Graham,

Given everything you’ve tried that didn’t work, I am left with suggesting your bunks need to be moved forward.  It doesn’t need to be much, probably only a couple of inches.  By any chance, could you move the bunk supports from the aft side of the trailer crossmembers to the front side?  If the bunk supports are already on the front side of the crossmembers; then, you will have to fabricate spacers and use longer grade 8 bolts to move the bunks forward.  The general rule of thumb is that you should have => 10% of the trailer weight on the tongue for high speed stability.  Your trailer is way short of that.  My wife won’t let me have the excitement of having the boat & trailer start to wag the tow vehicle on the expressway!

Some other solutions would be to remove weight from the stern, like removing the outboard and stowing it on the tongue.  You could always tow with a full water tank &/or move everything from the lazarette compartment to the V-berth.  But, all these solutions add time and royal PITA factor to rigging and unrigging.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10

From: Graham Stewart<mailto:gstewart8 at cogeco.ca>
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 10:29 PM
To: 'The Rhodes 22 Email List'<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Almost perfect as can be - trailer

Now that I compare the picture of my boat with that of Optopian it seems that it is just as far forward so maybe it isn't as bad as I thought.

Graham Stewart
Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
Kingston Ontario

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Graham Stewart
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 9:45 PM
To: 'The Rhodes 22 Email List'
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Almost perfect as can be - trailer

I am one of those who has never been able to get my boat sufficiently forward on the trailer. When I winch in the boat at the launch ramp the bow eye goes under the bow brace even when it is fully retracted. As a result I can't pull the boat in all the way.

After leaving the ramp on to level ground of the boat the bow moves up putting enormous pressure on the front of the boat. If I relieve the strain on the winch the bow of the boat moves up and back. I took a picture of the winch and brace after retrieving the boat today and attach it here. I also weighed the tongue with the motor still on the transom. I think it should be heavier that 140 lbs.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Graham Stewart
Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
Kingston Ontario


-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Lowe, Rob
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 11:43 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Almost perfect as can be - trailer

Tom,
First off, sorry about your mishaps.   I've done the same thing sort of.  Set the keel down on the guide bunks and broke one.

Your need to get the support welded.  Make sure they weld it at the same angle as it was.  I think they angle out a bit and the guy who welded mine made it vertical, which meant the keel no long would fit between the boards.  I ended up replacing the 2 inch boards with 1 inch boards so the keel would fit.

Now to get the boat centered, I 'think' it was Stan that shared this wisdom.  Leave your centerboard down when retrieving.  The centerboard will help guide the boat into position on the trailer.  Once centered and winched in , PULL THE BOARD BACK UP.  Does anyone else do it this way? It sure works for me.

Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of Tom Van Heule
Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2020 12:31 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Almost perfect as can be - trailer

Today I went to the up a launch lane to practice retrieval and launching our boat Octopian. In the morning I had about negative 80lbs tounge weight, the aft port window centered above the axle.  Rudder and 8hp 4 stroke on the back. Mast down on the crutch and attached to the bow pulpit. Single axle.

Now see where the aft port is related to the axle.
We have about 120lbs of tounge weight now! Pulled remarkedly better.

You may ask yourself.... Why almost perfect then?
We cracked one of the keel alignment bunks :(

Let's share our tips for getting her just right in the bunks? I don't see a lot of retrieval or launching threads on the archive.

I found that winching her tight before de-floating, with the stem crotch full retracted worked perfect.
Just make sure you give her time to settle in the bunk, it's not a tractor pull...

Hope everyone had a great weekend.
Tom