Roller or V Bow stop?
Hey folks, been a member for a while and found nearly all my answers in the search (and there is some great info etc), but not this one, and this is my first post.
Have a 6.8m glass mono hull boat and the trailer is currently set up with a roller bow stop (came with it), but after having the boat a couple of years now and been towed up and down the country, the gel coat has some damage, but moslty been worn off by the roller and now the glas is exposed.
2 questions, I suppose.
1 - Is having a V shaped bow stop better (will cause less wear/damage) than a roller - or not?
2 - Is it better to have the bow hard up against the roller/V when transporting - or is it best to have a gap so the bow only comes up against the roller/V on bumpier journies? I suspect not having it up hard allows for more damage???
I suspect there will be some differeing opinions, but just looking for the best approach and you experiences.
Thanks in advance
OLD BANGA
Posts: 267
Date Joined: 02/04/10
Boat on trailer
Always keep the boat hard up against the roller or V stopper, you don't want any boat movement on the trailer when you are towing, accelerating and/or bracking. My trailer has two V stoppers for the two hulls of the Webster.
Old Banga!
OLD BANGA
oz74
Posts: 276
Date Joined: 14/05/12
Turnbuckle?
Agree,
always winch the boat hard up against the roller or V. Then give it another crank when it's out of the water (when retrieving), just to be sure.
that will keep it in the best horizontal position but what has probably caused your damage is the up and down movement or 'bouncing' whilst you are travelling. Solve this by having a turnbuckle from the eye on the boat down to the trailer chassis and make sure this is tight as well. This pretty much locks the boat in place and will limit movement in any direction.
lastly, you may want to see if there is a softer compound roller that you can put on that will also act as a shock adsorbed against the vibrations.
good luck
brett
Dingbat
Posts: 3
Date Joined: 20/12/10
Thanks
Thanks for the advice/info guys - I've been pulling it up tight, and locking it in with a saftey chain, but not using a turnbuckle. Also strap the stern down to the trailer to hold the back down.
Looks like I should be investing the turnbuckle or strap for the bow.
Thanks,
Neil
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Put a turnbuckle on the front
Put a turnbuckle on the front to lock it down tight when travelling. An option to stop the wear would be to lock the roller so it doesn't turn (it doesn't need to) and glue a small piece of rubber on it where the bow contacts. can get a small piece from Clarke Rubber (are they in WA??) for next to nothing. - I'm about to do this on my boat/trailer.
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