ALCORT Sunfish WAVE Ready To Roll

22 Oct 22:

Weather forecast is good for tomorrow, so we loaded Skipper's 1965 ALCORT Sunfish WAVE onto the utility trailer. Gave us a chance to check out how the 6x12 trailer will work hauling a 14 foot boat, and everything fits great. Plenty of room and easy to load. The spars mostly fit within the trailer bed if laid diagonally. 

Ready to toll tomorrow afternoon!

Log of WAVE. 

Bob's Boat Trailers Norfolk

24 Mar 22:

ST. JACQUES went to visit Bob at Bob's Boat Trailer on Norfolk. They are well stocked with parts and pre-built trailers that can be adapted to most boats. 

ST. JACQUES will be getting a galvanized EZ Loader skiff trailer, with 2 swivel bunks and 12 inch tires. Bob and his crew are adding a couple of keel rollers and a keel pad under the centerboard. Also upgrading the tail lights to LED. 

Well stocked with parts and friendly people!

Trailer Safety

 24 Mar 22:

Hauled ST. JACQUES to Bob's Boat Trailers today, but before we left we check a few things. Lights plugged in, safety chains crossed and we like to lock the trailer coupler.

One of the most important things to check is that the couple pawl has engaged the lower part of the hitch ball. There are times where it can get caught on top of the ball, which does nothing to hold the trailer to the hitch. And it's a good idea to check if someone else has hooked you up, we had an instance where the UHaul place rented us a truck and auto transporter, and the trailer was not connected properly. Luckily the weight on the tongue kept the trailer connected as I drove home, on the highway. And imagine my surprise when I tried to load our car and the tongue of the trailer lifted off of the hitch!

Check the trailer lights.

And check the straps. If 3 straps are enough, use 4. 

Check straps after 1, 10 and 100 miles. These straps were new, and we got rained on, so they stretched a bit during the trip. I pulled over and tightened them up, all good the rest of the way.

8 Foot Punt SCUPPERS 26 Dec 21 Sea Trials

 26 Dec 21:

Beautiful day, 71F and light wind, so we decided to take our Granddaughter for her first boat ride. We looked around our Armada of 15 boats and to our surprise, SCUPPERS was the boat of choice for today. The water is 47F so we decided it was best to stay close to shore, very close, so an 8 foot punt seemed the best and easiest choice.

First we needed to add a bow line. I drilled a 1/2 inch hole and cut 12 foot piece of New England Rope Vintage 3 strand to make the bow line.

SCUPPERS needed a pennant, so we drilled a hole for the nice bronze flagstaff bracket that we found on ebay, made by Wilcox and Crittenden. Skipper's ratcheting brace bit and auger bits were used to drill the hole.

We used a 4 in 1 file to finish the edges of the hole. This versatile file comes in very handy for a variety of projects, we keep it readily accessible in the shop. The 4 surfaces range from coarse to fine, one side is flat and the other curved.

The flagstaff bracket came with a nice mahogany flagstaff which we plan to use as a template, and a Skunk flag, which we are told is flown after a day of fishing and no fish are caught, i.e. being "skunked." The flag will make a nice pattern as well for more flags.

The boat ride for the Granddaughter was a success, then Skipper took SCUPPERS out to finish up the official Sea Trials. SCUPPERS moves well, turns easily and tracks straight. We determined that we should move the middle seat back a few inches and located spots for oar locks.

My turn. We love how SCUPPERS floats in a puddle of water. The flat bottom is stable and the rocker on the bow lets us run right up on the beach, amphibious operations, Marine Corps style.

All of these boats rested comfortably, but they are next on the list.

The straps worked great, easy to use and the overcenter buckles put just the right amount of pressure on the boat and dolly.

It's nice to have the Carriage House aka Boat Shop up and running, a nice place to keep tools and materials to maintain the Armada. And to keep an eye on the hooligans in the Sunfish Shack.

Trailer Tips

 10 Jan 21:

Ah, a little trailer tire, seems pretty simple...

The ST designates Special Trailer, the tire is designed for trailer use only.

This tire is rated Load Range B, based on the number of tread and sidewall plies. Since they are new, we'll run them for a while, but when it is time to replace them we'll bump up to a C or D load rating, better tire that runs cooler. Believe it or not, not all rims are made the same, it is possible to have a high rated tire on a low rated rim, and if a heavy load is carried the rim may crack.

Speaking of temperature, it is important to keep tires properly inflated. Underinflation allows the sidewall to flex more and generate heat, which can cause a tire to blow.

Trailer tire should be replaced NLT every 6 years. This code is the Week Year (WWYY) date of manufacture, 33rd week of 2019. Old tires may look okay, but micro-fissures lurk in between the tread lugs and the sidewall are damaged by UV.

Information about trailer capacity and tire pressure can be found on the Manufacturer's tag. If you buy a used trailer and there is no tag, it would be good to have a trailer pro look it over, sometimes it might have the wrong size tire, wheel or even axle.

All hitch components need to be rated for the load towed. This ball is on the drawbar for our Subaru Outback, which has a maximum tow rating of 3500 pounds, so we're good. The drawbar and hitch pin must be rated for a minimum of 3500 pounds as well.

The trailer above weighs 700 pounds, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 2000 pounds, so it can haul 1300 pounds. The Subaru can haul 3500 pounds, but that includes internal cargo, people and fuel, so we can't top off the trailer AND overload the vehicle.

Stay smart out there!

Clark and Skipper

Rust Never Sleeps

22 Dec 20: 

Our good friend Eddie of Eddie English Boat Trailer in Milton, Florida shared an article with us on trailer maintenance, Rust Never Sleeps, posted at https://www.nzfishingworld.co.nz/.../rust-never-sleeps.... Our boats are only as good as our trailers, and the article points out some key items to look for. What we were surprised to learn is that rust grows from inside a box frame to outside, so by the time an external spot appears, there is extensive rust inside the frame. So it is just as important to rinse off a trailer as it is a boat. Some folks even carry a pump sprayer with them to rinse off their trailer after launching, as they can get to all the nooks and crannies easier. Rhett English mentions that a lot of corrosion starts where the bunks drip on the frame and axle, while folks are out boating. When the boat is in the water is a good time to check rollers, bunks, hardware, axles, etc that are usually hidden by the boat. We have rehabbed a few trailers and the problem spots we see are corroded U bolts on the axle, so bad that a wrench can not grip the nut, and leaf springs corroded to the point where leaves start to fall off. And rusty fenders, don't even get me started on that...So don't stop at just the tires, wheels and bearings, give the whole trailer a good looksee. Or swing by Eddie's Magic Kingdom and his team will take care of it for you, or send your boat down the road with a shiny new trailer.

Eddie and Skipper, with her "new" trailer aka My Grandfather's axe, or Theseus' Ship. All Skipper's trailer needed was a new coupler, safety chains, tongue, bow stop, winch, winch strap, hook, bow roller, keel rollers, roller plates, axle, axle hardware, springs, spring bolts, nuts, washers, hubs, bearings, wheels, tires, guide posts, LED lights...Eddie fixed up CYANE's "new" trailer so it will be good for our grandkids. 

ROSE"BUD"s trailer before.

ROSEBUD's trailer after, we saved the frame and fenders. A new trailer would have been the same price but what is the fun in that? And a local scrapper scored a rusty axle, I barely got it to the curb before they ran off with it, I think they had been waiting in the woods, watching.

For all your boat trailer needs, give Eddie English Boat Trailer a call.

Pascagoula Diamond Bottom Catboat MARGARET ROSE 20 Jun 20 Strongback Lumber

20 Jun 20:

Went up to Lowes to pick up lumber for the strongback. Pandemic pickings were slim, lumber deliveries from Canada have either slowed or stopped. Too bad there's no trees here in the US. Skipper's trailer and deck worked out perfect, just the right heighth to slide lumber directly from the cart.

Log of MARGARET ROSE.

1980 Drascombe Lugger ONKAHYE Spring 1994 Corpus Christi TX

10 Apr 20:

Came across a few photos from ONKAHYE's Corpus Christi days. We liked to launch downtown at the L-Head ramp, the ramp location has since been moved. Some days we never left the breakwater, other days ONKAHYE would romp in the bay.

Skipper would tend to the boat while I drove the truck. She'd get ONKAHYE spun around and pointed out. If other folks were launching she'd walk ONKAHYE down to the end of the pier and move her around the end, to be clear of other folks who preferred the same side of the ramp.

Once the truck and trailer were parked we'd send out the bumkin, ship the rudder and drop the centerboard a bit. Then Skipper would get ONKAHYE a little walking start, step aboard and unfurl the jib. We'd crawl away for the dock on some jib while the main went up, and we'd be off sailing.

Log of ONKAHYE.

Another Hat - Eddie English Boat Trailer

28 Mar 20:

Our friend Eddie at Eddie English Boat Trailer in Milton, FL gave us a hat a while back.

Eddie and his team have built 3 custom galvanized trailers for us and sold us 2 stock small boat trailers. They totally overhauled the Skipper's trailer that used to carry ONKAHYE and set it up for CYANE.

Spring Trailer Maintenance

15 Jan 20:

So if your trailer bits are rusty, take a closer look. Many times the rust starts on the inside of a box frame/axle and there is a lot more degradation on the inside of the frame compared to what we see on the outside, Especially concerning is corrosion around any welds. Eddie has plenty of new axles and frames, he orders ahead this time of year. Also time to check those tires before the Spring road trips, they had a tire today that had a huge bulge on the sidewall from where the plies are separating, internal failure. The tire was made December of 2013, so when they recommend to replace trailer tires no later than 6 years it is good advice from the pros to heed. The tire has a WWYY (Week/Year) manufacture code on at least one sidewall, that tire was 4913. I also got to meet the new boss today, Roscoe. Many thanks to Rhett and Eddie at Eddie English Boat Trailer for the tips.

Might be time to consider a new axle, these are going to the recycle bin.

Rust on the outside usually means even more rust on the inside. Cost of a new axle is way less than a tow, boat damage, etc...

Time to go...to the junkyard.

Boat trailer bling.

This is why 6 years is the MAX we'd put on a tire, per the pro's recommendation, plies are separating.

Tire made 49th week of 2013, WWYY WeekYear code. Externally the tire looks okay, but problems lurk inside.

Stocking up for Spring business.

The new boss Roscoe.