I'm new to powerboats, and in the middle of a backyard building project, which should be done about the end of the summer.<br /><br />The boat is a 20' strip built cedar skiff, with just a painted hull. The bottom is flat, with round bilges and an oak keel which is only 1/2" deeper than the bottom. The weight with a 50 hp outboard and typical load of gas and gear will be about 1600-1700 pounds.<br /><br />The tow vehicle is a 1987 Toyota 4Runner, with a lift kit and oversize tires, but the launch is only a couple of miles from the house, on 25mph roads.<br /><br />The usual launch is unimproved hard beach, pretty flat. I'd expect to go out alone frequently, and have been advised to get an electric remote winch right off the bat, which sounds OK to me. <br /><br />But probablt the biggest problem is that the boat hull is soft cedar, and the launch is flat, so bunks will be difficult, while rollers might damage the hull, right?<br /><br />Is there a way to set up rollers under the keel that would take most of the weight off the bunks when launching? Or are there wide, soft rollers to look at? I've been looking at a LoadRite catalog, but don't see wide rollers.<br /><br />Suggestions? Thanks in advance for any.
