My gifted boat project

[jbcurt00]

Re: My gifted boat project

It looks to me like the trailer bunks are about correct, the boat is just too far forward. Does it tow tongue heavy? This isn't your tilt trailer, but it is a vintage tilt:

And my gator trailer:

It kind of shows both tilt trailers have bunks that extend back beyond the rear cross member of the trailer. Her family may have replaced the bunks, but based on how everything else looks, time capsule perfect, there shouldn't have been a need. Unless it helped with loading & unloading. Tilt lost favor because you HAD to use the tilt feature every launch & recovery to clear the cross members....

The new to you trailer is in good enough shape that there may be a maker logo on it somewhere. Did it come w/ title & reg from her family? If it has a maker, you might find some details here under trailers. That's what helped me setup my gator tilt trailer better.

BTW: Andgott is also very knowledgeable about vintage trailers He might ID your trailer just from the limited pix posted here & the profile of the fenders.....

I've never owned a tilt trailer, but it looks like you've got one and I bet those extensions have something to do with that feature. .... Or, your trailer is too long

Hmmm, I was thinking the boat was too short & that we should put a call into your mentor, Oops, & borrow his hull stretcher

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

JBCurt; funny you should mention about the tongue being heavy; when we went to move the boat from my FIL's pole barn, it did not have the jack on the front. I went to lift the tongue and could not believe how heavy it was! I was expecting it to be much lighter, being offset by the motor. The jack was one of the first purchases we made. If the boat is too far forward, then it has been that way for a long time if not since day one. I will need to look into how to determine just where the boat should be on the trailer (and it is indeed a tilt trailer) and then plan the proper adjustments. I have attached a photo giving a better view.........it looks like I can move the winch post back about only 6 inches; would need to move the jack in front of the winch post.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My gifted boat project

It is entirely boat & trailer dependent, slight move here, raise a bunk there, until it all works well & the boat slides on & off easily. But to the best of my knowledge, you should always use the tilt feature of the trailer to avoid scrapping the hull on a trailer cross member.

You'll want to get the boat off the trailer to do any real tinkering & work on the tilt mechanism. You do not want to try to engage the tilt with the boat on the trailer, unless it works correctly. Cams & levers, but if it was ever modified or incorrectly set up, it may bind & not work properly. The added weight of the boat may make it worse. If it cycles & appears to work correctly, adjust the boat & bunks as needed, the set the winch post, and lastly the jack.

But as the trailer's in almost perfect shape, it likely just needs some good lubrication. Mine was rust frozen in the down position, where the tilt portion lands on the tongue. I pushed the boat back a little to fair & left it well strapped down to the tilting portion of the trailer, had the hitch attached to my truck (this is important) & it wasn't hard to get the tilt freed and the area cleaned up & all the parts & pieces lubricated.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO CYCLE THE TILT MECHANISM WHILE THE TRAILER IS NOT ATTACHED TO YOUR HITCH if the boat is anywhere near the tipping point for the tilt mechanism.

I'd pull the boat 1/2 way back to the end of the bunk, strap it down & check the tongue weight. Tow it around & see if it tows well. You should be able to tell when you've lightened the tongue too much. I doubt you'll need it, but many trailers are set up to allow the axle to be move forward or backward slightly to help w/ tongue weight too.

See if you can find a makers logo.... Around the winch post, the front of the hoop that connect the 2 fenders to each other thru the tilt keeper... Get some reference for how it should be setup, and go from there

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

Will poke around some more this afternoon and post some pics of the latching mechanism. This trailer does not have a lever mechanism; all it has is a spring loaded latch near the rear end of the tongue with a safety chain of some sort. More to come!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: My gifted boat project

I have a very similar tilt trailer (Gator, same as andgott). Your trailer even looks like a gator trailer. The rear bunks look like they raise and lower like mine. Do you have a handle on the other side? You should have about 150lbs of weight on you tongue. You can use regular bathroom scales and check this out by setting the jack on em. The pic indicates to me that she is to far forward just by looking at the forward bunks. On my trailer the jack is in front of the winch post. Is your axle moveable? Mine is. The combination of moving the Axle and/or the winch post should allow you to move the boat back on the rear bunks. Typically the transom should be just a bit forward of the ends of the bunks.

This might be of some interest...
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=388868

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My gifted boat project

The extra long bunks, and the thru bolt in the forward end of the bunk just beyond the fender in this pix:

are what made me think it might not be a gator, the different winch post, and on a time capsule, the fenders aren't quite right.

But the front bunk shape & the hoop shape of the tilt portion all did remind me of a Gator.

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

I did some more work today on the boat including more cleaning and applying the new registration numbers. I also looked around the trailer for some manufacturing name or logo. Nothing found...... I did some measuring and can only move the winch post aft about 6 inches due to some sort of rail running under the tongue. The jack would then go in front of the winch. I have also included a better pic of the releasing mechanism. As you can see by the length of the chain, it does not tilt very far.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: My gifted boat project

You'd be Amazed at how much Weight difference 6" would make. Also you could move it to the interior of the rail bracing. I have that same rail on my trailer. I'd really recommend moving the jack in front of the winch post and sliding the post back as far as it will go and moving the boat back and get a set of scales and see what you get. I also notice the axles have bearing buddies on em. That's good too!!!

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: My gifted boat project

is it just me, or do those fenders look like there on backwards??? switched the left and right sides of the trailer??

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My gifted boat project

MRD: Not to me, sharper leading edge, & sort of a swoop trailing edge to the fenders. Do seem slightly off center to the axle hub, but that may be mostly perspective...

Although it's a small pix & may have a rounded main tilt hoop, this 1961 Arkansas Traveler brochure looks to have a very similar trailer under the boat:

Also of note is the use of 'regular' boat cushions as emergency floatation...... that would fit nicely w/ WoodOnGlass' removeable rear bench seat, for use dock side like this Glastron ad:

 

[andgott]

Re: My gifted boat project

Nice rig! Remember, a boat is only original once- and that is a beauty. Don't touch a thing!

That isn't a Gator trailer- Fenders are wrong, shape of the frame wrong, tilt is a little different.... It's hard to tell for sure what make it is, But you might want to browse through some brochures/ads here- http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Main_Page

We're practically neighbors! I relocated to Tennessee from Ohio, after a brief 'detour' in Florida... I worked & lived up in Traverse City for a while, went to school up there (Great Lakes Maritime), and my latest boat restoration, a 1959 Lake N Sea, was built up in Traverse City.

-Andrew

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

Hi Andgott!; My wife's family has a Centennial Farm outside of Traverse City! In fact, it is on that farm that this boat has been stored for the past 51 yrs. It is a beautiful area. It is my goal to keep it as original as possible but some things I feel must be updated: things like the winch rope, etc., are items I feel must be replaced for the sake of safety. We had talked about installing a stereo but quickly dashed that thought just because we don't want to modify the dash. If in the future we do decide on installing a stero, it will be housed in a completely portable cabinet that will go into the boat without any hardware to secure it. Plus, we just might enjoy not having the distraction of music while on the boat. I just purchased another gas tank (a plastic one) to have while boating; I have not found another metal one yet, and will be far more comfortable on the water with two tanks vs just one.

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

Well we took the boat out Saturday for its first voyage in over 31 yrs. The motor started fine and ran fine except for what I think may bee too low of an idle speed. The day was very windy and the water was very choppy. We had the boat loaded with 4 adults and a dog and a large cooler. I ran the motor at various speeds per the mechanics advice. I had a top speed of 18 mph according to my handheld GPS I had on the dash. I "think" the boat should be able to produce higher speeds on calmer waters and with less of a load. I have no idea if I had the throttle all the way down since it was not my intent to run it full bore. While I did not get pics of the boat itself sitting in the water, I have attached some photos of us on the boat while running around. Enjoy!

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

View attachment 172116View attachment 172117View attachment 172118View attachment 172119

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My gifted boat project

1st post pix look great! 2nd post pix didn't attach.....

Great to see back out after a 31yr hiatus

SeaFoam might help clean out the motor, you mentioned a mechanic, but I don't recall if the motor got a once over/tune up.

May need to rebuild the carbs w/ ethanol proof gaskets & materials.

You do NOT want to spray starting fluid into the motor if you ever have trouble starting it. A spray bottle w/ some of the pre-mixed gas can be used instead.

 

[andgott]

Re: My gifted boat project

Looks like a great run!

If you haven't rebuilt the carb, I'd do it, for sure. After sitting that long, its going to have all sorts of gunk in there. They are easy to do, and the parts are cheap. You can get everything you need on Iboats, probably no more than $25 or so.

 

[Scooter38401]

Re: My gifted boat project

Here is a list of things off the top of my head that have been done to the motor prior to its latest voyage;
-new coils
-new points
-new plugs
-new fuel lines
-rebuilt carburetor
-new impeller
-new water pump housing (old one was cracked)
-replaced gasket in lower unit
-new line from gas tank to motor

All told; I have about $680 in parts and labor in the motor. I will look at the invoice tomorrow to see if I missed posting something else. On a side note, I got my permit for a detached 24x24 garage to store the boat. This free boat is costing me a fortune!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My gifted boat project

I'm sure the Admiral thinks your efforts & time on this pursuit are priceless....

Most excellent on the new boat house

 

[andgott]

Re: My gifted boat project

It's funny how the free ones seem to cost the most

It sounds like you've got a more or less new motor now, though. You ought to try some 'tinkering' on it yourself- older motors like that really aren't too hard to work on. You could have bought the parts on that list for about $100. Nothing on that list was an overly difficult job! Marine mechanics are just pricey