lifting a boat to change bunks

Blujay96

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Messages
310
I have a 1991bayliner rendezvous. The bunks are rote. What is the best way to lift a boat a couple inches. It is a cat hull.
 

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
drop the tongue to the ground... block the stern.... jack up the tongue..... block the bow....lower tongue to level trailer
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,524
I did a slight variation on that when I pulled my trailer out to paint it and to change the bunk carpet. I wasn't getting much movement on the stern end of the boat, so I jacked up the trailer using two hydraulic jacks on the rear of the trailer. I then put jack stands under the boat, with wood blocking to distribute the load, and lowered the stern with the boat resting on the stands. I then jacked up the bow using a hydraulic jack with a cradle I built to distribute the load (so the weight of the boat wasn't resting just on a small section of the keel).

After that, it was just a matter of moving the trailer forward until one of the trailer's crossmembers was close to a jack or jack stand. I'd then jack up the boat behind the crossmember, move the first jack and roll the trailer forward. It really didn't take that long to free the trailer, and I was surprised how stable the boat was sitting on three support points. Some pics are below...

Jack stands supporting the stern:





Jack supporting the keel up front (not shown is a cradle I built that supported the keel after the trailer was out of the way):


Trailer freed with some help from my son:


I found the bottle jacks a bit easier to work with than using the tongue jack on the trailer, but I am sure I could have eventually got the same result using the trailer's jack.

Jim
 
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smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Also since you don't need to get the trailer out from under the boat you can remove the trailer wheels to lower it after the boat is blocked.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
If you go with the three point, it isn't a bad idea to take a ratchet strap between the back jack stands... The hull chine shape MIGHT hold them in place, but I don't like leaving it to chance.
 

Brian 26

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
574
If you are close to a ramp you could get the bunks cut and carpeted at home, then drop the boat in the water, tie it to courtesy dock and put the new bunks on in the parking lot.
 

hungupthespikes

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 25, 2009
Messages
814
Here's one more option. This time of year in the cold weather territory you can get a very good deal on a dock for the remainder of the season. I've done it over the years for 100 bucks. You get close to two months use of a prime dock.
With a dock I used the boat almost daily after work and picked off-days for trailer work.
kind of a win/win:)
huts
 

98Shabah

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
408
When I recarpeted the bunks on my 6 bunk trailer for my 18' runabout I put a long 2x6 under the chine on one side and used two small floor jacks between the trailer frame and the 2x6 to jack up that side of the boat just an inch off the bunks, then I pulled one bunk out at a time, recarpeted, and reinstalled, then I moved my jacks and 2x6 to the other side and did the same.. No real worry about the boat falling since it's only an inch off the bunks and you're only removing one bunk at a time.. It's also easier to make sure the bunks are lined up correctly with the hull when you reinstall each one, a hard thing to do if the boat isn't on the trailer.
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
12,004
There is a tendency to become complacent about a boat because we launch and retrieve it so easily and so many times. Remember that you are working under something that weighs as much as a car. It would be much safer and easier to remove the boat from the trailer and work on the bunks without squatting or on your back.
 
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Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
If you are close to a ramp you could get the bunks cut and carpeted at home, then drop the boat in the water, tie it to courtesy dock and put the new bunks on in the parking lot.


The safest and simplest option....
 

vans

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
78
If you are close to a ramp you could get the bunks cut and carpeted at home, then drop the boat in the water, tie it to courtesy dock and put the new bunks on in the parking lot.
Thats what I did, had everythig ready to go, had wife hold boat at dock, changed out bunks(4) in less than 10 minutes
 

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
If you are close to a ramp you could get the bunks cut and carpeted at home, then drop the boat in the water, tie it to courtesy dock and put the new bunks on in the parking lot.

This is what I did. It is so much easier to work on the trailer with the boat off it and out of the way.
 

WrenchHead

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
120
When I replaced by bunks I had the boat and trailer in the garage. Then I did as 98 Shabah did his. Jack up one side, remove bunk, use bunk as a pattern to make a new bunk, carpet new bunk and install. Lower boat back to bunk and repeat procedure on the other side.
 
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