Boat Trailer Guides

My boat trailer came with relatively short post guides. The top of these posts have the boat side of the posts relieved for the top foot or so. In this relief there is a roller installed in the pipe. This is a great idea as the roller is much easier on the boat than the pipe would be.

The problem is that I have a tri hull and the top of the pipe/roller do not go up to the sheer when the trailer is in the water, and unless the boat is perfectly centered the post ends up missing the outside of the hull and grinds against the "V" inbetween, not to mention the guides really weren't helping me get the boat on the trailer.

My original fix was to just put heavy PVC pipe over the metal post, long enough that it would be above the sheer when loading the boat on the trailer. That worked fine, the PVC stood up to good hits while trying to get the bow between the posts. And while I had solved the problem of scraping the hull, the guides still weren't helping me get the boat on the trailer.

To make this really work, I needed to get the posts farther apart, so I had a welder cut the posts off and put (square) sockets on the trailer. This would let me have an outward tilt to the poles and also I could adjust the posts outward in the sockets allowing more room to get the boat in. And it worked really well...except the posts had to be removed when I trailered the boat because they stuck out making the load over 9 feet wide. I was about to make "T" handles to attach the new posts in the sockets so I could easily remove the posts, but that would mean I'd still have to find a place to put them.

 

Finally, the ultimate solution became apparent. I'd make a strap that connected the two posts at the top. It would be short enough that it would pull the PVC against the hull, thus narrowing the width and eliminating the need to stow the posts.

Now we are wide off the trailer and narrow while on. The perfect solution so far.

Checking Boat Trailer Brakes

After winter layup on the trailer, before I take Big Duck out for the first time I like to know the trailer is in good shape. This means a check of the, lights, bearings and brakes.

I check the lights by using a vehicle plug in the trailer connector. This way I can pull 12vdc off the trailer breakaway battery and use it to test turn, brake and running lights.
Testing the trailer lights

I don't disassemble the hubs every year, but I do like to check the bearings by jacking the wheel off the ground and spinning it. I expect a smooth and quiet spin, no scraping, no grinding and no hesitating or abrupt stopping.

I also check the brakes. Being totally electric, the trailer brakes are a snap to test while I have the wheel off the ground. I use the same plug setup as I do for the lights, but I have rigged a plug, wire and push button specifically for the brakes. The push button completes the circuit from the breakaway battery to the brakes and energizes the brakes with a full 12 volts. The wire is long enough that the button can be worked while giving the wheel a spin.

Vehicle coupling in trailer coupler with plugs and push button for trailer brake test.

First House

Stumbled on the sale papers for our first house the other day; 1097 B Street, Ashland Oregon.  The house was at the corner of Mountain and B Streets. This small lot was bordered on the other two sides by the county garage and the tracks. We think it was a converted ticket office for the train. We paid $7,000 for the house/lot. If we had financed the purchase it would have been $35/month.

The sheet says rewired 5 years ago. The wiring was two bare wires on insulators running the length of the attic. From these there were drops to 3 of the 5 rooms. During upgrading, we found exterior sides to the living room walls at he kitchen/bath and the bedrooms...the living room, 10 X 20 in the middle of the house, was probably the original structure. When we bought it, there was less than 700 sq ft. of living space. A single wall heater provided heat.

There were two bedrooms, each 10 X 10. No closets. The bath and kitchen were 10 X 13. The touted 20 X 12 workshop was merely a roof over gravel, which we enclosed and eventually made into a bedroom with a nice brick hearth and Franklin stove.

The trains ran right behind the house and we learned the different engineers by the way they blew the horn for the crossing. Early on, we noticed that on a regular basis, hippy types would gather at the crossing at regular intervals with food and blankets - the train would not stop, but would slow way down and the folks would jump aboard the open boxcars. We learned that this was a way to ride the train over the pass into California, presumably with the blessing of one of the engineers.

We remodeled all but the bedrooms including new ceilings, Then put up a two car garage between us and the train. It was about this time that we decided we wanted to get into sailing, put the house up for rent and headed east.

At the very time we decided to buy a brand new sailboat (Bristol 27), the renters decided to buy the house and we agreed on $14,000, just enough to pay for our factory new sailboat. 

 

The last time we visited friends out that way, the house had been torn down (or fell down) and the corner was now part of the county garage. 

PS - The house was a rectangle and if the bedrooms were 10 x 10 (and I think they were) the other rooms would have had to follow with 10 foot sides. Not sure how the sheet arrived at the 10 x 18 or 9 x 13 figures. 

Big Duck - Cushion Tops

Now that all her mechanical systems are in order, we'll begin to address limited cosmetics.

I thought I might tackle the sewing myself, but when my girls picked out a striped fabric to recover the tops of the cushions I went looking for a pro to do the work. We have 13 cushions and all of them needed to have the decayed Herculon tops removed and replaced. The rest of the cushion, sides and bottom are vinyl and in very good condition. A couple zippers needed work as well. I got a quote from a local Trim Shop for $30 for the small ones, then on up for the larger, and he didn't know when he could get to them. Ouch.

Got online and searched for other places near home that might do the work. Nothing.

In desperation I went to a sewing shop and asked if they knew anyone who was interested, thinking that someone there might want to take on the project. They weren't interested, but recommended a guy who works out of a garage in his back yard.

The backyard shop was anything but professional looking on the outside and the first view of the inside was equally disappointing. The shop was empty except for the single guy inside. The floor was a mess of fabric scraps and all the counters were cluttered with unfinished miscellaneous small projects. He said $15 for the small cushions and on up, and he would "work them in".

I was hesitant to take my $300 worth of fabric to him, wondering what his work looked like and if I'd ever see the finished product, but decided to take a chance.  I took him four cushions.

When I dropped off the cushions the next morning there were 4 people working in the shop. One fellow was putting a vinyl top on one of those Rapper Mobiles with a fancy paint job and almost no rubber on the huge wheels. Another guy was putting a new rag top on a BMW. The other guys were working on pontoon upholstery. I felt a little better after seeing this kind of activity, but wondered if/when they'd get to my 4 cushions.

I got a call later that day, "They're ready."

I grabbed several more cushions and went to the shop, figuring I'd have a look at the work before I gave him another batch of cushions. Then left the next batch with him.

Got a call the next morning, "They're ready."

Loaded the remainder of the cushions in the van and went to pick up the ones that were ready. The vinyl top and new convertible top were done, waiting in the yard. They had put a black rag top on the BMW and used white stitching which was pure art. The stitches were exactly uniform, perfectly straight, no skips no wiggles...beautiful.

Well, it was Friday afternoon so I figured maybe Monday, as this was the largest batch of the largest cushions.

Got a call Saturday noon, "They're ready."

All told I spent less than $400 for all the work, including some zippers. I'll let you decide if it was worth it.