Trailer Trouble

[peteb]

Hi DGR, this may be a possible solution, my boat goes on and off like silk with the numerous pneumatic tyres. The picture of the trailer on it's own is when I took delivery and before each roller was set to the shape of the boat, I need these as I have a stepped hull, but would be great for you.

See pics at top here :-
http://www.ribworld.com/forum/showth...hlight=trailer

Good luck with your solution

[Ezgoing]

DGR

Have you considered bring trailer and boat back to your supplier and getting them to sort it?

rgds

[Rogue Wave]

Hi Nock, you are more than welcome to come down either with or without your boat. I was up to my nuts (mine not the trailers) this Sunday pulling a boat out on the Slipway.

just to kep matters straight I wasn't actually taking the pss when i mentioned you and i do believe you do it that way it's just that I cant and I don't think it's possible with my boat/trailer combinations on that Sipway. If memory serves me well (which isn't it's normal performance!) our discussion was based on a statement made by you that anybody should be able to do it on any slipway or something like that anyway!

Believe me I would like nothing more than never to buy another set of trailer bearings!

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Believe me I would like nothing more than never to buy another set of trailer bearings!

MeToo, Where do we sign up for the course.

At hayling I have the trailer wheels completly submerged, back sets of rollers under the water, car back wheels at the waterline, yet still put all my weight behind the winch to drag it out of the water.

Nasher.

[Jono]

..not taking the piss...well not too much...have you thought of a better winch?

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Nasher

Where do we sign up for the course..

I believe that you need to speak to Dave Mallett... see the link I posted earlier

[Pete7]

Richard some questions, are you then recommending this method as a suitable alternative to getting the wheel drums wet?

is it something you regularly do with Blue Ice?

Could you pop down and demonstrate it for us with blue ice? I would like to see 1.5 tonnes of Scorpion resting on the back couple of feet of the trailer bow facing skywards, I could bring my camera.

The reason Dave and lots of others use that method at Knotts End is in addition to not getting the wheels wet launching small boats, the slipway is very shallow and narrow with a bend half way down, often under water and a very strong cross current which makes life interesting if you try to launch down the slip in the normal manner.

Pete

[Cookee]

Doesn't anyone drive their boat on and off the trailer? - Havn't winched a boat onto a trailer with a healthy engine for a very long time!

[Jono]

I drive mine on and off...but I'm in park'n launch and they do like to submerge the trailer right up to it's hitch To save bearings I prefer the more subtle "winch" approach with the trailer further out of the water. Tried it once under power and gave it a gentle nudge forward with the motor...Mmmm 250 gee gees ain't that gentle and I nearly mounted the tractor from behind...Ooo err missus....
I do prefer the "manual" method when feasible and I’m feeling robust, but as a naturally idle fecka can't generally resist the ease of drive on, so I'll live with the cost of changing the (incredibly expensive) bearings. We also remove the brakes at the beginning of the season to save them and grease up the drums.

[mstacey]

Originally Posted by Cookee

Doesn't anyone drive their boat on and off the trailer? -

Sure do drive it on the trailer when I can.

Have recovered once at Exmouth when there was no water on the slip.

For those that don't know the mamhead slip at exmouth comes to an end and vertical drop. Had to put the trailer wheels right on the blocks at the end of the slip then nudge the boat upto the rear most rollers, which were above water level then drive it up much like the Dave manning method described above. Very scarey the first time I did it and certainly would not want to try with the tide ripping.

[DGR]

I tend to drive the Blue Marlin on as well (in a marina - no rips or anything), although by the time the graunching noise started on saturday, it was too late.

I'm beginning to think that maybe the rollers are too loose and can flip over - and I should do them up tight in position while I've got the RIB on the trailer. Also, I don't think it's practical to get almost 2 tonnes of RIB out of the water without getting the bearings wet - I'll just make sure that I pack them with grease and service it regularly. When completely out of the water, on the flat, she's heavy enough that I can't move her backwards or forwards on the rollers. I have to winch her along and back again.

My biggest fear isn't scraping the transom as she comes off - but the outdrive leg. It hangs well below the transom bottom even when cranked up to the trailer position.

In future, I think I'm going to go for the innundation approach, and submerge the trailer and allow the water to take some of the weight of the boat as she comes up on to the rollers. At least that way the chines should ride up on the rollers rather than digging in and damaging the hull.

The trailer is the standard trailer supplied with the boat, so I suspect think it's mostly down to operator error and lack of experience.

D...

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Jono

and I nearly mounted the tractor from behind...Ooo err missus....
I

Those Exhaust can burn!

I actually do normally drive on but lately I've been winching on it's definitely kinder to the trailer. It also is a definite advatage if you are recovering on a rope cos the boat likes to push the trailer along the slipway

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Richard some questions, are you then recommending this method as a suitable alternative to getting the wheel drums wet?

No, I'm recommending that anyone considering launching in this manner looks at Dave's web site as a first step - hence posting the link. I posted it a second time as a literal answer to Nasher's question "Where do we sign up for the course" as I'm sure that Dave Mallett would be happy to combine the dem into one of his courses.

is it something you regularly do with Blue Ice?

I wouldn't even consider this with Blue Ice, as you know

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Richard B

....I wouldn't even consider this with Blue Ice..

...Ah, go on! Have a go! Tell you what... lend her to me and I'll have a go..then we can do a full report on the practicalities of this method... along with a short tutorial on GRP repairs and first-aid..

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Jono

...Tell you what... lend her to me and I'll have a go..

Mmmm - how long would you like me to consider your persuasive offer for?

[Pete7]

Richard relax, Jono and I will take good care of Blue Ice and you can view the pictures afterwards. I can arrange for Rogue Wave to be on standby to ensure nothing gets broken

[DM]

Originally Posted by mstacey

then drive it up much like the Dave manning method

It's the Mallet method, Dave Mallet. Dave Mallet from Blackpool. Dave Mallet who runs Wavelength training. It's the Dave Mallet who's not Dave Manning.
Dave Mallet who drives a Humber.

Having said that, I do drive the rib on like that sometimes. Dave Mallet showed me how to do it.

DM

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Hi Nock, you are more than welcome to come down either with or without your boat. I was up to my nuts (mine not the trailers) this Sunday pulling a boat out on the Slipway.

just to kep matters straight I wasn't actually taking the pss when i mentioned you and i do believe you do it that way it's just that I cant and I don't think it's possible with my boat/trailer combinations on that Sipway. If memory serves me well (which isn't it's normal performance!) our discussion was based on a statement made by you that anybody should be able to do it on any slipway or something like that anyway!

Believe me I would like nothing more than never to buy another set of trailer bearings!

Hi RW
Not one to take offense & agree that it dose not work for all slips & trailers!
Just happens to work for me.
Look for would to meeting you one of these days!
Nick or should I say Nock

[DGR]

There is a big difference between a 6m and a 7.8m RIB (and I don't mean 1.8m!!).

I'm not sure that you could recover a heavy 7.8m RIB in the way that the link shows - I wouldn't fancy trying/doing it anyway.

Dylan...