South Coast 21

[Lloyd]

I pulled the boat around to the other end of the barn. I got the mast down and out of the barn and on top of the boat. Pulled it back around the barn to the working end.

South Coast Mast Down.jpg (76.4 KiB) Viewed 7335 times

I put together some blocks, for the front, and two crutches for the back. One on the aft end and one that will stand in the front of the cockpit. Also built a a-frame for a pivot at the mast to run the fore stay over pulling the mast up. No pictures. Then I got the mast raised.

South Coast Mast Up Front.jpg (64.91 KiB) Viewed 7335 times

South Coast Mast Up Aft.jpg (75.24 KiB) Viewed 7335 times

[Lloyd]

Posting some work I have been doing.
I built up a wood base for a battery. I got it all coated with epoxy.

This is where I am going to put the battery. Just aft of the V-berth bulkhead.

I set the base in with thickened epoxy and tabbed over both ends.

I bought a small battery then made some cleats to hold it in place. I got them coated with epoxy. The plywood board, in the picture, is for a opening in the V-berth.

Then epoxied the cleats in place and put the battery in. I also got it wired up.

Here is the opening in the V-berth.

More to come.

[Lloyd]

The line drawing is for a jib kit I bought from Sailrite. I sewed it up this past winter.

[Lloyd]

Here is the cleat epoxied in the hole in the V-berth and painted.

The cover I made for it.

And the cover in place.

I built a box for the electric on/off switch, a three position breaker panel, a bilge pump switch and a charging port.

And above it is the swing out panel. All I have, now, installed on it is a compass and depth finder.

[Lloyd]

I had to make new blocks for the new navigation lights. I made them out of wood, coated them with epoxy and painted them with house paint.

Here they are installed.
Port side.

And Starboard side.

[atomvoyager]

Thanks for sharing that. Interesting idea to have that swing out instrument panel to handle multiple devices.

[Lloyd]

Atomvoyager i decided to try the board on the swing out arm because I hate to cut holes in the boat for things that may not last or need to be replaced with something else. I hope it works out.
I sewed up a cover for the Port combing board. I am still working on the Starboard one.

Talk about drilling holes. I finally drilled one for the small bilge pump i am putting in. I installed the thru hull and attached the hose.
Outside

and inside

I went around and around trying to decide where to put it.

[Lloyd]

So I am now up to my big news. I took the new trailer parts to be galvanized. Then went back a week later to pick them up. Now I have most of them installed but not with out some problems.
The first problem was with the threaded rods and nuts. I had told the place I bought them from that I was going to have them galvanized. They told me they would turn them loose to allow for the galvanize. It didn't work. I did a lot of grinding and filing on the rods and nut to get them to work. After I got done with all the rods I then primed and spray painted them.

I then started to put the uprights on the trailer working around the wood cradle.

[Lloyd]

I them went back around and put in the threaded rod with the nuts and top brackets.

I then got the wench assembly/ladder bolted on the front.

This boat never had a bow eye. So it was time to install one so the wench had someplace to hook to.

On the inside I added some fiberglass to reinforce the area some.

With most of the uprights in with threaded rods, I was then able to take apart the wood cradle and get it out of the way. With blocks on the top I tightened up the nuts to lift the boat up off the wood cradle. I was then able to finish getting the uprights bolted on with all the braces.

Next up bolting in the bottom keel board.

[Lloyd]

So then I continued to tighten up the nuts to lift the boat off the keel board.

I marked the keel board for the brackets and bolt holes. Then pulled it out. The boat is now only resting on the uprights. I then drilled the holes.

I then slid the keel board back into place, bolting the brackets on as it went in. Then I bolted the brackets to the trailer. I then ripped a 2 x 4 and bolted/screwed them into place as side boards for the keel. I set the boat back down on the keel board.

With the wood cradle out of the way I painted the spots I couldn't get with bottom paint. I had to take a couple of the uprights off temperately to get to the spots.

[Lloyd]

The extension launching tube, I got it all bolted together and the dolly bracket, with wheels, mounted.

I then stuck them on the trailer. I still have to figure out how to haul them. On the trailer or in the back of the truck.

I am not to sure how well this system will work. First launching will tell I guess. (6/18/23 update. The wheel dolly was a failure at launch)
Next up, putting the 2 x 4 bunk boards on. It didn't work out as planned.

[Lloyd]

So I had a problem getting the 2 x 4 bunk boards on. I glued carpet on the tops of the bunk boards then started to install them. I was only able to lag screw the boards to the back three uprights brackets. The back three basically line up straight. I couldn't twist the front ends of the boards in enough to screw them onto the front upright brackets. I thought I had worked through this problem when I was making all the uprights. To much time had passed to remember what I had done. So I decided to try to persuade them into place.

You can see in the above picture how close I was to getting them into place. Well the next morning when I looked both of the boards cracked just past the second upright. Oh well.
On to plan B.

Yep, I cut out the crack and epoxied/screwed them back together. No bend needed now.
I think that gets me up to date.
Tomorrow I will glue a piece of carpet on the splice area then lag screw the bunk boards into place. I hope.

[Lloyd]

Glued pieces of carpet on the splice areas and pieces on the tail end of the boards.

Then I got them installed.

I now need to figure out how to deal with the extension tubes. Thinking about putting two blocks of wood on two cross beams and tie them in place with a rope.
Then work on installing new trailer lights.

[Lloyd]

Here is a picture of the jib I sewed hoisted while the boat was on the trailer.

I then dropped the mast using the A-frame with a block and tackle.

This picture shows the mast down resting in the aft mast crutch.

And finally the mast is moved forward and tied down. There is a block at the front, a crutch in the cockpit and the aft crutch. The blue bag holds the stays and turnbuckles so I don't loose any parts.

I have also tied the extension tubes in place. I had made some blocks, bolted to the trailer, for them to set in.

[Lloyd]

Then it was off to the boat ramp.
Here the trailer is blocked and unhooked from the truck. I am untying the extension tubes. I had decided not to raise the mast. I just wanted to make sure I could get the boat off then back on to the trailer.

The extension tubes hooked up and ready for launch.

Next time - problem with launching.

[Lloyd]

This is where I had a problem. Notice the brackets of the dolly. They are leaning over.

I went ahead and continued to back the trailer in with the dolly leaning over. Second problem. The trailer tires are about at the end of the concrete ramp and I needed a little more to float it off. The bow eye is now sitting on the bow roller, stuck. I managed to wade in and lift and push it off the bow roller.

[Lloyd]

First time floating in a long time. I am happy.

I took the boat for a five minute ride then back to the trailer.

[Lloyd]

Here is what happened. The dolly leaned over, for what ever reason, and the rubber tire was knocked off the rim. As I pulled the trailer out of the water, with the dolly leaning over, the trailer was heading over towards the concrete dock. So i stopped it here.

[Lloyd]

I then cranked the jack wheel down to lift the dolly upright then slowly continued to pull the trailer out of the water.

IMG_7977.jpg (132.95 KiB) Viewed 7162 times

I blocked the wheels and took the extension tube out. I then attached the trailer back to the truck with no extension.

[Lloyd]

I then tried winching the boat up onto the trailer. I wouldn't slide much. I backed the truck up some more, then winched it up some more.

[Lloyd]

It took some time winching but I got it back on the trailer almost all the way. There was about 6" space between the bow and the bow roller.

I strapped her down and headed home. I had to stop three times because the forward strap kept coming off.
But I made it home.

[Lloyd]

Next up, rethink and rebuild the dolly.

[atomvoyager]

Thanks for documenting all this. It takes time to work all the bugs out. Depending on your location you may find at least sometimes that it's more convenient to launch at a marina that has an inexpensive small boat lift, the kind mostly used by day fishermen on boats that are inconvenient to launch. For example, I had my 28' Triton lifted and placed on her trailer at Ft McAlister Marina's overhead rail lift just south of Savannah for $28. That's only $1 per foot. And it saves the saltwater corrosion on the trailer.

[CapnK]

Very nice work on the trailer, Lloyd! Jib looks nice as well.

Could you maybe replace the small, hard rubber trailer jack wheel with a larger "real" wheel/tire, to supplant or perhaps negate the need for the trolly altogether?

I've seen trollies like that before, but never in use. Never know until you try, right?

Congrats on getting her in teh water, at the very least. I bet those few minutes, though short, were like "Aaaahhhh..."