double rollers are good, and in some ways better, eliminating the chance for blistering. I wish I had that picture of the the crushed hull (over single roller) caused by driving over railroad tracks at speed. . . .
it also happens when an over zealous owner over tightens a ratcheting tie down strap.
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Philip
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Posted: Dec 07, 2009 - 04:58 PM
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Posted: Dec 07, 2009 - 05:00 PM
I like the dual rollers on the back and cradles on the front of the trailer. I don't have that setup, but my brother does, and it makes getting the boat on and off easy and protects the hulls better then my single roller front and rear. On my H18 I use two straps in the front (one around each hull) and one at the rear going across both hulls and the tramp. Then a rope holding the mast to the front mast cradle and an old cradle sitting on the rear cross bar of the boat holding the back of the mast, with it tied down with a rope.
I personally have not seen someone use more then 4 straps to hold the boat to the trailer, but more can't hurt as long as you don't mind putting them all on and taking them back off.
My personal thought is when you have each corner tied down independent of the other, if one strap fails nothing will happen, if two fail you might have a problem but not likely. If more then that fail it was destiny and you needed a new boat.
I will also check the trailer when I stop for gas.
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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
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Posted: Dec 07, 2009 - 06:12 PM
Me thinks the quality of our roads up here might leave a bit to be desired compared to yours. :) Truthfully our highways are garbage especialy in Western Canada. We have about 10 times the number of miles per person our here compared to the States and the lack of maintenance shows.
Early this year I saw a trailer at the side of road on the way to the lake. Didn`t think much of it, about 100 m down the road I noticed a boat attached to a truck, no trailer. Apparently the welds attaching the front of the trailer (with the winch attached) broke and the rest fo the trailer just rolled out from underneath into the ditch. I wonder how long it took the guy to realize that he was dragging a boat on the asphault. Would actually pay money to have a picture of his expression.
D.
edited by: Wolfman, Dec 07, 2009 - 05:16 PM
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Dec 07, 2009 - 08:56 PM
As a Canadian expat I can agree with that. Even the roads in Ottawa were terrible, but nothing compared to Hwy 3 (Yellowknife Hwy). I drove it in the early 90s and don't understand how they consider a gravel road a highway. -
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Posted: Dec 08, 2009 - 08:39 AM
I know Hobie Fleet 2 in California usually has an annual trailer repair get together before the sailing season starts. People from the fleet get together and help each other patch trailers back together. Weld supports where needed, rework trailer lights, etc. Here we all talk a lot about boat maintenance but rarely do we talk about trailers other then bearings and lights. Especially for you salt water guys with steel trailers.
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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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Posted: Dec 08, 2009 - 10:34 AM
Reading all this talk about trailers and maintenance made me go out and check on my trailer, am getting ready to haul cat down to Myrtle Beach, SC, some 1100 miles, and have had checking the wheel bearings on my check-list.
So I jack the trailer up on jack-stands, spin the right hand wheel, feels and sounds good, spin the left side wheel......ominous grinding sound, bummers. Take off both wheels, drop the axle, whip off bearingbuddy covers, remove retainer clip, extract spring and plunger cap, knock off bearingbuddy cylinder, remove split-pin, remove spindle nut, take off hub and remove bearings, a 20 min job. Outer bearing gone but I'll replace all 4 bearings and keep the other 3 as spares. I'm off to get some new bearings from O'Reilley's and some grease, will repack new bearings in some new grease, all-in-all a 40 min job that will save me a lot of grief on the roadtrip.
If anyone wants, I can post a step-by-step pic procedure in Tech Help Gallery.
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Posted: Dec 08, 2009 - 12:22 PM
Sure turbo, i would love to have a step by step available for when my tires fall off and i need to inspect/replace my old bearings.
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Posted: Dec 08, 2009 - 01:24 PM
That would be great! We already know what happens when you don't do this job in time.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Dec 08, 2009 - 09:37 PM
Yep, on that long haul, the trailer was pretty much set up the way I wanted it - cradles up front and dbl rollers in rear. I did re-carpet the cradles and ended up carpeting the dbl. rollers after a bit of thought...dual purpose. A: obvious padding. B: no more black streaks loading / unloading.
Also, I only use 4 straps / rope to secure the cat to the trailer. 1 on the center rear beam, 1 on each bow, and 1 on the spinnaker pole just to keep it from wiggling.
I do like the sound of the lights though! Also, I have used extension cord type wire from Lowes / H.D., as trailer wire because it comes in a heavy duty sheath the resists chaffing and corrosion MUCH better than regular 4 flat trailer wire. It comes in bulk roll that you can buy by the foot. -
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Posted: Dec 08, 2009 - 10:38 PM
Wow Damon, was that a salt water boat trailer? OUCH! -
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 01:22 AM
Not really, I am the second owner of that trailer but I don't think Kenny backed it into salt water. Bearings can go any time.
I couldn't have been more lucky when that happened. I returned from a regatta on the Florida Gulf Coast to Memphis (about 500 miles), my sailing club is about 30 miles south of Memphis right on my way home, so about 1:00am I decided to drop the boat off at the club instead of towing it all the way home. Dropped the boat off in the dark and headed home.
The next weekend I was backing the boat down the concrete ramp to launch, when I noticed in my rear view mirror that the boat seemed to be wobbling side to side as it rolled.
The hub/bearings had completely come apart and the rim was riding directly on the spindle about to fall off the end.
I was so close to that wheel flying off at 75 mph in the dark on the Interstate. I wouldn't have even noticed it until the resulting fire got so bright it woke me up.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 09:51 AM
BTROUSE...your questions have mostly been answered, & you have done the important things. I will add a few points.
The weight of these rigs is quite small, even so, just make sure you have some tongue weight. The hitch ball is designed to mostly hold a compression & shearing force, the weakest part of the setup is under negative tongue weight, pulling upwards on the ball.
How ever you tie down, stop & check them after the first 20 miles, then again at ecah gas stop. The boat will "wiggle down" from its initial tie down. The amount may be negligible, or it might be lots, or a strap might fail. When I towed mine home, 1 herc strap was 2" above a safety line. Wind loads lifted the safety line enough to just touch the herc strap & it frayed in 1/2 after only 50 miles. The rule, check often, & feel the wheel hubs for heat as soon as you stop. I used 6 tir downs, 2 on each side, 2 across the top. The sides work like spring lines, one from stern of boat forwards, the other from front bar backwards. This prevents fore/aft movement. Preventing forward movement is critical, that is what the boat wants to do every time you touch the brakes, & you might have to panic brake at some point. Ties holding the boat down should not be cranked down, you will damage the hulls. The spring lines do all the work, the tie downs only hold the boat from bouncing up when you hit bumps.
I would slow down, from 100kph, to 90kph. (61mph to 55mph for our American friends)This will save gas & give you more reaction time. Of course drive more defensively than normal.
I was surprised at the air load. I towed with a V-6 van, & it kicked down a gear at even slight hills, & 2 gears on the tougher pulls. Gas consumption was noticeably increased.
When backing up be aware of those long hulls. If you get the car on enough of an angle you can contact the hulls with the car body. Also be aware of the arc the mast will travel when making a turn. If you make a sharp turn the mast will be 5' to the outside of the car, unlikely at highway speeds, but a consideration while manouvering.
Finally, these boats are wide, you will see the hulls well outside of your car. Keep the car tires on the "grooves" in the road & you're OK. If you were to drift the car to the centre line, or let the trailer move inside,(during a left hand curve) the hulls can easily be in the other lane. Combine that with the other guy drifting a bit towards your lane & it could really wreck your holiday.
A few notes on bearings. Fresh water can be just as damaging. The hub assembly heats up & expands the air inside, causing some of it to leak out. When you immerse the hub in relatively cooler water, the air contracts, creating a slightly lower pressure that results in water being drawn into the hub. This eventually spells disaster to the bearing, hence the failure of bearings with few miles on them.
Google "changing a bearing" just to get a visual on what to do. It is a simple job, but the first time will take much longer, you may need help, or just the right sized drift to push the races out if they are in bad shape.
Finally & MOST IMPORTANTLY, proper packing of the new bearing, or repacking the old after cleaning it thoroughly with solvent. Never spin a dry bearing with compressed air to dry it. It is not enough to just woipe grease every where, the grease must be "packed" into the two halves. To do this wear surgical gloves,(they are dirt cheap & make cleanup a snap) place a good gob of grease in the palm of one hand. Hold the bearing in the other using your fingers, as if you are trying to push the 2 halves apart. Try it, you will see the halves separate slightly. Now snap the bearing down into the EDGE of the gob of grease, this will drive grease up in between the halves, do it a couple of times...you will see grease extrude from the other side of the bearing. This is what is meant by "packing". Rotate the bearing in your hand & do the next spot...continue around the circumference. You will find the job much easier to do than to write how to do. Finally resist the temptation to fill every available space with grease, to much is not better. The engineers can explain why, but essentially most of the grease has to get out of the way as the rollers turn.
Most trailering SNAFUS are due to bearings and/or tires. Tires get weak after time/sun even with new looking tread. Those small tires also use quite a bit more pressure than your car tires. Sounds like you have been diligent, enjoy your trip, I'm jealous...no sailing here for the next 4 months.
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 09:56 AM
rpiper138
Off topic, but I also lived in the 'Knife, small world eh? Early in my career I worked as a bush pilot up there. Flew Turbo Beaver on skiis/floats/wheels, also lots of twin otter time. Flew the Yellow birds, for Ptarmigan. Great hunting & fishing. A couple of the guys were pretty good windsurfers, alas I was not one of them.
You are right, that road was the s$@#ts, though I only drove it twice. As of 2 years ago it has all been paved, & the really crappy section from Rae Edzo to the 'Knife realigned. There are quite a few avid sailors, but I do not recall ever seeing a cat on the water. Would you have been one of those guys who sailed the ice boats off Joliffe Is right after freeze up? I never tried it, but man were they fast.
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edited by: Edchris177, Dec 09, 2009 - 09:19 AM
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Hobie 18 Magnum
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Nacra 5.0
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 10:56 AM
Smart move with the spring lines. I just picked up a Solcat that came with a beautiful trailer...but the guy had a basic ($9) ratchet system that i immediately replaced with good webbing and a cam cleat. But I never though about forward and back movement. Do you attach your spring lines to the beams or to the hulls?
Nate
NW Ontario/Winnipeg
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 10:56 AM
Never sailed on the Slave, but did go for a swim once the ice broke. I also spent a good amount of time at the brewery near the plane dock on the way to old town and climbed the same chunk of rock that the top picture was taken from.
It is a great town. I heard that Sam Yurkiw (owner of The Range and Sam's Monkey Tree) died this year. I can't imagine Yellowknife ever being the same.
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 11:01 AM
Oh yeah...never did the iceboat thing in the Knife, but have been on them on the Bay of Quinte near Trenton Ontario (and a couple of other places). They are fast and relatively dangerous.
Ice conditions are better further north, but you don't have to go north of 60. The ice on one of the lakes near Kapuskasing used to be great when it wasn't snow covered.
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 01:23 PM
Sam did die, maybe the Strange Range will get cleaned for the first time in its life..hahha.
For a couple of seasons I kept my power boat tied up to that dock in front of the Brew Pub, very convienient. The "bar" in that place was the wing from an old steam beaver.
Natesmall:
I attached the spring lines to the fittings on the outside beam straps,(see pic). There was one of those fitting at each beam end on my NACRA 5.7
I couldn't wrap around the front beam as the tramp goes from edge to edge, & Jack told me not use the dolphin striker for any pulling/tying. Wrapping around the rear beam would have worked.
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edited by: Edchris177, Dec 09, 2009 - 12:24 PM -
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 01:42 PM
I believe that Beaver crashed on Frame Lake many years before.
BTW: get end caps for the beams before you sail. The aluminum edges will tear you apart. -
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Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 05:52 PM
Interesting, you do know that is a front beam extrusion in the picture, that is mounted as the rear beam?? Shouldn't hurt anything, just an observation. . .
edited by: mummp, Dec 09, 2009 - 06:13 PM
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Philip
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Posted: Dec 10, 2009 - 10:01 AM
I hope Nacra owners chime in here (as i could be wrong) BUT... i would be carefull about attaching your "Spring lines" to the beam /strap /bolts
if you ever hit the brakes hard... (or other) you could sheer the bolt/beam off the cat. those Nacra straps/bots are known to be problematic and i wouldn't want to end my season early becase a dog ran in front of my car while i was trailering my boat home.
I personally use 1 strap on each bow, and 1 on the rear beam. this basically prevents more than a fraction of play (fore and aft)...
just my 2 cents..
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