This year I got a new Triad trailer for my Typhoon, "Blue Diamond". It is a beautiful thing: its galvanized, it has stainless steel disk brakes, spare tire, rear jacks, 10' extension tongue.... Of course, it cost more than the boat, but I'll be saving on yard haul-out and storage fees, and I shall have the great pleasure of seeing her every day on my driveway through the winter.
On Saturday, I did my first launch. It took us three hours to set up and launch the boat, much to the annoyance of the power boaters using the ramp (but it's feels good to get your own back at them sometimes!). Once we had it figured out, it worked well. However, I was wondering if anybody has some good tips to share, specifically:
How do you keep the standing rigging secure without kinking the wire or bending the turnbuckle forks, and how do you prevent it turning into an unbelievable bird's nest?
With the tongue extended, we had a problem with the bottom of the tongue jack tube scraping on the ground as we backed down the ramp. Any suggestions to avoid that?
We had some difficulty sliding the boat over the rear screw-pads. Is it a good idea to slacken these off an inch or two before launching?
What is a sensible limit on how far you should back a car into the water? I am in fresh water, and it is a Jeep Cheroke.
Does anybody have a good set of check-lists for launching, retrieval, highway towing, etc?
rstephens@alexusa.com
Any good trailer tips?
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Chris
Re: Any good trailer tips?
Richard - I own a 1969 O'day mariner in addition to my CD330. I have enjoyed many wonderful experiences in launching her - plus some bad which I can share with you. Most of my launches have been solo so I had to be somewhat creative in my solutions. To keep the turnbuckles and cables from kinking as I step the mast I use 3' sections of old garden hose. I split the hose lengthwise with a slight twist to the seam. I then slip the hose over the turnbuckle and cable while the boat is on the trailer. The hose keeps the cable and turnbuckle inline as the mast is raised. Once the mast is up, the hose is easily removed from the standing rigging.
The question of how far to back your car INTO the water is an indication that something is not right. Your car should not go into the water. The tires should stop at the waters edge. If she does not float off with your tongue extender, then the ramp is not pitched sufficiently, or the tide is low. I have several ramps in my area which are only good for launching small rowboats or jetski.
When I launch at one of my local ramps I need to move the tongue jack closer to the boats bow. The angle from the parking area to the ramp is very abrupt and the jack tube hits, similar to what you described. By moving the jack closer to the boat, mine cleared the ramp lip. The closer position of the jack is stable enough for the unloaded trailer, however, once the boat is loaded (and back up the ramp) I need to move the jack closer to the tongue for optimal stability. In your situation you may need to remove the jack completely prior to launch.
Good luck with your trailering experiences.
The question of how far to back your car INTO the water is an indication that something is not right. Your car should not go into the water. The tires should stop at the waters edge. If she does not float off with your tongue extender, then the ramp is not pitched sufficiently, or the tide is low. I have several ramps in my area which are only good for launching small rowboats or jetski.
When I launch at one of my local ramps I need to move the tongue jack closer to the boats bow. The angle from the parking area to the ramp is very abrupt and the jack tube hits, similar to what you described. By moving the jack closer to the boat, mine cleared the ramp lip. The closer position of the jack is stable enough for the unloaded trailer, however, once the boat is loaded (and back up the ramp) I need to move the jack closer to the tongue for optimal stability. In your situation you may need to remove the jack completely prior to launch.
Good luck with your trailering experiences.
Richard Stephens wrote: This year I got a new Triad trailer for my Typhoon, "Blue Diamond". It is a beautiful thing: its galvanized, it has stainless steel disk brakes, spare tire, rear jacks, 10' extension tongue.... Of course, it cost more than the boat, but I'll be saving on yard haul-out and storage fees, and I shall have the great pleasure of seeing her every day on my driveway through the winter.
On Saturday, I did my first launch. It took us three hours to set up and launch the boat, much to the annoyance of the power boaters using the ramp (but it's feels good to get your own back at them sometimes!). Once we had it figured out, it worked well. However, I was wondering if anybody has some good tips to share, specifically:
How do you keep the standing rigging secure without kinking the wire or bending the turnbuckle forks, and how do you prevent it turning into an unbelievable bird's nest?
With the tongue extended, we had a problem with the bottom of the tongue jack tube scraping on the ground as we backed down the ramp. Any suggestions to avoid that?
We had some difficulty sliding the boat over the rear screw-pads. Is it a good idea to slacken these off an inch or two before launching?
What is a sensible limit on how far you should back a car into the water? I am in fresh water, and it is a Jeep Cheroke.
Does anybody have a good set of check-lists for launching, retrieval, highway towing, etc?
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Guy Senter
Re: Any good trailer tips?
Rich:
On the bird's nest I would suggest using velcro ty-strips, available at your local home improvement electrical department. They have hooks on one side and loops on the other. They come in different colors, so you can group the wires as you go.
Guy
guynapex@att.net
On the bird's nest I would suggest using velcro ty-strips, available at your local home improvement electrical department. They have hooks on one side and loops on the other. They come in different colors, so you can group the wires as you go.
Guy
guynapex@att.net