Trailer

It took some doing, but the trailer is free of the boat.

The following steps were involved:

1.     - Lower the trailer tongue to raise the stern

2.     - Build a cradle to support the stern

3.     - Raise the tongue and pull the trailer out from underneath

o    tie the transom to a tree conveniently located about 20' behind the boat

o    jack up and block the bow of the boat

o    slowly pull the boat forward until the bow cribbing meets a trailer crossmember

o    repeat until the trailer is about halfway out

4.     Build another cradle a bit aft of amidships

o    Repeat above until the trailer is nearly free of the boat

5.     Block up the keel near the bow

The numbers and bullets make it sound easy, but it was tedious and a bit nerve-wracking. Here is the story in pictures:

Cradle for the stern. Sheathed in 1/2" OSB for shear strength. I made a template with craft paper to get maximum contact along the breadth of the hull bottom.

Rope tied to the very strong transom and tensioned (note the 1X2 to the left of the stepladder that I used to twist the rope then brace it to the ground). This is an old halyard off our last sailboat, with very low stretch.

Bow blocked while inching the trailer forward. This gap in the trailer cross-members here is about 2'; the gaps behind it are about half that, which means lots of re-blocking and jacking. Did I mention tedious?

This shows the cradles at the stern and slightly behind amidships, then the keel blocked up about 5' behind the bow. Note the 2X4 between the two cradles to provide fore and aft stability.

The main complication in this process involved the giant side bunks on the trailer. They were so tight against the hull that the trailer had to be pulled straight out with respect to the boat or even the stout ropes would not keep the boat immobile. I couldn't pull the boat straight out with the pickup because of limited space to maneuver, so ended up using a come-along affixed to the pickup parked straight ahead of the trailer. This worked great, since it was easy to control and I could clearly see what was going on...much better than monitoring things through the side mirror. 

So, the trailer is out and today I finished scraping off the worst of the rust then pressure washed it. Although it is old and looks like crap, it is well constructed and structurally sound. The weather later this week should allow for painting. This will involve applying a reducer to change the ferric iron (rust) into ferrous (the normal iron state), then slapping on a coat of Rust-Oleum paint. I'm under no illusions that it won't rust again, probably beginning shortly after the Offshore is launched in salt water, but there is a lot of metal left so it should last for many a year. I'll try to wash it off with fresh water after dunking it, but that is not always available at boat launches.

Trailer out from under the boat, ready for prep and painting.

My friend Bruce B. helped with painting the trailer in mid-April, after I reduced the rust using a product from Rodda. After that I painted the wheels, installed new bearings, races, and seals in the hubs, and had new tires mounted. I contemplated upsizing the 13" wheels to 14", but wasn't sure the tires would clear the fenders with a loaded boat on the trailer, so stayed with the original set-up. I then packed the bearings, filled the hubs with marine grease, and pumped up the Bearing Buddies. That took almost a full tube!

Painted trailer.

The next task was to make the lighting compliant with Washington standards. They have a guide that explains requirements for various trailers. The top of the side bunks put the trailer into the over 80" category, which requires a lot of extra lighting and reflectors all over the place. The original trailer had only tail lights, so I had to add eight clearance lights plus a 3-light bar at the center back. Not complicated, but it did require some time and lots of wire and zip ties to hold them steady and minimize chafing. I was surprised that after wiring everything up (including a chassis ground) every single light worked!

Lights on!

The rear view, with the special three lights in the center required for trailers >80"

 Other State requirements for a Homemade/Unknown trailer are to have it weighed on a certified scale (620 lbs at Lakeside Industries for $5).

Today (5/10/2018) I drove the trailer to the nearest WSP inspection station near the Bellingham airport, after setting up an appointment two weeks ago. I had some trepidation with this: would they evaluate the structural integrity of the trailer, or did I get the lighting wrong? The inspection was anticlimactic. They measured the trailer, stamped the new VIN on, and called it good. They didn't even ask me to turn on the lights, for goodness sake!

A legal trailer!

Later today I went to the Anacortes licensing office to finally transfer the title for the boat and trailer and get a license plate for the trailer. My new friend Crystal Johnson there was able to correct the Oregon title to reality. It had the Offshore as built in 1960, and a weird hull number of five numbers. I was able to pull up a picture of the original  hull plate (which was painted over and scratched, and I restored a few months ago) on my phone and send it to her, so the new title is accurate.

Restored hull plate. Really glad it was not removed during the boat's checkered life. The 8 is for 1958, the 2S is 20' offShore, and 36 is the hull number. I think the hull number is sequential for all 20' hulls, which means my boat was made quite early in the year. The Express, with the expanded cabin, was the most popular model this year.

The trailer is ready to to be reinserted beneath the Offshore. My friend "The Rabbit Guy" has offered to help with with this. We will be away in our travel trailer for the next two weeks, I will leave you with this final picture of the officially licensed trailer.

Trailer done, finally.