# More questions for the boat experts.



## notnksnemor (Mar 4, 2010)

I will be buying a bigger boat soon and have a ton of questions. TGattis has helped me a lot already and I hate to keep pestering hiim.
This question is about trailers. Shouldn't the trailer bunks go all the way to the transom or does it matter.
Look at this pic and tell me if it's a good set up or not.
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the advice.


----------



## wharfrat (Mar 4, 2010)

Bunks look pretty good to me. If you are using a ramp, figure out the correct depth for putting the boat back on. One of the biggest problems I see, is that people submerse their trailers to far in the water and the boat floats above the bunks. The bunks should guide you within about 6-12 inches of the stop. Go in nice and slow and let the bunks guide you on. At that point you should be able to power the rest of the way or winch the rest of the way. The bunks are what actually guides you straight. If you use a lift this is moot. The tandems are the way to go with a boat that size. wash the trailer good! They ALL rust after awhile. That boat is set up nice. Nice dry ride and roomy too!


----------



## seaweaver (Mar 4, 2010)

You are fine.
But at some point I would scrap that system of so many fasteners/brackets ect...
I have gone to full timbers directly to the frame. I now have double 2x10s for each bunk on a flat 2x10. An upside down T These are attache to the frame by ubolts. The will be no failure of brackets, fasteners...ect as there is solid wood frame to the trailer frame. Nothing touches any center rollers which again fail.
The stringer system in that boat is more than adequate to support the tran. and engine.

cw


----------



## seaweaver (Mar 4, 2010)

Walmart Lithium spray grease the springs and any metal submerged. I'm 2 hours from 10 rebuilding a client's trailer that died from no repellent to salt and no fresh water wash downs.

cw


----------



## bouymarker (Mar 4, 2010)

seaweaver said:


> walmart lithium spray grease the springs and any metal submerged. I'm 2 hours from 10 rebuilding a client's trailer that died from no repellent to salt and no fresh water wash downs.
> 
> Cw


alodine is a great way to save aluminum from corrosion...pm if you have a question about it.


----------



## seaweaver (Mar 4, 2010)

?
cw


----------



## notnksnemor (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks for the reply's so far.
I was concerned that the bunks don't go all the way to the back ( boat overhanging in back). The tailights are visible enough being tucked back under the boat?

Appreciate everone's help.......
It's a big investment.

Rick


----------



## HOBO (Mar 4, 2010)

*NOTNKSNEMOR *

Yes,,,, by all means the bunks should extend all the way to the transom!!!  The setup in the picture is begging for problems...  By not supporting the transom and the weight from the motor with bunks directly below you can/will experience several problems,,,, none of them being good!!!  Eventually the bottom of the boat will form a permanent "hook" at the ends of the bunks....  These "hooks" will alter the performance of your boat ride acting much like a trim tab holding the bow down....

You can easily check your vessel for this "hook" condition by extending a straight edge (a yard stick works well) from the transom forward.....  If you detect a gap between the straight-edge and the bottom of the hull you have a "Hook"....

The other thing that can and will happen with bunks that don't support the transom is actually cracking the hull at the ends of these bunks,,,, especially when trailering over a bumpy road or hitting pot-holes.....

If you are buying new you should consider torsion axles so you can eliminate the "rusty springs" syndrome *SeaWeaver*  mentions... 

Also make sure you purchase your trailer with four bunks.....  The inner two bunks are referred to as "centering bunks" that not only function as support but catch the front keel of your boat centering it up evenly on your trailer before the full weight of the boat sits on all four bunks!!!

Also,,,,, aluminum with stainless rigging is the only way to go....

Good luck!!!

------------<" ){{{{{*><


----------



## notnksnemor (Mar 4, 2010)

Unfortunately I won't have a choice of adding to this trailer. This is a 2006 boat and a 2007 trailer. If the trailer is not right, I need to factor that in to my offer knowing I will have to get a different trailer.
Here's another pic from the front:


----------



## seaweaver (Mar 4, 2010)

Heck you can move the whole rig forward 16 inches..or till the winch post stops. In a second view...it might need this adjustment already as I doubt there is sufficient tongue weight wich could lead to fishtailing on the road.

Hobo if that was an old boat I might worry about hook. That 18 degree dead rise makes one strong triangle in the stern. A 12 degree Mako.. not so much and I agree that over time would be prone to a hook.
One thing builders have done is lighten the rear by bobbing the top of the Transom...if they did this intentionally or for looks..or worse yet at the direction of an accountant for material savings..it does help lighten the stern. 
Most of the transoms I have rebuilt died as a result of fresh water finding it's way to the wood and rotting. This seems to always be as a result of a poor seal at the  joint or poor sealing of scuppers/bolts  and not stress of sitting on a trailer.
I thought Sea Chaser did not use wood...?? even better.

Those lights would be better up high on a trailer guides.


cw


----------



## PaulD (Mar 4, 2010)

seaweaver said:


> Heck you can move the whole rig forward 16 inches..or till the winch post stops. In a second view...it might need this adjustment already as I doubt there is sufficient tongue weight wich could lead to fishtailing on the road.
> 
> cw



I PMed that to him. Great minds.............


----------



## Doyle (Mar 4, 2010)

> Unfortunately I won't have a choice of adding to this trailer.



Sure you do.  Replace those crappy 2x4 horizontal bunks with some real vertical bunks.  Get 4x6 pressure treated posts and bevel the top to match the hull slope (flatter on the stern end than on the bow end).  Go to home depot and get a length of carpet runner and staple that on the bunks (one runner split lengthwise will take care of both bunks).

The bunks need to come at least to the transom or the hull can develop a hook (which will cause problems with running).  I like my bunks to come about 6" behind the transom.   With that extra length, on a shallow ramp, you don't have to go so far down the ramp to get the boat on.


----------



## Nautical Son (Mar 5, 2010)

Well I finally got around to this one dude sorry....

And I gotta tell ya, ask if that it is the trailer that came with the boat from Carolina Skiff....If it did then leave it alone, they setup the trailers to support the boat the way it should be...don't over think it, you'll drive yourself nuts. Carolina Skiff is known to cancel warranty claims because some guy was smarter than they are and put his boat on a roller trailer to make launching it easier in low water conditions..The bunks don't have to go all the way to the back and it does look to me like it could stand to be moved forward a few inches, which will make it tow better as CW has stated...


----------



## oldcsm (Mar 5, 2010)

*Moving the boat forward*

Moving the boat forward too much could cause other problems such as excessive weight at the hitch and poor trailering performance due to uneven weight distribution between the axles. This could result in swaying and poor braking performance. I agree with the post above......if it's sitting on the factory trailer that was delivered with the boat, leave it alone.


----------



## brriner (Mar 5, 2010)

A set of guide posts will be a very beneficial addition.  Those times when the tide is lower than you'd like and you have to back the trailer in to get the boat loaded, they'll help center you on the bunks.


----------



## Wild Turkey (Mar 5, 2010)

That trailer isnt set up right or might even be too short for that boat.
only way to find out is weigh the rig at a scale and them weight the tougue. At the ball should be 10-15% of the total.
Yes the main bunks should extend past the transom slightly.


----------



## bouymarker (Mar 5, 2010)

Wild Turkey said:


> That trailer isnt set up right or might even be too short for that boat.
> only way to find out is weigh the rig at a scale and them weight the tougue. At the ball should be 10-15% of the total.
> Yes the main bunks should extend past the transom slightly.[/QUOTEi agree, something about this setup aint right...i dont think the trailer is matched for the boat.


----------



## retired (Mar 5, 2010)

x2 for the above.  That trailer is definitely not set up to support and carry that hull.  It should have two sets of bunks as mentioned earlier, and the outside bunks should most definitely extend to the transom wall.  Bunks on a trailer are designed to carry the weight of the boat evenly.  If they do not extend full length of the hull they you risk serious hull/transom damage over the life of the rig as you bounce it up and down the highway.


----------



## bouymarker (Mar 6, 2010)

i learned something here


----------



## Nautical Son (Mar 6, 2010)

Rick, in the second picture the v-shaped piece in the front is to catch the front from hitting the trailer when loading and unloading, the bunks that the hull is resting on can be moved to the outside of the frame a few inches and you could easily add the "centering" bunks that Hobo mentions, they would be positioned in the center of the frame with around 6-10" between them from the center line, and more towards the front than the outside bunks. If I was going to do this my self I would use the hardware from the existing bunks to attach the "centering bunks" and probably even use the existing bunks as those....then replace the outer bunks with two 2 x 12's screwed together, carpeted and attached to the frame directly with 3/8 thick 4 x 4 galvanized angle iron brackets, this way I could make them longer and even cut a slight angle to match the curvature of the hull, if it wasn't so much of a pain I'd take pics of my Sea Chaser trailer to show ya what I mean.....

And I agree on the torsion axles they cushion the ride and make for a maintenance free trailer......

How far are you gonna be trailering the boat to the water and how often?  Is it highway mostly or bumpy dirt roads ?

Like I told ya earlier don't over think it.....if you can buy that boat for what you told me and there are no other issues other than the trailer stuff I'd jump on that deal and consider buying a newer trailer directly from CS....


----------



## notnksnemor (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks everyone..... Ya'll don't know how much I've learned in the last few days. 
If I can get the boat for what I hope, fixing the trailer, if it needs it, won't be a problem, I just have to trailer it from Orlando to Macon as it is. I'm told this is the trailer that came with the boat new. I've looked at other Sea Chaser's on boattrader and the trailers are fairly short on them also and all the trim tabs I've seen mounted on 2100's are in the same place, inboard. 
I'll keep ya'll posted, thanks for putting up with me.

Rick


----------

