Hooked hull?

[bonito1]

Hi. I have a fiberglass tri-hull 16' boat. It has developed a "hook" beneath the plane line on the bottom from where it sets on the trailer roller. I was told that this is probably because my trailer is too short. The boat does extend about a foot from the last set of rollers off the back of the trailer.

Couple of questions:

1- Does the trailer sound too short?
2-How could I go about resolving this problem?
3-Can I possibly extend the length of the trailer or somehow relieve the pressure in that area?
4-How can I, if possible, repair the hook while it is on the trailer?



Thanks!!

 

[HappierWet]

Re: Hooked hull?

Post some pictures of what you have. Somebody on here can probably help out.
Also, what is the crrent tongue weight, and how much room exists in front of the winch tower.

fwiw....just rearranging the weight probably won't fix the "hook"

 

[JimS123]

Re: Hooked hull?

Its hard to tell without seeing it whether the trailer is right or not. One thing for sure...the person that set it up on the trailer did a poor job.

As previously stated, see if the boat can be moved forward. If the tongue is too short to do that, contact the manufacturer to see if they offer a longer tongue piece. Many companies use the same "body" for different lengths, just use a different size tongue.

As far as repairing it, probably more trouble than its worth. The boat would need to be off the trailer and preferably upside down so that the hull can be faired out with fibeglass.

A hook usualy causes porposing. If you just slow down a bit maybe the boat is still usable. But definately set it up on the trailer properly. That won't make the hook go away, but at least it won't get any worse.

 

[bonito1]

Re: Hooked hull?

Hi. I have attached a couple pics here of the hook. I will look into extending the tongue but I have no idea of the tongue weight.

I had the boat out last year and it seemed to perform just fine. It planed out nice and rode real fast and smooth. However, the steering was atrocious. It was a real work out just to turn the wheel. Think the hook is my problem?

Thanks

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Hooked hull?

Ideally the rearmost rollers should be as close to the transom as possible; definitely within 2 inches.
Also, it looks like the roller in your picture is directly under a chine. This puts a lot of weight (and stress) on a very small area. You should move the rollers left or right so they contact a smooth part of the hull. The rollers should also be positioned under the stringers of your hull (if you can determine where the stringers are).

 

[GXL205 Deke]

Re: Hooked hull?

OUCH! Is that boat on correctly? or are the rollers positioned incorrectly? Or is it the right trailer? Either way ouch.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Hooked hull?

Houston we have a problem

Your hull is cracked by the roller. How old is the boat?

I think I will move this to restoration and you need to do some investigation. That damage could extend to the inside and you may have a real structural problem.

The very FIRST thing you need to do before you start investigating is to cut some plywood at least 1' wide..... jack up the boat and get it between the roller and the boat to prevent further damage.

Responding to you question.... no a hook will not hurt steering.

 

[bonito1]

Re: Hooked hull?

Yikes! Okay. I am going out now to jack up the boat and put in the plywood. Any idea how I can tell if the crack extends to the inside? I've been planning on restoring the boat. Think I should buy a new one? (used) My motor, 115 Johnson is good.

This may be the wrong trailer. The trailer I bought the boat on had no lights. I had this one for a different boat and since they were both the same length, I thought it would work.

How can I move the rollers to the left or right?

 

[redfury]

Re: Hooked hull?

there should be "U" bolts that hold the rollers to the assembly that rotates on the trailer...you loosen them up and move them accordingly.

Not every trailer is designed for every boat if it's the same length. Hull types vary enough that you need to make sure that the boat is properly supported to avoid the problem you are looking at.

It's very possible for you to find a different hull w/o a motor and do a swap and get rid of that hull...chances are you would have a hard time repairing that hull properly without going at it from the inside of the boat ( beneath the floor...which could easily go from a "fix" to a full blown restoration in a matter of minutes ).

Best piece of advice I can give any novice boater that comes here for advice? READ THE CRAP OUT OF THE RESTORATION FORUMS. You'll gain so much knowledge in a few short hours that you will have so much more confidence when you do go back to your boat or out to find another, it's completely worth the education/time.

 

[bonito1]

Re: Hooked hull?

Okay. I jacked up the boat and inserted the plywood. Pressure was relieved right away. Unfortunately, I believe there is now more pressure in other areas. Here are a few more pics with the boat off the roller so you can see the area directly under the roller by the hook and crack.

Fixable? The floor of the boat is fiberglass so it will not be easy to inspect from the inside. If I jack up again (kind of precarious) I may be able to adjust the rollers so they are not right on a chine. I will not attempt that though unless I have a chance of a relatively easy and successful repair.

Thanks Again!

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Hooked hull?

WOW, it looks like you have more problems then the trailer. Is that a crack I see running down the boat? I will check back later wifey is yelling time for our Sunday Dinner with the family

 

[roozter2550]

Re: Hooked hull?

Scrap that hull and find another.

 

[cedarjunki]

Re: Hooked hull?

Scrap that hull and find another.

i agree! i wouldnt even consider putting that back in the water....might actually be cheaper and alot easier to find a descent hull without motor..

 

[jonesg]

Re: Hooked hull?

It looks like the stringers are finished the way the hull is distorted, I would agree with the others, unless you're interested in restoration its probably all done by the looks of that crack, not a bad job really but if you don't like resto jobs.... junk it.

 

[oops!]

Re: Hooked hull?

It looks like the stringers are finished the way the hull is distorted, I would agree with the others, unless you're interested in restoration its probably all done by the looks of that crack, not a bad job really but if you don't like resto jobs.... junk it.

yes it can be fixed. however i totally agree with the above post......

how much work are you willing to do....

you are looking at a minimum (on a good day) of 16-25 hrs just to fix that little problem...never mind the stringers that are shot.

 

[osborn159]

Re: Hooked hull?

if you dont have a sentimental attachment to this boat, i hear a ride to the dump and a d9 in its future if it where mine.
if you do go that direction dont forget to salvage all the hardware and other useful items you may need in the future
sorry bout your misfortune, hope its not to painful, D