Hi Folks,
Some of you know I'm working on a tilt trailer for Tornado. It will consist of a pair of hull cradles to support the lower side only, and a winch post to hoist the other side up at the forebeam/hull intersection point. The beam winches up and abutts to a shaped wooden chock mounted near the top of the post...where it will remain suspended during transit. No further supports will be needed.
There have been some delays but things are starting to come together. Here is a post I made today in the TornadoCats forum on Yahoo:
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Been some time since I last posted on this. Several factors have delayed things (one was waiting for the spring thaw back in the Great White North!). Anyway, lots of recent progress has been made. Dad built a prototype out of 2x4 lumber to check that his 2D drawings worked in 3D on a real tornado. He reports the tilt system works extremely well, easy as pie to lift the boat, and solid as a rock once the forebeam abutts to the top of the winch post.
I have just completed ordering of all the ancillary trailer
components (LED lights, 8" tires on galvanized wheels, coupler, jack, fenders all from East Marine ~$300 shipped), a #9 Torflex axle with 4 bolt pattern hubs & EZ Lube bearings (2000lbs rating; no springs to rust! from TJ Trailers for
$200 shipped) and aluminum T6061 alloy from a local supplier (Coast Aluminum for $450 shipped) for the frame.
I spent this weekend building the hull cradles (2, each of 9 layers of 1 1/2 oz glass mat). Note that different vintage/manufacture of boats will need cradles made to the specific hull, as dimensions varied considerably.
The Torflex axle was not in stock so the dealer will order from the factory...and it won't arrive for 3-4 weeks. So, earliest assembly start date will be week of the 19th. Dad will arrange for a visit to help with the first build once all the components are in. He will be bringing the additional bracketing that he has made for bolting the whole thing together.
He is also willing to make up additional components and we can provide instructions/assembly photos to others wanting to build a trailer. We have not discussed pricing for this yet, but it will be reasonable.
So far, with all the parts I've purchased, I'm in nearly $1k...I could have saved a few hundred by doing more shopping around on the components, going with lesser quality stuff (LED light kit was $60, side, end and front LED lights another $80 & Marine Grade jack was another $60...all of which could be bought for ~1/2 the price if
lesser quality). A standard leaf spring axle with hubs might have saved about $50, more if a deal could be found locally. The alloy frame sections had to be bought in 20' sections...plans call for 4, 14'x2"x3"x1/8" and 1, 14'x3"x3"x1/8"), so I'll have about $90 worth more than I will use in this first assembly. Will be handy to have
extra bits incase of mistakes and I figure I can sell remains to the next guy who needs to build one.
Mike.
USA 807 "Full Tilt"
How would you get it on the trailer?
Also, would it be possible to rig the boat while on the trailer?
Get it on the trailer? The usual way...just pull it on. I omitted to state in the first post that the hull without cradles will rest on swing out, padded arms when not tilted.
The trailer will serve as a launching platform when launch ramps are present (like at my harbor). It can also be quickly adapted to hold a dismantled boat if high winds and/or long drives are a concern. It will also be possible to carry two complete boats, one tilted and one dismantled below it.
To rig a completely dismantled boat, you can put the first hull (starboard) in the cradles, attach the beams, then place the port hull on the swing out arms, aligned with the beams, then bolt in. Raising the mast may pose some issues if you use a gin pole, particularly on some mast step designs where the hinge is placed so the mast must be rotated 90 degrees from centerline. Since the mast support post is on centerline of trailer and boat sits off this centerline when lowered, there may be a nasty twist/torque from the gin pole line to the mast forestay hound. There are solutions...just get a friend to help raise it the old fashioned way, or look at how the SuperCats do it with a gin pole stayed from the beach wheels under the bow with the boat off the trailer.
Mike.