My trailer sits on sandy ground. It was a bear to move because there was so much weight on the jack. I did some research and found that the tongue weight should be around 7% of the total weight of the boat and trailer. Mine was 150lbs when it should have been 60-70lbs. I had to slide the boat back about 2 feet to achieve the correct weight. Now the boat sits more centered, fore and aft, on the bunks. The centerboard now sits on a keel roller. I thought it might make the boat easier to launch and load, but no joy.
I took advantage of the opportunity to examine the trailer more closely when the boat was in the water a few days ago. I noticed that my carpeted bunks are a few inches closer together at the rear. Now I'm looking at the configuration of my keel rollers and bunks to determine what changes I should make. From what I have been able to gather, the keel rollers are supposed to support the majority of the weight of the boat and the bunks are supposed to provide lateral stability. If that is true, should we be able to push our boats forward and back on our trailers while on land?
I watched the videos about how to launch a boat. I back up the trailer until the stern begins to float. That puts the entire trailer frame in the water. I have to stand in mid-calf water to unlatch the winch, push the boat backward and climb on via the bow. I tried not backing in so far but I couldn't budge the boat. I'd like to be able to launch and load without getting wet, like Greenlake. I feel that I could do that if I could push the boat back more easily without it being in the water. In addition to aligning the bunks and taking weight off of them, I am planning to attach Trex decking instead of carpet to reduce the friction.
Do you think this will work? Do you have any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Mike