>>To: "Rhodes22 list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009, 2:18 PM
>>
>>
>>Rummy (and anyone else who wants to respond);
>>
>>I pulled celtic Lass to L. Lanier a couple of days ago, in
>>preparation for a re-launch.  The trip was unforgetable, for all the
>>wrong reasons.  Trouble began at anything over 45 mph
>>--fish-tailing mainly.  I had the OB in the back of the tow vehicle
>>(Ford Explorer), and after several scary miles, I stopped and
>>mounted it on the back of the boat.  I thought that would solve the
>>problem, as the tow vehicle was sitting level.  NOT!  Still had to
>>stay at 45.  The harriest moment was when the boat began to fish
>>tail, and was on the verge of going out of control.  I managed to
>>slow down enough to correct the problem, and had no more scarry
>>moments.  The friend with me, and I held our collective breaths
>>until we   stopped at West Marine to get an item.  Before we left WM
>>we stood around discussing the situation.  Standing at the stern, we
>>were talking and looking at the rudder.  Then it hit me.  The rudder
>>was cocked to stbd, allowing several inches of it to extend beyond
>>the boat.  I  thought I knew what the problem was.  With the rudder
>>hanging out, it was catching the wind, and insisted on tacking the
>>boat to stbd,
>>  causing the fish-tailing.  Comments.......
>>
>>Claude
>>
>>s/v celtic Lass, 1986 R22, Lake Lanier, GA
>>
>>Life is too short to own an ugly boat.
>>
>>
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