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I LOVE my Northeaster dory...in the water,, but on land it's just too much for me. Getting it to the water is fine on my Trailex, but getting it on and off the trailer (especially back on) is such a pain that I rarely use the boat. Any of my fellow builders have any suggestions to make single-handing her a bit easier?
10 replies:
RE: Dory Too Big
Is it the weight thats a problem? Like..scooting it all the way up the traile? I know the last 10% requires some muscle for my skerry. There are trailer winches you can get that might help? https://www.trailex.com/products/pc/Two-Speed-Manual-Winch-With-Hand-Brake-p218.htm
RE: Dory Too Big
Like Wookmaster, I wonder what is the exact problem. MY dory on a Trailex is the easiest boat I've ever owned to get in and out of the water. If your ramp is too steep or too shallow, I can see how that can create some problems. But basically you back it down until the transom just begins to lift from the trailer and it will easily slide off. Note how deeply the trailer wheels are in the water. In my case they are submerged to the top of the mud guards. You'll want to back the trailer in that deep again when you take the boat out of the water. . . . And that's it.
Once a year check that your wheels hubs are well greased.
RE: Dory Too Big
I'm using a "regular" small boat trailer for my NE Dory. It used to have rollers and bunker boards but they weren't fit up for the dory so I removed all. I'm now running up onto outdoor carpeted bunker boards that I instlled to fit, not using and rollers. Most importantly, the trailer does have a winch installed on the trailer, which is helpful for the pulling up the final couple of feet. Whether winch or not, does your boat have a bow eye, and is that where you're pulling from when pulling onto the trailer? Pulling with an up angle -taking weight off of the boat/trailer contact points while pulling - is very much better than pulling with a down-angle.. So if you don't have a bow eye or have one and aren't using it, consider adding one, or pulling from the bow eye. And if you rig up a winch, put it up on the post high enough so that it pulls at an up angle. And everything everyone else said about ramp angles and backing down far enough into the water, if possible. And I second the fact that this is probably the lightest/easiest boat I've ever trailered.
RE: Dory Too Big
I'll add that even if you don't change a thing about your current set up, grabbing the breast hook and pulling while standing up on the trailer tongue might just be sufficient. Your hand on the boat should be enough to allow you to keep your balance.
RE: Dory Too Big
I had a Sea Pearl 21 for many years. She had a flat, dory-like, bottom. The trailer supported the boat on a long, flat, central plank maybe 10-12 inches wide, covered with indoor/outdoor carpet. There were also 2x4 bunks at the turn of the bilge on each side through the middle (widest) part of the boat, also covered with indoor/outdoor carpet. Of course, this was much heavier than a Northeast Dory, likely by a factor of 10 or more.
Anyway, two things which helped in easing her off and on the trailer were (1) sloshing down the bunks with the bailer and (2) spraying the carpet surfaces with silicone from time to time, a good thing to do in the parking lot while the boat is off the trailer right after launching.
Any long, skinny boat with fine forward sections can be difficult to get back on a trailer. The bow wants to get off to one side and get things crosswise, making it difficult to keep the boat centered until she's halfway up. Might be that the best thing for it is to wade in so you can keep the boat lined up if you don't have a crewman to handle bow and stern lines with a boathook in hand to manage all that from a dock or float.
.....Michael
RE: Dory Too Big
@phalsey, the Trailex in stock configuration is overly tall. Some ramps I use are pretty shallow, so shallow my dory doesn’t want to float off the bunks. I removed intermediate brackets between bunk and frame. Attached bunks directly to the frame. Had to drill new holes in bunks (don’t drill the trailer!). That got me somewhere about two inches lower and let the boat float off easier. I’ve totally given up on the idea of having dry feet when loading and unloading.
RE: Dory Too Big
Bought an electric hoist,installed a track with rollers in the ceiling using threaded rod up through 2×4 laid over rafters and. Cradels attached to wall I can send more info if you want.it really wasn't difficult or expensive
RE: Dory Too Big
I have a NED and launch and retreve very easily without getting wet. I stwiched trailers to a used PWC trailer that lowers the stern of the boat almost a foot. That with roller bunks and a nornal boat winch makes loading easy. I use it several times a week in the summer. I can send pictures if you email me a number. [email protected]
RE: Dory Too Big
You know that Trailex is a boat trailer. Just think of it I have loaded my wife's inboard ski boats many times and never had to lift it on shore. Maybe you need to think a different launch and recovery configuration.
RE: Dory Too Big
» Submitted by catboater - Thu, 1/20/22 » 5:50 PM
I installed vertical guides on my Peeler trailer and it has made all the difference in getting it back on. I don't know if Trailex offers this accessory but if you can build the boat you should be able to rig something like this on the trailer.