Trailering Modifications

• Bow Roller
  
  We had a problem with the bow bunk when we originally bought the boat.  The wood blocks were mounted to far apart and the boat would hit the steel crossbar when loading and unloading.  After removing a good bit of gel coat I installed a roller that guides the boat onto the bow bunk.
   

• Wheels and Tires
  
  The original tires were bias ply ST205/75D14 rated for 1760 lbs each.  I felt that this was the weakest link in the trailering system.  While in theory the boat and trailer is only 3500 lbs, I think the reality with full gear is more like 3800-4000 lbs.  On one trip to the Everett launch we had one of the original tire delaminate loosing a 12" section of tread.  Once we got home from that adventure I purchased new ST215/75R14 radial tires rated at 1870 lbs and new wheels.  While I'd still like even bigger 15" wheels and tires at least now we have a bit more capacity.
   

• Furler Support
  
  I didn't like curving the furler foil for trailering.  I added a wood support that extends out past the end of the mast allowing the furler to be bungeed straight along the mast.
   
• Disk Brakes ^{*new 05*}
  
  It was time for new bearings and seals.  We were getting a lot of grease spray on both sides of the the boat when trailering.  Since this meant stripping things down to the axel spindles I decided to replace the drum brakes with discs.  The drums were always rusty and lately seemed to be doing very little braking.  As it turns out the shoe lining was nearly gone and loose on one side.
  
  I bought a Tie Down conversion kit from Blue Water Yachts.  It includes rotors, aluminum calipers, brackets, bolts, etc.  The rotors are no longer stainless as these had warping problems.  They are now galvanized
  
  Once all the old parts were pulled off, which actually was quite easy, we packed the bearings and re-assembled the new parts onto the spindles.  The brackets all fit perfect and the factory brake line fittings were easy to reuse with a bit of careful bending. 
  
  I punched a hole in the actuator check valve as required, then connected everything up and bled the lines.  It all works great.  On our first trip of over 150 miles, braking was excellent and there was no spray on the trailer.
   
• Reversing Solenoid ^{*new 05*}
  
  As part of the disc brake install a put in a reversing solenoid between the actuator and the main brake line.  This is wired to the back up lights on the truck and disables the brakes when backing.  It works great.
   
• Aft Transom Arch ^{*new 07*}
  
  See details here
   

• Mid Mast Support ^{*new 07*}
  
  With the distance from the new arch to the bow pulpit it was time to create a mid mast support.  I used a simple section of 2" ABS pipe.  I cut a slot that slips over the bolt holding the mast raising gin pole in place at the bottom.  This keeps the base centered on the mast step.  The top has a vee shape to match the mast.  A hole below that allows a bungee to pass through and the top to be secured to the mast.  This has taken all the bounce out of the mast in the down position.
   
• Guide Posts ^{*new 08*}
  
  I added simple PVC pipe extensions to the welded on trailer guide posts.  They are made of 2" PVC with a cap on the end and a hole drilled near the top to let the air out so they do not float.  They just slip over the factory guide posts.
   
• LED Trailer Lights ^{*new 08*}
  
  I found a nice set of LED tail lights on sale at Boaters World.  They are completely sealed to eliminate any problems with water and corrosion.  They also have a full wiring harness that includes a wired ground conductor.  Almost all the light problems I have had were traced to a bad ground to the trailer frame.  Having the lights fully wired eliminates that problem as well.