Getting it off the trailer....

[madhatter30]

How can i get this off the trailer without damaging it? I have no access to any tracters or such to lift it. And I will be setting it in cradles built to roll it over.

 

[KnottyBuoyz]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

Not as hard as you'd think.

Get her lined up where you want to work it. Block up the back end with jack stands, ties, tires etc. just enough to take the weight off the trailer. Hook back up to car/truck and drive the trailer out from under it. Have someone blocking the keel as you go (slowly I might add). Once you have it off the trailer build your cradles around it.

She's probably not that heavy or won't be after you get everything off of it like the outboard, batteries, gastank etc. Put a few tires around the perimiter so that in the unlikely event it does go over you won't hurt it (or yourself or somebody else) too badly.

Only think you have to be wary of is if there's no roller for the keel on the trailer. You don't want to drag the keel over the frame of the trailer. A 2x4 covered with some old carpet can be laid across the frames of the trailer to allow it to slide off.

Sounds trickier than it is. We did it with our 25 footer last year (over 5000lbs).

 

[burroak]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

If you have a Northern Tools store near you, they get lots of Styrofoam blocks 12"X12"X12" that are used in the shipment of their utility trailers. In my area they are free. They are excellent for ground storing a boat. In the picture, it looks as if the transom extends beyond the bunks. That should make it a piece of cake to lift and support the stern. There are any number of ways to lift the bow and extract the trailer.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

Putting them on the blocks from northern is the way to go. In my area they are about 12 by 12 by 24, but they are still free. We have two boats on them right now, and at one point or another, they were all on there. If you can, shove the boat back a few feet, put a block under, and start rolling forward, putting blocks under as you go. Use the winch, and back it off as you go, or otherwise, the boat will roll off the back, and knock your blocks down.

 

[redfury]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

What I did was find a tree nearby where I was going to put the boat and tie the ski eyes off to the tree to hold it in place as I pulled the trailer forward and put supports underneath it.

When I put the boat back on the trailer, I just rolled the trailer back to the boat, then hooked the winch to the eye and started cranking ( not hooked to a vehicle ). When the boat gets to the point where it reaches its fulcrum, then you get your tow vehicle and push the tongue down and onto your hitch and then crank the rest of the way back on.

It is really easier than you would think it would be once you start getting at it.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

What I usually do it to lower the tongue of the trailer down all the way to the ground, then I place two jack stands or blocks with wood to protect the hull under the rear corners under the flat area of the stern. I then raise the tongue up till the rear of the boat is supported on the stands.

I then take a 4x4 or long steel beam, (depending on how heavy the boat is, and remember that the bow is usually lighter than the stern anyhow), and I place it across the trailer up as close to the bow as I can get and still be on a level plane so that it won't slide off, then I jack and support each side till it clears the trailer and fenders and roll the trailer out from under the boat. The beam or 4x4 does need to be at least wider then the trailer and long enough to allow room to support it far enough out on each end to clear the trailer.
I have a few bow support beams made up with permanent V blocks attached to cradle the bow area. It makes a trailer swap a real snap. I use bottle jacks not a floor jack so as to lift each end of the beam perfectly vertical. If the boat is to be stored that way for a while, I often replace the beam with a single stand just to save space. If you have two bottle jacks it saves some time. I have an air/hydraulic rigging jack that operates with a foot pedal and runs both jacks up at the same time so the bow is raised evenly. The same can be achieved with a single jack by just blocking and jacking till enough height is reached.

Another way to do it is with a gantry crane to lift the bow, or the whole boat if you so happen to have one. I use one for smaller boats, on the small aluminum boats I can sling and lift the whole boat with two chain lifts with a belly strap sling under the boat.

 

[madhatter30]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

Thanks everyone, I think I'm going to take the best of all your suggestions and lower the front, block the stern, then jack the front all the way up and block the bow with a beam across the trailer, under the bow and return the trailer to normal. boat should now be suspended to pull the trailer out and set my cradles.... No sliding...

See any flaws? Let me know.

Again, Thanks....

 

[madhatter30]

Re: Getting it off the trailer....

Oh... just saw one.... Going to take the guides off too.... man I hope I get this right.....

thanks again