Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

[pxlxr]

I'm going to replace the floor and do some other repairs to the 'chief, but my axle is too wide for the garage. I've seen some folks on here rig up dollies for SC hulls, and I'm wondering if this would be safe to do with the motor still in, or if the weight of the motor will compromise the hull? Rain is in full swing here, and I know the only way I'll work on it will be in the garage.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Sure, you'll be fine, just support it well.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Sure, you'll be fine, just support it well.

Oh yaaaa listen to Jas on this..Dont need any small craft warnings in your driveway

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Oh yaaaa listen to Jas on this..Dont need any small craft warnings in your driveway

Ooooohh, Jimmy punch. look over Jasoutsides Islander thread for an explanation to this. It's near the beginning.

 

[pxlxr]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Just saw Jas' experience with this. Thanks for guinea pigging, buddy! I'm experiencing a serious lack of stout oaks at the moment. Maybe I can bridle off two wall studs on the back wall of my garage. I'm sure the landlord won't mind...

I've seen some cool dolly rigs for this. I'm thinking cheapest/easiest would be a dolly with some sandbags strapped to it. Anybody care to post some Ideas?

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Just don't tear the house down man! Landlords frown on such things.

In the end I had furniture movers with spare tires on top and foam on top of the tires, just to protect the hull a little. Having that Islander on rollers was really awesome. I could easily push the boat around the garage to access/clean all the sides and under it. Really made my life a lot easier.

Have fun!

EDIT: I just noticed that cat sitting on your rig there ^^^^. I think some 80 grit sandpaper and acetone should clean that right off. If it's real stubborn just grab the wire wheel or a sawzall, should do the trick

 

[pxlxr]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Yeah, that's First Mate Scotchy. She LOVES hanging on the 'chief. The Admiral thinks (based on the First Mate's proclivity for tuna) she should come out fishing with us. I'm a bit less optimistic of the logistics of such an operation. I do confess a willingness to see First Mate in a tri-cornered hat, however, and arrangements are being made.

Lucky for me, I work in event production and know some kick-@$$ riggers wiling to help wrangle the chief into the car-hole. That way I can point at professionals when it all goes pear-shaped.

 

[MichaelP]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Mine worked pretty sweet but yours would have to be much stronger. I'd make the bunks longer and get some support under the transom.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

If the tires are the only thing won't go in, grab a chain saw. Super glue will hold the wall back together. Getting it on and off the trailers is the trick here. I haven't found a way I'm comfortable doing. If you have access to a smaller trailer for awhile, you might thing of putting it on it to get it in. Be easier than building something, and a flatbed with tires or wood blocks is all you need for that.
What part of Portland ya from. I got friends there, and my daughter went to school at Pacific in Forrest Grove. KellyC is from St Helens, Puget's from Mt Vernon in Wa, and Elkhunter is from just south a ways, I'm thinkin he said Coos Bay but not certain, plus we have 4 or 5 more I can't think of off the top of my hat. Getting quite a few from the area here.

 

[pxlxr]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Chainsaw, hmmmmm.

I'm in northeast Portland proper, about a half hour from Kelly C. You guys don't know how good you have it in the midwest. SC's are soooo much cheaper, and affordable donor glassers seem to fall like rain. I've been scouring CL for months hoping for a 3.0L upgrade to no avail. Oh well, at least I can still feel my fingers when I work outside, as opposed to you Michiganers.

Thinking maybe linking four furniture dollies together with some steel angle stock. Dollies are on sale (8$ at Harbor Freight). Still thinking sandbags for bunks.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Not sure furniture dollies would be stout enough. How much does your boat weigh. Mine's 2250 according to starcraft 21 1/2 ft holliday machIV with 165hp, only I have a 350 in mine. Portland has a real mild climate. Try going about 350 miles northeast. I'm about 70 miles north of Spokane, and our highs are mid 20's, and lows in the teens now. My Dad and brother used to go visit my Uncle and dip smelt out of the big Sandy. They'd go for a weekend and come back with a 55 gal barrel mostly full. I always had to work when they did that, always wanted to go. Oh well, they don't do that anymore now either I guess. My daughter told me it was too polluted now to even go in. And keep looking on CL for you engine, check some towns nearby to, like tri cities. If you can find a used boat with a good engine in it, there would also be a lot of other good parts.

 

[pxlxr]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

I think mine weighs 1600 with motor. The dollies are rated for 1000lbs, so I figure a load spread across four should work (though I know the rear would bear the most).

Yeah, we get much warmer temps than you do. But I'd take some of your sunshine in trade for some of our mild, mildewy grayness!

Unfortunately dipping smelt is a nono anymore, unless you belong to one of the local tribes.

And the Sandy River, while not as pristine as she once was, is still a beautiful waterway that neither I nor thousands of others hesitate to swim in. The Willamette, not so much.

I use a craigslist aggregator called crazedlist that lets you search multiple cities at once. I search the west coast including idaho all the way down to reno usually.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

Yah, furniture movers will hold the weight fine. Those movers from HF are priced right but the wheels/bearings are junk. They don't spin/roll very well compared to the ones you'd find at one of the big box stores. Course they are twice as much too though.

Here in MI, if yur gettin cold, work harder

Or, put a hat on

 

[barato2]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

i have my FIAT X1/9 (abt 2000#) mounted on a set of jackstands and then supported with the HF piano dollies....;.been working great for 5+ years now and lets me move it around while it's still 30" off the floor (yes, the whole assy is tied together.) the dollies work fine but sometimes have to have the wheels manually aligned to the correct direction to get em started rolling, and surface must be clean and smooth or they'll stop dead.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starchief off trailer onto dollies with motor still in?

I was wrong, that's never happened before. I figured it would be too heavy in the rear for them.