Trailer roller alignment

[Solent Ribman]

I believe our trailer rollers are not quite aligned or positioned correctly - when we recover her, the bow lines up with the snubber, but after a short journey she lays to port. Also, some rollers are on the chines. Any suggestions on how to check and advice on their correct positioning.

[Sonar]

Originally Posted by Solent Ribman

I believe our trailer rollers are not quite aligned or positioned correctly - when we recover her, the bow lines up with the snubber, but after a short journey she lays to port. Also, some rollers are on the chines. Any suggestions on how to check and advice on their correct positioning.

You may have to do the same as me and place the boat and trailer on level ground and start pushing and pulling the rollers about till they all touch and the boat will not rock then tighten them all up in the new positions.

Pushing the boat backwards and forwards while adjusting them.
making sure both sides are in the same position on the vessels hull.

Mess about with them for a few hours and you should be o.k.

[chewy]

Not sure I'm missing something but won't raising the rollers on the port side sure this?

[Cypman]

Measure the location and height of each roller, you may find that the left and right sides are different!! Then adjust them to avoid chines etc, invariably the wider apart you get the rollers on each side of the boat the better will be retrieval, but be careful, as you widen the rollers the boat will sit lower so make sure the keel does not hit the trailer sharp metal bits.

[9D280]

The bad news is that it;s a case of trial & error. Unless you have a friend with a set of slings & a crane.

Took me nearly 3 months of launch es & recoveries before I got mine properly fine tuned......

As said, the shift would hint they're on the P.

[Solent Ribman]

After my son and I studied the problems yesterday, we decided the first [easiest] option was to move the two front sets inwards to line up with the rear sets. So, with sleet falling, we positioned two hydraulic jacks just in front of the forward rollers, put a wooden beam between the two, chocked the wheels, allowed some slack on the winch, gently raised the bow and made the adjustment. Certainly the bow now sits better, but we notice the very forward port roller isn't actually touching! Going to see how this settles and works. My thoughts are we probably need to move the rear rollers apart, but this will cause the bow to point up more, unless we move the bow rollers apart again.

[9D280]

You might be surprised how much they settle - When I was height adjusting mine I worked it so that I positioned them approximately, jacked the boat up about 1/2", then jacked the rollers up to the hull (simple "bit of wood" lever with Mrs 9d standing on the end) and when I dropped the boat onto the rollers, that took the slack up nicely.

Is the bow poijting in the air a huge issue? Mine does slighly, so I have a secondary wire in case the winch strap breaks to stop it rolling off backwards, although the stern straps' anchor point on the trailer is forward of the transom, so probably not a huge issue.......Granted it might look a bit strange.

[Solent Ribman]

Just to let folk know, we launched successfully this weekend at an unfamiliar slipway [teenagers sailing away] and although I have to say I was slightly apprehensive at the thought of the recovery, the trailer was eased into the water by my good wife and despite sideways wind and tide acting on the rib, dropped on first time, squarely and on all rollers and no hint of the bow wanting to move in either direction.