Jacking boat off trailer...

Hey gang, any practical and safe way to jack the boat off the trailer to do some bunk maintenance? Ideally I'd pull the trailer out to work on it. This is a 196. Thanks.

That was my first thought...so like a couple of wheeled engine lifts?

My Garage is also my basement. It has old 2 -1/4" x 10- 1/4" joists. And this home is 110 years old now. I bolted a couple hooks up near the top of the joists above my lifting rings and used a come-a-long to lift the boat while I pulled out the trailer for repairs.   The boat is only 2,300 pounds or so?   It worked for me. There was still about 8" of solid wood under my hooks.   After doing my boat we did my brothers boat the same way. His was going to have to sit for 3 weeks so we lowered the boat onto some used tires we picked up and they worked perfect to support it off the concrete floor.   It might be called Bubba work but we had zero damage.

I did my bunks about one month ago. I live lake view and I asked a friend if I could park my boat at his dock for a day or two. I planned it around days that it was not going to rain. It only sat at his dock over night for one night. I believe this was the first night I had ever left it in the water. My daughter gave me a ride back and forth to the local boat ramp nearby.

Also, I purchased ($30.00) an electric staple gun from Lowes. It was a big help. Also, Lowes sells stainless Steel Staples. You need to use SST staples.

Joe's advice above is good. I did something similar. I bought a Harbor Freight 2-Ton engine hoist that I used when I rebuilt my trailer. It wasn't the most elegant option but it worked. As Joe stated, you need LEVEL floor (concrete or asphalt)

You can jack up the boat's a$$ end off the trailer bunk boards easily. First start by dropping the trailer tongue all the way to the ground. Then use concrete blocks with some type of "softener" on top. I used carpet and some 2X4s. With the trailer tongue on the ground, the a$$ end of the boat us up in the air. Place the concrete blocks under the transom -- as far back as possible. Use the softner to protect the hull. Use 2X4s or similar on top of the concrete blocks so that you get as close to the hull as possible. Then pick up the tongue of the trailer. As the trailer tongue lifts up, the rear of the boat will sit on the concrete blocks/carpet and will lift up off the trailer bunks. Does this make sense? Then you have to lift the bow of the boat. I used my H.F. 2 Ton engine hoist to lift the bow of the boat by the lifting ring. Carefully pull the trailer out and block-up the boat so that it is stable. I used concrete blocks on the rear (transom) and on the sides and some under the keel. All softened with 2X4s and carpet.

If the trailer cross-members interfere with the concrete blocks/supports, you have to do a block-and-move system by placing new blocking/supports where the trailer just vacated and removing the supports that are in the way of the trailer path. You may have to do this a couple of times. It worked for me just fine. Take your time and be cautious on your blocking schemes. Belt and suspenders is a good approach. I don't know if my narrative is easy to follow or not. If not, send me a PM.

JQ

Orlando76 wrote: No like an overhead beam and a chain fall. Because we all have a Gantry in our 8’ tall garage

Oops forgot those flats down in that hot Florida sun don’t have garages that you can do things like this in.
But hey it’s cool enough a couple months of the year that you can work in the driveway with some blocks and jacks.

That is innovation at its best
But seriously all it takes is some 2x4s and some type beam (I used square tubing I pick up in my travels) and a couple chain falls and voìla

Or jack up that side of the trailer a few inches then support the hull and lower the trailer.

desertskier wrote: Or jack up that side of the trailer a few inches then support the hull and lower the trailer.

Yep, that would work also, but still I'll still need to support the weight of the boat along that edge. Enough structure there? Thanks

8122pbrainard wrote: ultrarunner wrote: desertskier wrote: Or jack up that side of the trailer a few inches then support the hull and lower the trailer. Yep, that would work also, but still I'll still need to support the weight of the boat along that edge. Enough structure there? Thanks I'm not too sure about jacking up one side of the boat. I have a feeling the hull will slide off the bunk on the other side towards the side being jacked up. The trailer should come out from under the boat so a good repair can be made.

Oh, I just need to lift a quarter to half inch, at the most, to reposition and secure the bunk. Not worried about boat sliding off.


Thanks,

Mark