posted 04-19-2004 09:06 AM ET (US)            

No, the bunks should extend under the transom. This is very important.

140 pounds on the tongue is a bit light anyway. Tongue weight should be 5-10 percent of gross trailer weight. If the gross weight is 3000 pounds, you want the tongue weight to be 150-300 pounds.

posted 04-19-2004 10:25 AM ET (US)            

Is this a general rule for the tongue weight? It seems like 300 pounds for 3000lb gross weight is quite alot. Most trailer hitches on cars (over here) allow max. 75kg (165lb) and 100kg (220lb) on SUV's and pick-ups.

Just seems like alot to me although the rules may differ from country to country.

Erik

posted 04-19-2004 12:37 PM ET (US)            

The 5 - 10 % rule is good. The 5% is on the light side, while the 10% might be on the heavy side - but too much is better than too little. Somewhere in the middle will work very well.

posted 04-19-2004 03:37 PM ET (US)            

Erik

posted 04-19-2004 03:50 PM ET (US)            

I don't want to guess here so How Many Bunks do you have?

2 long ones and 2 short ones I hope....

What are the possibilities of you adding some Keel Rollers?

I prefer the combination of both if the trailer will accept Keel Rollers along with 2 long bunks (approx 10 feet) and 2 short bunks (approx 5 feet). Some people think I came up with the term of combination, but I did not, but I have used trailers configured this way since 1988..

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/trailer.html
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/twoSchools.html

posted 04-19-2004 07:19 PM ET (US)            

It is true that keel rollers (in good shape) let a boat launch easier, but using a silicon spray on the bunks significantly reduces the friction of the bunks as well. And frankly, you want some friction!

Review the trailering reference section - Jimh has an article in there regarding ramp considerations in trailer configuration.

I have my 17 Outrage on a two bunk trailer and have not had any problems. Launches and loads very easily.

As I mentioned earlier - move your winch stand and boat 5 inches forward and then move the axle as necessary to achieve your desired hitch load. Incidently, the trailering calculations discussed and provided via the reference section includes a technique for weighing your boat using a bathroom scale.

When weighing your boat and adjusting the tongue load, have your boat configured similarily to how you would be towing it - i.e. about 1/2 fuel, engine tilted and locked, loaded cooler, etc. The fuel load is the most important.

When you move your axle, be sure that the axle is square with the trailer - by having the same distance from a common point on the hitch to the 'same' point on each side of the axle. ----- Jerry/Idaho

posted 04-19-2004 07:41 PM ET (US)            

RTFM. (Your owners manual, that is).

posted 04-19-2004 08:09 PM ET (US)            

quote:

---

The proper trailer for a Whaler is one with a combination of keel-rollers and bunks. Quoting directly from the first Whaler's Owner's Manual published in 1970:

"Padded bunks should be used instead of the roller cradle variety, as these may become misdirected and gouge or puncture the skin. The bunks should be adjusted so they just touch the hull, preventing it from rocking. Excessive weight on the bunks will make launching and loading difficult.

"Keel rollers must take most of the weight. They must bear on the keel--NOT adjacent hull surfaces, which may be damaged by full weight bearing on a narrow roller flange."

---

From the 1970's, Boston Whaler always recommended Keel Rollers along with Bunks... This is still recommended for ALL the Classic Hulls....

The newer Accu-Track hulls obviously are using the All Bunk or Float-On trailers. Fine... But almost every trailer I have seen uses 4 Bunks.. A friend of mine has a 2 bunk float-on trailer and he hates it.. So do I as I get to help him retrieve his boat.. He is going to be adding 2 more bunks and some Keel Rollers.
I also personally would never trust just 2 bunks..
Come on... How much money would 2 more 5 foot bunks cost? That is cheap insurance to keep your boat safe.. If you only have 2 bunks and one of your brackets breaks or comes loose, there goes the bottom of your boat and possibly ruin your trip or vacation. Definitely not worth it in my book..

I guess if trailer manufacturers could get away with 1 bunk, that is what you would get.....

Add more bunks and Keel Rollers if you can... Protect your boat.. You have an expensive item sitting on a couple of cheap pieces of lumber. It doesn't cost that much more to keep your boat safe...

posted 04-19-2004 10:40 PM ET (US)            

Whaler evidently changed their mind. My '98ish Montauk came
with a "Center Console Series Owner's Manual", which appears
to have a 1993 revision date, and says it applies to:

17' Montauk
17' Montauk SE
17' Outrage
19' Outrage II
21' Outrage
24' Outrage

It says about trailering:

TRAILER SELECTION: Your Boston Whaler dealer can be of
assistance in trailer selection and in explaining the
features and benefits of various trailers. Also consult him
regarding safe trailering procedures, required equipment,
and licensing.

Match the trailer to your boat: Avoid over-rating or
under-rating the trailer for your boat. The capacity rating
should be matched to the weight and length of your boat.

PROPER SUPPORT OF THE BOAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: As the
keel of your Boston Whaler is designed to support the weight
of the boat, you should select a trailer which contains
center keep rollers. Adjust keel rollers so that they all
support the keel. Trailers equipped with side rollers
instead of side "bunks" should never be used, and they could
disrupt the bond between the the fiberglass and the foam
core, causing potential hull problems. Also, side roller
can put excessive pressure on molded spray rails when the
boat is being launched or retrieved. Therefore, the trailer
should be equipped with padded side bunks.

SIDE BUNKS should be located so as not to interfere with
bottom spray rails, transducers, etc. The bunks need only
provide lateral stability and should not be weight bearing.
Some slight rocking is desirable to assure that the weight
is on the center keep rollers. Tie-down straps, when
secured, will eliminate the rocking. A proper adjusted
trailer will simplify launching and retrieving. The drawing
shows the proper trailer arrangements for your Boston Whaler.

Float-on trailers are of the all-bunk style. These are
suitable for use as long as the bunks conform to the shape
of the hull, give support near the center keel, and provide
good fore and aft support to spread the total weight.

posted 04-19-2004 11:05 PM ET (US)            

Whaler has since back peddled on that recommendation and they now recommend the keel roller/bunk style of trailer.

Either type of trailer will work fine so long as it is set up correctly.

Erik Selis,

Yes, the 5 to 10 percent for tongue weight is a generally accepted rule. As boats get bigger I think it is best to be closer to 5 than 10 percent and I agree with you, 300 pounds is a lot of tongue weight for an Outrage 18.

Let's examine Will's situation and see how much weight he is dealing with (my estimates):

Outrage 18 - 1500 pounds (realistically)
Yamaha 130 - 360 pounds
group 24 battery - 40 pounds
full tank of gas - 400 pounds
gear and accessories - 300 pounds
single axle steel Trailer - 800

Total - 3400 pounds

posted 04-21-2004 08:58 AM ET (US)            

-----------------------

Many Boston Whaler boats are carried on, launched from, and recovered to trailers without keel rollers.

The Reference section of the web site contains a lengthy article on trailers and trailer procedures. See:

Trailer
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/trailer.html

Most problems in trailer use occur in loading. My experience is that the recommended trailer (multiple keel rollers) greatly facilitates trailer loading. This is particularly true when ramp conditions are less than ideal. In tidal areas, there may be insufficient depth available to submerge a "float-on" trailer during periods of low tide.

In the current marketplace, there are very few "stock" trailer configurations available with a multiple keel roller set-up. The simple 2-bunk "float-on" trailer is the predominant product offered.

If you only infrequently launch/recover your boat from/to the trailer, and you use a limited number of ramps with suitable depth and accommodating slope, you may find that a "float-on" trailer works well in those situations.

posted 04-21-2004 01:46 PM ET (US)            

In the 5/85 edition of the manual i have (Owners Manual for 18 foot-25 foot Models) on page 21 is a picture of (I assume) a suggested trailer...hard to say for what model this trailer is intended, but given it's a single axle, I'll assume an Outrage 18 (next to it is a picture of an Outrage 18 on a different trailer). Most interesting is that although the trailer has the preferred keel-roller/2 side bunk configuration, there are only THREE keel rollers on the trailer! Thoughts or comments?

posted 04-21-2004 03:45 PM ET (US)            

The all-swivel roller trailers you refer to have, as I understand, caused many problems - probably because of the smaller diameter and length rollers - and loading the boat away from the keel where the glass is thinner and the glass-foam-glass sandwich intregity is all important.

posted 04-22-2004 01:36 PM ET (US)            

Granted, I can't report from actual observation, but I can see a keel roller deforming about 1/2 to 3/4" tangentially, and perhaps 3/4 to 1" across the keel. If that's the case, then 3 rollers would seem to provide 2.25 sq-in total contact area...for the OR 18 we're talking about here, that's about 100 psi on those three points (actually less than your 167 psi)

posted 04-22-2004 05:30 PM ET (US)            

The rolling resistance of a roller - being steel on steel - or at least metal on metal, and perhaps with a little lubrication is not all that much. And some rollers may be made with an graphite lubricated bushing - which would be even better.

Realize that my wag - where I came up with the 167 pounds / square inch - was just that - a guesstimate. Using your actual weight would give you a much better feel for your case. In the case of Tom W. Clark's numbers, the trailer weight is not germane for our discussion here.

With your multiple roller set-up, on the surface, the loading would seem to be alright - but I would think that it would be very difficult to ensure that all rollers were carrying their equal share of the load. Should one or two roller sets be carrying the bulk of the load, that load will be large - and perhaps large enough to damage your hull.

posted 04-27-2004 01:37 PM ET (US)            

I just saw a demonstration of this at the Stuart Boston Whaler Owners Event. In Cetacea Page 78 you can see an Outrage 25 loading on a keel roller trailer in a process that took about 30-seconds. A few minutes later a fellow tried to load his 28 Connquest onto a bunk "float on" trailer.

The lauynching area was marked with a limit for the concrete ramp extension into the water, and the bunk trailer was back in as far as it could be until the rear wheels were at the limit. The tide was rather low (because of the new moon), and the big Conquest could not be floated on the trailer. It stopped short about five feet from the fully-loaded position.

The boat had a pair of 225-HP 4-strokes, and these were called on to drive the boat forward on the bunks these last five feet. The engines were running at nearly full throttle, while the poor dock hand from the marina was grinding away on the very powerful two-speed winch. In spite of thousands of pounds of pull from the winch and hundreds and hundreds of horsepower, the big boat only inched its way onto the trailer in painful, tiny increments.
The loading process had to stop several times so the winch guy could rest and the engines could take a break.

The irony of this situation was that by using the engines to power load, the big twin propellers were drawing water out of the ramp and actually lowering the water level a bit, with the result that the boat was sitting harder on the bunks.

Finally, after about ten minutes of roaring engines and grunting winch grinding, the Conquest was loaded. It was a very tedious process. At most of the ramp locations in the state of Michigan, it would have been completely illegal as "power loading" is prohibited. Even in these tidal waters, there was a great deal of mud and debris stirred up from the 450-HP of thrust the engines put out for ten minutes against the bottom of the ramp. No wonder they did not dare back the trailer in any farther; I am sure the ramp end was probably quite undermined from this type of erosion.