Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

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stratfordrapier
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Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by stratfordrapier »

Dear all

I am in the process of restoring an old Snipe trailer to put a 1960's very thin ply hulled boat on too (13 ft plus a 9.9hp outboard).

Now my dillema is the current trailer (came with the boat and is very homemade) has side buffers (made from foam and covered in vinyl ) that support the hull towards the stern and i am considering using side rollers on the new restored trailer.

Has anyone got any experience of hull damage from side rollers?

Should i remake some side buffers?

Are the four round plastic rollers better than the single rubber rollers?

Many thanks in advance.

A confuddled stratfordrapier!

se7en
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Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by se7en »

I like long side bunks, they spread the load better, I have seen boat bottoms ruined by poor fitting trailers. just my opinion

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Tremlett 15
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Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by Tremlett 15 »

se7en wrote:I like long side bunks, they spread the load better, I have seen boat bottoms ruined by poor fitting trailers. just my opinion

I would 2nd that............my trailers bunks are long & covered with good thick carpet.

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Rapier
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Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by Rapier »

Bunks my preference too, plenty of support needed. 60's trailers are rubbish. Have just removed my 14ft'er from it's orginal 60s 'Everyman' trailer with 2 hard rollers and a keel snubber. What a mess..indented ply and lack of support (60s trailers were designed for dinghies, so only support 1/2 to 2/3rds of the hull and rest hangs 2ins from the road) mean the splashwell, transom and hull needed work. Damn lucky there was no hook.
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Alacrity
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Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by Alacrity »

Bunks - long (4ft + x 4 - 6ins ish) pieces of wood covered in thick carpet are the only way to go with these old boats. The size depends on the hull & what you can fit on the trailer, but go as big as you can. Support is the byword here. Another no no is using ratchet straps & pulling them too tight to hold the boat to the trailer (personally I don't like to see them used but they are popular & fine if used with caution) manys the boat that has been damaged/holed that way - ask Rapier! If your trailer has a winch & permanent docking arms & fits correctly the boat cannot go anywhere anyway.
Mercs are like women, no 2 are exactly alike. That's what testing is about. In general it is safer to test motors and props than women!

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chriscraft
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Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by chriscraft »

Defo bunks, and dont winch on to trailer float on , cheers :drink:
that bloke up north !

stratfordrapier
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Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 5:30 pm

Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by stratfordrapier »

Thanks to all of you i now know what to do.

Bunks it is!

Regards

Tim

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Healey75
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Re: Trailer side rollers or vinyl buffers for a wooden hull?

Post by Healey75 »

Agree on everything said ...use bunks, but I suggest that they finish just past the transom (ie stick out a bit) so the support at the back is taken up thro the transom as well. Try to position them apart (across the boat) so they are under a longitudinal stringer as well if you can.
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