As I mentioned previously, there are two main problems with the trailer as it is right now.
This is the first. One of the side supports is so low that the end almost touches the ground.
This shows the errant support and you can see that it is not vertical but slanted backwards. This is due to it being so low that it dragged on the scaffold boards when we were hauling the boat and trailer on to the car transporter. Still, it needs to be fixed.
This is the second issue. Shoal Waters sites very low on the trailer. I can understand why that should be since this is also her launching trailer and the lower to the ground the hull is, the sooner the boat will float as the tide rises.
However, if you look across the trailer so that the top of the metal beam on this side of the trailer is level with the same beam on the other side, you can see that there is no space here to put a supporting beam on which the boat may rest and be raised such that the trailer can be moved out from under the boat.
There is also another issue but a minor one and that is that the side supports on the left hand side of the trailer are lower than the ones on the right and so Shoal Waters is resting at a tilted angle as you can see here.
When I was replacing the axle and wheels last week I took the opportunity to spray all the nuts and bolts that hold the supports in place with penetrating oil and I was delighted to find that every one turned easily with a spanner despite being fairly rusted. So much so that once I had leveled the boat on the trailer, or close enough for now, I crawled under the boat with the penetrating oil and liberally applied it to the bolts that hold the centre supports since I’ll be needing to raise those up once the trailer is out from under the boat.
Now Shoal Waters is almost level. It isn’t perfect right now but it will suffice since I need to get the changes to the trailer done before I can level the hull properly so that it is level with the trailer.
Now the very low support strut is a lot closer to being vertical and is also a little bit higher off the ground. Silll not high enough but that will be rectified later.
Finally, for today, I blocked up the stern behind the trailer so that there is lateral support once the boat is raised up off the trailer and no longer supported by the side supports.
Time for a cup of tea.