1973 Albin 25 WAS: New member in midcoast Maine

[hetek]

Not to muck things up but here's another data point for you. My trailer bunks:

20180807_183902.jpg

It is a 3" x 10" chunk of Cypress with a 4 x 6 glued and screwed to the bottom for use as a spacer. I scribed the curve of the hull onto the Cypress and cut it for a custom fit. Fits like a glove, but it was a lot of work. That's a 1977 deLuxe hull bottom, btw.

Those two bolts through the sides go to angled braces that bolt to the trailer cross members to eliminate the "wobble factor".

The 4x6's were used to raise the boat up higher because, yes, my boat's rudder fitting showed evidence of touching pavement.

[WillieC]

I use my donut zinc on the skeg for "curb feeler". Works good, sounds like death.

[kerrye]

If you look at ski boats which typically run a fixed shaft and prop, you'll see that many of their trailers have an extended bar which runs under the prop/rudder to protect them. Not a bad idea for an A25 trailer in my opinion.

[Sunsetrider]

My 76 Super Amazing Deluxe will hit 10kts - at least the one time I cranked it with DA and Helen aboard. MD17C, I dropped the revs before getting nailed for doing wheelies.

[Beta Don]

I just purchased a trailer today from local dealer who had it in stock. I got a Venture Commander 7225
Sweet trailer! I believe it will take up to a 27’ Boat so a bit large so I have plenty of adjustment.

Is your rear most crossmember cut and shaped like a U to accommodate the keel?

I think you may have to make a pretty major change to the aft end of the trailer to accommodate the rudder. If you look at DA's trailer the rudder is aft of the last cross member. Your trailer is a bit too long for the boat at 27 feet, which means you won't be able to hang the rudder off the aft end of the trailer and still have it balanced so you have the correct tongue weight. Moving a boat just 5 or 6 inches for and aft will dramatically change the tongue weight - It will take you some trial and error to get the boat in the correct place and if you can't move the axles aft, you probably won't be able to get proper clearance for the rudder unless you make some modifications to the aft end of the trailer. Before you design the keel support and all the bunks, make sure you have the tongue weight all sorted out

Don

[DesertAlbin736]

Off topic, but TS/Cat 1 hurricane Gordon heading for Gulf Coast tonight. Hang in there Don!

TS Gordon.jpg

https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Gordo ... -Hurricane

[Beta Don]

We've lived here for 45 years, so we've been through much worse, many times. Katrina wiped out everything, so now we live much farther inland than we used to - No high water here no matter how bad it gets

Don

[Dieselram94]

Don, hope you weathered the storm ok!

Here’s some pics of my new trailer, it looks bigger in the pictures than it actually is. Lined up side by side it looks like it will fit pretty well. I think...

[Dieselram94]

Placed boat on new trailer today. Now I can actually see what I need to order, for the bunks. Definitely needs adjustment, I just put the 2x4’s in so I could get it home. I definitely want it to be nice when done, not ghetto at all.

[kerrye]

I'm a little concerned that the boat is not on the trailer far enough leading to a light trailer tongue and too much weight behind the wheels. If you look closely at the other photos on this thread, the boat is further forward on the trailer. Desert's is way further forward and if you look at mine it's about 18-20" further forward of the trailer (if you look at the back of the trailer and the front edge of the aft cabin)

[Dieselram94]

I'm a little concerned that the boat is not on the trailer far enough leading to a light trailer tongue and too much weight behind the wheels. If you look closely at the other photos on this thread, the boat is further forward on the trailer. Desert's is way further forward and if you look at mine it's about 18-20" further forward of the trailer (if you look at the back of the trailer and the front edge of the aft cabin)

I believe your right, I ordered the correct length bunk risers today, I’m hoping to raise the boat higher and be able to slide it ahead a bit more. It probably has a couple hundred pounds of tongue weight as is but I agree, needs to be farther ahead. I just was limited with what I had yesterday at the boat ramp. My goal is to have it fit well and look mice as well.

[kerrye]

Can the winch post be moved forwards?

[DesertAlbin736]

Rule of thumb tongue weight should be +/- 10% of total weight. Winch post should be adjustable I would think, a bolted on affair. The problem you'll have in moving the boat forward is it'll have to be raised up enough to clear where the keel drops down, & limited as to how far forward the winch post can be moved. And the higher the boat is on the trailer the further back in the water it will have to be to float off.

Ours has quite a bit of tongue length between the hitch & the bow & have no problems with the the trailer tracking correctly & no sway problems. The back edge of the wheelhouse lines up approximately centered between the two axles. Actually, I have to back the trailer in at the ramp to the point where water's edge is at the back edge of the driver's door.

DSCN3667.JPG

DSCN3628.JPG

When we had our sailboat it sat so high on the trailer due to the wing keel that we had to "strap launch". That is, back the trailer down to water''s edge, chock the wheels, unhook the trailer (it had dolly wheels on the tongue" attach a tow strap, take up the slack, unchock the wheels & let the trailer roll in deep enough to float the boat off, mostly because there was a much shorter tongue length.

Nikon 2012 351.jpg

[Dieselram94]

Can the winch post be moved forwards?

Yes, I moved it all the way back to meet the boat. Either needs to be behind where the rails tie into the tongue or after. Hope it doesn’t want to land directly on that joint...

[Dieselram94]

Rule of thumb tongue weight should be +/- 10% of total weight. Winch post should be adjustable I would think, a bolted on affair. The problem you'll have in moving the boat forward is it'll have to be raised up enough to clear where the keel drops down, & limited as to how far forward the winch post can be moved. And the higher the boat is on the trailer the further back in the water it will have to be to float off.

Ours has quite a bit of tongue length between the hitch & the bow & have no problems with the the trailer tracking correctly & no sway problems. The back edge of the wheelhouse lines up approximately centered between the two axles. Actually, I have to back the trailer in at the ramp to the point where water's edge is at the back edge of the driver's door.

DSCN3667.JPG
DSCN3628.JPG

When we had our sailboat it sat so high on the trailer due to the wing keel that we had to "strap launch". That is, back the trailer down to water''s edge, chock the wheels, unhook the trailer (it had dolly wheels on the tongue" attach a tow strap, take up the slack, unchock the wheels & let the trailer roll in deep enough to float the boat off, mostly because there was a much shorter tongue length.

Nikon 2012 351.jpg

Yeah, as it was my rear wheels were almost half under water. I hate doing that to my truck as it’s salt water. Good thing I fluid film meticulously underneath every fall. The bumper is bad as I used to not treat it.

How much tongue weight do you think you have?