Second time out with the new boat and we were retrieving right at dusk. Complicating things was a 15+ MPH crosswind as I did the approach to the trailer. It's kinda like crosswind landing in an airplane I suppose, you have to crab into the wind on final, then right before you go on the trailer, you straighten out and go on the bunks. You have to keep power on the whole way so you have steerage. The new pontoon trailer has some upright guides that the toons have to straddle, and the padded sides face the inside lifting strakes.
Thought I had it made then felt a little bump and the boat missed the mark a bit, not centering up on the trailer. So I backed off and shot another approach, this time it went right on. As we were wiping it down, I found a sharp scratch with raised edges about a foot long, on the lower front of the left toon. Sh&t!! Well these things happen sooner or letter -- I really would have preferred the LATER though....
Crawling under the deck this morning, I found the culprit. The guide uprights only have the padding on the outside, where they normally contact the toon. But the backside just has the square steel tube attached to the trailer frame. On this one, it looks like one corner had a sharp burr, probably from the chop saw. The paint didn't do much to dull it. It cut into that aluminum like a cutting tool. Spent about an hour with a dremel tool and some wet or dry abrasive paper to blend the sharp edges of the scratch. Its better but it still gives me the tight jaws when I look at it. If I had been just a few inches to the left, I would have contacted the padded side and no harm done. Go forward plan is to wrap some additional rubber padding all around the uprights, so BOTH sides are protected.
So I got this flash of mental brilliance after the fact: If you have a new boat & trailer, crawl all over it, looking for any rough edges you might contact, if your approach is just a little off, or you get some wave action just as you go on the trailer. Do this BEFORE your first launch.
Question for you seasoned experts - is there anything to touch up aluminum and get back to the gray anodized finish, instead of the bright spot where it was sanded & polished? Also, as I am new to aluminum boats, how much wear and tear do you typically get on the toons? I know some people beach them, and also you have your inevitable dock bumps. So I guess they get a little scarred up after a while?? We are always ultra careful with our stuff, so this was a bummer.
Happy Boating!
Infidel
Thought I had it made then felt a little bump and the boat missed the mark a bit, not centering up on the trailer. So I backed off and shot another approach, this time it went right on. As we were wiping it down, I found a sharp scratch with raised edges about a foot long, on the lower front of the left toon. Sh&t!! Well these things happen sooner or letter -- I really would have preferred the LATER though....
Crawling under the deck this morning, I found the culprit. The guide uprights only have the padding on the outside, where they normally contact the toon. But the backside just has the square steel tube attached to the trailer frame. On this one, it looks like one corner had a sharp burr, probably from the chop saw. The paint didn't do much to dull it. It cut into that aluminum like a cutting tool. Spent about an hour with a dremel tool and some wet or dry abrasive paper to blend the sharp edges of the scratch. Its better but it still gives me the tight jaws when I look at it. If I had been just a few inches to the left, I would have contacted the padded side and no harm done. Go forward plan is to wrap some additional rubber padding all around the uprights, so BOTH sides are protected.
So I got this flash of mental brilliance after the fact: If you have a new boat & trailer, crawl all over it, looking for any rough edges you might contact, if your approach is just a little off, or you get some wave action just as you go on the trailer. Do this BEFORE your first launch.
Question for you seasoned experts - is there anything to touch up aluminum and get back to the gray anodized finish, instead of the bright spot where it was sanded & polished? Also, as I am new to aluminum boats, how much wear and tear do you typically get on the toons? I know some people beach them, and also you have your inevitable dock bumps. So I guess they get a little scarred up after a while?? We are always ultra careful with our stuff, so this was a bummer.
Happy Boating!
Infidel