Taking the boat off to restore the trailer.

[Ianlinares]

Is there a simple way to lift your boat off the trailer temporally, without putting it in the water so I can work on restoring the trailer? Perhaps ratchet strap it up off the trailer with some stands on either side? Inching it off with blocks seems a bit scary.

 

[alldodge]

What ya working on

 

[Ianlinares]

I'll put some pics up tonight. I have a 19' 1987 Sea Ray Seville I/0 4.3l V6. The trailer is a single axle.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I jacked mine up, put it on stands and pulled the trailer out from under it. (It required repositioning the jackstands a couple of times, of course, to get the trailer out.)

Worked fine, was very stable. I've seen it recommended to pull the trailer out from under the boat by chaining the boat to some immovable object (like a tree) and then letting the boat rest on some old tires, but that approach made me nervous. I also worried about winching the boat back on the trailer; mine is hard to move once it's on the trailer, so winching all the way on the trailer seemed like it might be difficult.

I built a v-shaped support for the bow of the boat and had two jackstands (topped by blocks of wood) at the stern. The boat sat in my driveway for several weeks that way while I rehabbed the trailer.

 

[mickyryan]

I did it by using 4x4 and wedges jacking the boat up sliding them in place tacking wedges in to support on chines then pulling trailer out I would space out 4 4x4 for that amount of boat and make sure you have good solid support to ground from 4x4 either doing good jack stands or building stands.then when finished you can pull the trailer under it and reverse procedure

 

[Ianlinares]

Either of you have pics of the stands and the wood you used?

 

[gm280]

I've seen both tires for the boat to rest on and foam blocks. Either way is a good solid way to keep the boat low to the ground while redoing the trailer. Then when the trailer is ready again, you winch AND back the trailer under the boat. You don't simple winch the boat on. You also back the trailer under as you winch. Works for lots of folks. JMHO

 

[harleyman1975]

hang it from the rafters of the garage!

 

[Flukinicehole]

I will tell you what I have done in the past and it was very easy to do. Lower the tongue jack as far as it will go and take a measurement at the back of the boat where you want to support it. Then raise the trailer jack as high as it will go and take another measurement. This will give you an idea of how much lift you get from your tongue jack. Now you know how high you have to make your supports. Lower the jack again to begin. I have used cinder blocks and put a 2x6 on top to protect the hull, you might need 2-3 to get the height right. Lay the cinder blocks on their side as they take more weight this way and slide them under the boat on both sides. Then simple raise the tongue jack until the boat is resting on the blocks. Once it is then just put a piece of 2x6 on top of your jack and put it under the front and jack it up until the trailer is free. You will have to rest the boat on blocks under the front to re position the jack a few times but it is very easy. Some do not like to use cinder blocks as they make crack. I agree they are not the best but I have used them to take my older 5000 lb. 24ft. walk around off of its trailer more then once and they worked just fine. I currently have to remove my boat from its trailer and welded up a couple of stands this time simply because scrap metal is free at work and I do not have enough cinder blocks.

 

[Ianlinares]

Seems like jacking up on stands will be my best option. Thanks guys

 

[alldodge]

Would still like to see how much room you have to work with, but without that.

Drop the tongue down as Flunk said and see if you can place some stands under the rear, and jack up some if you can. Then raise the tongue full up. Make an A-frame across the bow above it using a 4x6 on edge or two 2x6 on edge. Get two ratchet straps and attach to the bow eye. Place a 2x4 between the two straps on top the boat to be used as a spreader bar. Now ratchet the straps up evenly. Once trailer is out of the way put blocks under the center of the keel