Putting her on the trailer

[Curwen]

Hello,

Since I typically setup and sail my 26D by myself and I'm still a little bit newbie, I was wondering what the general technique for putting her on the trailer.

Since I'm solo, I usually dock her, tie her up and then put the trailer in the water and then use a line off of the bow cleat to gently pull her onto the trailer. I'm a lake sailor and don't have to deal with current, but wind can be a little tricky. I bring her close enough to hook to the safety hook and then I winch her in. I get the bow ring close to the v-cushion and then pull her from the water. I de-rig and then do the Mac bump to settler her in.

For those who sail a classic boat, do you typically motor onto the trailer or do you do some variation of my loading method?

thanks,

Curwen

[grady]

I always motor onto the trailer. I leave the center board down a foot or so, DONT do that with your boat!!! All that does is eliminate some side slip in a cross wind. I try to get a long run at the trailer in order to calculate the amount of crabbing I need to have to keep going straight at the trailer. At the last second I straighten up the boat. All this is done with rudder up and steering with motor. It is easier to come in fast, probably a couple of kts or so. As for the trailer I always put the fender wells just at the waters surface that puts the boat hitting the bunks early in order to bleed off speed. Usually boat ends up a foot or so from the V. Then I winch it the rest of the way.

[Interim]

Curwen-

I use the same method as you. Tie it off, back in, lead it up, and winch it in. I watch the ramp at our marina as powerboat open up their engines to save winching the boat a couple feet. I think getting my shoes wet has a much better risk/reward ratio. Besides, with a 9/9hp pushing 3,000 lbs, I think I'd still end up winching.

I would also say that I hate the Macgregor bump. But I don't know an alternative other than a lot of rollers.

--john

[MacFromWayBack]

I'm a relative newbie. I just got my 26S late last summer and I keep her moored, so I've only put her on the trailer twice so far. The first time I motored on in a brisk wind - it was a disaster. On the first pass I was too meek and the wind pushed the stern way too much before I could get her between the goalposts. I reversed and tried a second time. Too much throttle paired with not having the trailer quite far enough in the water caused me to hit and bounce off the front-most cross support on the trailer (the one two feet or so behind the winch & ladder post). The impact resulted in a a sizable (approx 1" deep) gouge to the leading edge of the bow. It was a pretty easy fix with some epoxy/fiberglass but needless to say, the next time I gently floated her onto the trailer by hand with a line from the bow. Basically, exactly as described above and it was a 'sinch'.

When I compare my second (float on) experience to what I read from many others here, I wonder if
maybe the ramp I use is unusually steep/deep because I am able to get the bow right into the "v" support in the trailer without the dreaded "mac bump". I backed my Durango until the rear tire rubber was wet but the rims were still well out of the water and I only had to winch her a couple of inches, even then I didn't have to crank it hard - it seemed her full weight was not yet resting on the trailer.

[sailboatmike]

I get my bow up to the V and pull the winch rope up tight (Dyneema winch cable), but as soon as I pull up the ramp the boat slides back a few inches

[Sumner]

I like to float the boat on with a line if there is a dock.



On Lake Powell once we had to launch and retrieve to a shore and I came in with the dinghy and backed the trailer in and Ruth ran the boat on the trailer.



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ods-3.html

With the side bunks on the trailer and hull guides down low the boat always loads easily and sets right on the bunks of the trailer centered when the boat is pulled out.

I get my bow up to the V and pull the winch rope up tight (Dyneema winch cable), but as soon as I pull up the ramp the boat slides back a few inches

I think the reason the boat goes back is, as the trailer comes out of the water the boat's bow pivots up on the front bunk as the stern settles down onto the trailer. Then it appears that the boat slid back when it didn't, it pivoted away from the "V". More on it here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... -17-a.html

I now have ....



... a movable "V" and that solves the problem and takes less than 30 seconds to slide it back and then forward once the boat is out of the water....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ds-17.html

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Tomfoolery]

There was a thread some time back on the issue of the Mac Bump and why the bow ring moves away from the winch as the boat and trailer is hauled out. I made a little sketch illustrating the phenomenon, which I've included below.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=23386

[Sumner]

There was a thread some time back on the issue of the Mac Bump and why the bow ring moves away from the winch as the boat and trailer is hauled out. I made a little sketch illustrating the phenomenon, which I've included below.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=23386

Yep, exactly what I was trying to explain,

Sumner

[FlyboyTR]

We typically blow the water ballast out while the boat is at the dock. This raises the boat considerably and as such we don't have to back the trailer down into the water nearly as far. We have a stock trailer. We have added PVC extensions to the side guide posts and also to the V shaped trap in the front. We also have a PVC cover on the trailer to prevent the bow from digging into the trailer (plan to replace that with a real roller...). Typically, Kathy controls the position of the boat with a line for pulling toward her and a boat hook for pushing away. I control the forward motion with a long bow line. We usually start moving the boat when it is about 10-15' from the trailer. This give us a few seconds to get her moving and for Kathy to work on getting her lined up. Once she stops, I throw my line around the trailer winch mast/ladder to keep her from sliding backwards (while standing on the dock) and Kathy then pulls the vehicle up a few feet until I can hook the winch strap without standing in water. On my command she will gently back up a few feet, semi floating the boat and I will tighten the winch strap...then she pulls us out. No wet feet.

I have only pulled it out solo one time. I did the drive on method, climbed over the bow rail, winched her tight, climbed back onto the boat then out to the dock. Since we have antifouling paint on the bottom...I don't like for it to slide on or off the trailer as it tends to remove the paint.

[Photoman369]

There was a thread some time back on the issue of the Mac Bump and why the bow ring moves away from the winch as the boat and trailer is hauled out. I made a little sketch illustrating the phenomenon, which I've included below.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=23386

So the problem seems to be that the pivot point ( the winch) is below the V Bumper. If it were above the V bumper the boat would tighten into the V bumper when the trailer comes out and up the ramp.

So to avoid moving your bow hook on the boat. You could move your V bumper below the winch on the trailer stanchion. Then no moving and un bolting as the one solution shows, although that looks like it works great. Either way you are talking about welding something somewhere on the trailer.

[Sumner]

There was a thread some time back on the issue of the Mac Bump and why the bow ring moves away from the winch as the boat and trailer is hauled out. I made a little sketch illustrating the phenomenon, which I've included below.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=23386

http://s456.photobucket.com/user/TKanzl ... p.png.html

So the problem seems to be that the pivot point ( the winch) is below the V Bumper. If it were above the V bumper the boat would tighten into the V bumper when the trailer comes out and up the ramp.

So to avoid moving your bow hook on the boat. You could move your V bumper below the winch on the trailer stanchion. Then no moving and un bolting as the one solution shows, although that looks like it works great. Either way you are talking about welding something somewhere on the trailer.

The problem seems to be the boat is pivoting on the front bunk as the trailer comes out of the water and the boat settle down on the trailer (see the picture in previous posts).



Note above how high the PVC guides are in relation to the black stripe when the boat is in the water and winched to the "V". At this point the stern is still floating well above the back bunk and some above the front bunk that is back behind the roller.



Above with the trailer/boat totally out of the water the bow rotated up and away from the "V" and the black stripe is higher above the PVC guides.



When we got the boat the winch was on in such a way that the strap came off the bottom side of the winch to the bow eye. I turned the winch over to get it pulling straighter as shown above with the strap coming off the top of the winch and that still didn't help things,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Photoman369]

There was a thread some time back on the issue of the Mac Bump and why the bow ring moves away from the winch as the boat and trailer is hauled out. I made a little sketch illustrating the phenomenon, which I've included below.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=23386

http://s456.photobucket.com/user/TKanzl ... p.png.html

So the problem seems to be that the pivot point ( the winch) is below the V Bumper. If it were above the V bumper the boat would tighten into the V bumper when the trailer comes out and up the ramp.

So to avoid moving your bow hook on the boat. You could move your V bumper below the winch on the trailer stanchion. Then no moving and un bolting as the one solution shows, although that looks like it works great. Either way you are talking about welding something somewhere on the trailer.

The problem seems to be the boat is pivoting on the front bunk as the trailer comes out of the water and the boat settle down on the trailer (see the picture in previous posts).



Note above how high the PVC guides are in relation to the black stripe when the boat is in the water and winched to the "V". At this point the stern is still floating well above the back bunk and some above the front bunk that is back behind the roller.



Above with the trailer/boat totally out of the water the bow rotated up and away from the "V" and the black stripe is higher above the PVC guides.



When we got the boat the winch was on in such a way that the strap came off the bottom side of the winch to the bow eye. I turned the winch over to get it pulling straighter as shown above with the strap coming off the top of the winch and that still didn't help things,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

In looking at those illustrations I see it appears the v bunk in the pivot point but I don't really think it is. In order for that to be the pivot point that means the boat stays stationary on the v bunk. Mean it does not slide neither forward or back but the contact points stay static. That would mean the strap would have to stretch or come backward to allow the bow to pivot upwards and away from the V stop above the winch. I think the strap stays put and the boat bottom slide forward on the v bunk and the pivot point is the winch via the strap. You can see as light difference in the space ahead of the v bunk between the top pic and bottom pic. In the illustration. This shows where the boat bottom would have slide. But then maybe that just me and my reasoning.

As a more pragmatic solution what if we changed out the v bunk for a roller at the bottom of the V bunk and put some rollers in place of the front part or ahead of the back bunks. Possibly some slick pads on the bunks too. Then as the boat came out we could then winch the boat forward those last few inches. The only trade off would be on launching you would have to keep the boat on the winch line longer so it doesn't slide back before you are ready.

[Sumner]

A couple things.... one is that the boat can go up and the strap moves up but doesn't get much longer between the winch and the boat, just moves in an arc upward.



The bow slopes down at an angle so that with it higher it is no longer in contact with the "V" due to the angle of the bow. The strap can also probably pull out a little with the strain on it as it pulls the wraps up tighter on the winch.

Whatever the cause, it happens and I personally didn't like trying to have a 'controlled stop' where I counted on the stop to slide the boat forward so went with the movable "V" and so far it has worked well and as you mentioned there are other options to explore,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Tomfoolery]

In looking at those illustrations I see it appears the v bunk in the pivot point but I don't really think it is. In order for that to be the pivot point that means the boat stays stationary on the v bunk. Mean it does not slide neither forward or back but the contact points stay static. That would mean the strap would have to stretch or come backward to allow the bow to pivot upwards and away from the V stop above the winch. I think the strap stays put and the boat bottom slide forward on the v bunk and the pivot point is the winch via the strap. You can see as light difference in the space ahead of the v bunk between the top pic and bottom pic. In the illustration. This shows where the boat bottom would have slide. But then maybe that just me and my reasoning.

Funny you should say that. In my sketch, I kept the winch line the same length in both orientations, and 'slid' the hull through the small vee-bunk under the bow as the trailer rotated under it, making the bow ring the actual pivot. And in reality, the winch line actually unwinds just a little as it's raised from the downward angle (relative to the winch support post) to around perpendicular to the support post, though it's a small length change.

As a more pragmatic solution what if we changed out the v bunk for a roller at the bottom of the V bunk and put some rollers in place of the front part or ahead of the back bunks. Possibly some slick pads on the bunks too. Then as the boat came out we could then winch the boat forward those last few inches. The only trade off would be on launching you would have to keep the boat on the winch line longer so it doesn't slide back before you are ready.

I usually winch it tight, pull the trailer forward just a little (couple of feet), then winch some more, then pull forward, and so on, all the while ballast is draining. The Mac Bump® only has to move the boat a little by the time I'm done, and I have to let it drain anyway, so it doesn't really take any more time at the ramp.

I once (and only once) had my FIL pull forward while I cranked the winch, but he almost ran me over, and I abandoned that idea right-quick.

[Photoman369]

I have looked at pictures of boats on trailers on the web. The winch is very close to the level of the boat stopper or above it in most pics. That also shows the boat being snug up against the stopper. In a few where the winch was a good distance below the stopper, as it is with our boats, the boat was sitting a little ways away from the stopped as it does with Macs.

So options:
a second bow eye further up to use and changing the winch position
move the winch to be even with or above the stopper
Move the stopper to below the winch. This one seems the easiest.

The third pic shows the winch below the stopper and the boat is a few inches off the stopper, same as we get.