First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

[Rex_]

I have a 16' fiberglass boat in need of a hull painting. And while I'm sure I'll have many questions as to how do a decent painting job, my first question is how do get it properly and securely jacked up off the trailer so I don't, you know, squash myself?

 

[JB]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

Bunk trailer or roller?

The only time I bottom painted a boat I had it on a roller trailer. I rolled it back about 10" and painted what I could reach. Then, when the paint was dry I rolled her back to towing position and painted the unpainted spots.

There ought to be some equal strategy to paint her on a bunk trailer.

If not try this: Lower the tongue to the ground, put blocks under the corners of the transom, raise the tongue as high as you can and put a support under the bow. That should leave the boat clear of the trailer far enough to paint.

Good luck.

 

[Rex_]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

Thanks. Unfortunately it's a bunk trailer.

I like the idea of keeping the trailer under it. It might be a pain to paint around, but in the event of support failure, a four inch drop to the bunks (while still not cool) is way better than three feet onto the driveway (and me).

 

[iwombat]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

I got the tip about lowering the front, supporting the transom and jacking up the front from here a couple of months ago. It sure saved me a pile of time pushing and pulling my boat around on the trailer.

 

[Solittle]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

You could take it off of the trailer and the jack it up with hydraulic jacks (other supports as needed of course). That is not a big deal for a 16"er.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

I know this might seem kinda ... different and I might get some flames..but Ive done this many times.

1. take motor off
2. back trailer and boat onto cardboard
3. unhook boat from trailer
4. get beer and 6 of your closest buds to lift boat then quickly pull trailer out..set down boat on cardboard.
5. roll boat over onto 4x4's on ground
6. prep..sand..grind..repair paint .. buff or whatever with no risk of squashing yourself.
7. install boat on trailer in reverse order ( mebbe get some more buds and beer this time )

 

[Gabby]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

When I last touched up my bottom AF paint, I did it one half at a time. I used two floor jacks sitting on the back and mid point of the trailer, on the left side. I placed small blocks of wood on the jacks and lifted, one at a time, a little at a time until the left side of the boat was well off the bunks. Be careful to find a flat spot on the bottom of the hull so the jack/wood doesn't slide around. Then I placed small cut pieces of 2x4 (8 inches) on the bunks and under the hull as a safety measure. Paint what you can reach. When dry, lower to bunks, move jacks and repeat painting where wood and jacks were previously. When dry, do the right side. I would think with a smaller boat you could get away with one floor jack. Dont' forget to remove bow / transom straps. Good luck.
Gabby

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

the easiest and safest way i have found is. you drop the tongue of the trailer the ground. the stearn is now high. block up both sides of the steard between the top and second block you can put a wedge to make the top baord conform with the angle of the hull. you now have the stearn supported. with the tongue jack, or a jack, raise the tonge of the trailer, as you raise the tongue the trailer will drop away from the stearn. get the tongue as high as you want and feel safe. block the bow and keel , lower the tongue and the boat is in the air, ready for work. when done, just reverse the operation, touch up where the block were. it's that easy. 15 - 20 minutes. i use concrete blocks, with a 2x8 on top then the wedge and 3/4 Plywood againts the hull.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

My physics isn't always the best but it seems to me that the stern high, bow jacking idea places far more weight on the tongue jack than it would be designed to lift. With the boat on the trailer the jack is just pushing the bow up using the axle(s) as the fulcrum -- probably half the stress or so.

Having said that, I like the idea, and am sure I will use it sometime. Just make sure that tongue jack isn't going to suddenly snap or strip. Perhaps a hydraulic floor jack and wood blocks would be a better choice.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

scoutabout, i've done it probably 50 times. if the trailer tongue is that weak, i'd rather find out now than on the highway. i also use the same tecnique, when i service my axles. block the rear of the trailer, and jack the front. walla, the tires are off the ground. you can service both sides at the same time.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

...with the tongue jack, or a jack...

Sorry -- probably wasn't clear. It was the reference to the tongue jack above that caught my attention. The average bolt-on swivel trailer jack is rated to between 1000 and 1500 lbs -- which I'm thinking might be exceeded in some applications with the boat blocked at the stern and resting on the jack just before blocking at the front.

As I say, though, I love the concept and can see myself doing it in the future -- just with something a little more robust up front than my Seachoice special! d

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

your point is well taken, and i agree. i have also seen people with those jacks, trying to roll there boat with the jack all the way up. there so flimsey, they start to bend. should be lowered then rolled. in the old days they made real jacks.

 

[Rex_]

Re: First Question: How to Jack Up Boat

Thanks for all the great tips! I plan to try the tongue lowering/raising method once it stops raining around here. :/