trailer rollers vs bunks

[tkms002]

I have a 20' version of a Glen-L kingfisher that I built a few years ago. It sits on a 4 bunk trailer with tie down engineering bunk glides on all of them. These things worked great at first. Just aa little push would get the boat off. Problem is the boat sits in salt water for 1 week a year and having only poly poxy on her bottom it builds up some sand grain size barnicles which have ripped up the bunks and are sanding off the bottom paint. I don't want to apply real bottom paint as I don't like the look of it and I don't think it will work that well being on a trailerd boat that sees fresh water most of the time. SOOOO, i'm thinking of converting to rollers on the trailer. I'm looking for your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Bruce

[SawmillBrook]

I had the same problem with my boat. Salt is most certainly an abrasive, especially when mixed with those plastic runners. I removed the plastic bunk sheeting and replaced the sheething with good old carpet.

Then I applied spray silicon on the carpeted bunks. Works well for me. No more problems. Good luck.

[John Bell]

I've never heard anything good about rollers, that they point load the bottom and lead to distortion and all manner of other ills. I'd think long and hard before making the change...

[tkms002]

Wonder if a person could make a combination of both work? Maybe the rollers could be jacked up to allow the boat to roll off but kept down for trailering?
Thinking out loud,
Bruce

[Thorne]

I'd say if you are getting enough barnacles to rip up the carpet on bunks, you need bottom paint! Not the ablative type -- doesn't work well for trailered boats (don't ask me how I know this) -- but the other types should work and look good.

As above, unless you spend a small fortune on rollers (and possibly even then), they will put pressure points on the hull and maybe damage it -- stick with what works.

[AlanL]

Wonder if a person could make a combination of both work? Maybe the rollers could be jacked up to allow the boat to roll off but kept down for trailering?
Thinking out loud,
Bruce

That's what I did. The rollers are under the keel and take the weight of the boat while the bunks hold her upright.
http://www.alphabyte.co.nz/beatrice/Beatrice_0329.jpg

[Robbie]

Wonder if a person could make a combination of both work? Maybe the rollers could be jacked up to allow the boat to roll off but kept down for trailering?
Thinking out loud,
Bruce

Hi I am thinking of doing just this...
Rollers to allow easy sliding on/off of the Navigator I am building then a lifting section that will lift a wide bag each side of the keel the whole width of the bottom and slightly up the side for lateral support then the whole lot tied down security.
I haven't decided yet what to fill the bags with...either low pressure air or a bean bag type filling.Each bag to covered with aquaturf covering etc.
The bags to be attached to long boards that lift and then bolts slipped into place to hold them there.
The Nav would sit on the bags when traveling(no pressure points etc)then on the rollers for launching.
I think that this will work well.
Regards
Robbie:)

[Thorne]

I've seen a few systems like this in use, but they are the exception to the rule, and sure add a lot of time and effort to launching/recovering.

Most boats can either float or be winched into proper position on the trailer without any sort of raising/lowering/sliding of bunk supports, roller stands, etc.

This heavy Hampton-style boat needed adjustable roller supports, as she wouldn't go up on the trailer with them in correct support position. This took a lot of work on the owner's part, and involved crawling around on some fairly slimy asphalt...

You can see the slotted wooden supports in this first photo -

http://www.luckhardt.com/wet_turkey06/images/DSCN8543.jpg

Here she is from the side -
http://www.luckhardt.com/wet_turkey06/images/DSCN8544.jpg

[Canoeyawl]

I use rollers, but they only support the keel. Which is massive...
The boat is easy to launch and retrieve, more here...
http://www.canoeyawl.com/trailer-sally.htm

[tkms002]

Hey Thorne, been a while I know but what can you sugest for non ablative bottom paint that works on a trailer boat and looks good? How long can I expect it to last? I have polypoxy white on her bottom now and it looks great after 8 years except where it is warn form the bunks.
Bruce

[Gary E]

I have a 20' version of a Glen-L kingfisher that I built a few years ago. It sits on a 4 bunk trailer with tie down engineering bunk glides on all of them. These things worked great at first. Just aa little push would get the boat off. Problem is the boat sits in salt water for 1 week a year and having only poly poxy on her bottom it builds up some sand grain size barnicles which have ripped up the bunks and are sanding off the bottom paint. I don't want to apply real bottom paint as I don't like the look of it and I don't think it will work that well being on a trailerd boat that sees fresh water most of the time. SOOOO, i'm thinking of converting to rollers on the trailer. I'm looking for your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Bruce

I would not remove or convert any of the current bunks but would add a set of rollers under the keel that can be raised with a lever to lift the boat from it's beds when required. You dont need much lift. 1/2 inch is plenty. We had this on a trailer and it works very well to eliminate all the pushing and pulling. Also use a set of roller guides at the rear of the trailer so they keep the boat centered and the wind or current wont push it out of position. The problem of water soaked trailer lights is solved by mounting the lights on the top of those roller guides.

[Thorne]

Sorry, don't have much experience in bottom paints -- but a lot of other folks on this forum do, so let's see what they say. There have also been a number of other threads with similar topics, always worth a search.

Seems that no matter how nice the paintjob, if you are getting enough barnacles to tear up the plastic bunks, you've got too many for a nice paintjob...time for bottom paint.

[tkms002]

The barnacles I get after a week in the water are like a sand grain but enough to tear up the bunks who then reciprocate and tear up the boat bottom.
Bruce