Trailer Help... Transducer is in the way of the bunks...

[SBH2OMan]

I bought a new "old stock" 2008 Pacific Galvanized trailer to carry the Parker 2320 (got a good deal on it). Pacific supplies most of the So Cal Parker dealers with trailers and most of the Parkers I see around here are on Pacific trailers. Very heavy duty, high quality units with three separate courses of bunks - outer most at the stern 1/3, middle 1/3 of the boat rest on the longer bunks just below the upper strakes, and the bow rests on the inner-most bunks (sorry, I don;t have any pictures).

The trailer was specifically set up for a 2320, and even has a tag on it that says "Parker 23 DV".

Last weekend my partner and I went to retrieve the boat from its marina and bring it home (in the pouring rain I might add). We eased her onto the trailer and it looked like a perfect fit until my partner began pulling the boat up the ramp and there was this terrible sound of crushing wood.

STOOOOOOOOPPPPPP!!!!!! I yelled at the top of my lung. BACK! BACK! BACK! BACK!!!

The high speed fairing block installed by the PO was RIGHT smack dab where the port side middle bunk was, and as the weight of the boat came down on the trailer, it pushed the transducer into the soft cypress wood of the bunk and made a 1/4" deep impression of itself.

I jumped on board and ripped open the "fish box" just outside the PH door to make sure we weren't taking on water. Whew, thank God, no water and no visible signs of stress in the gel coat or fiberglass. Thank God Parkers are built so well! (an this fairing block was really well installed).

So in the pouring rain we had to move the middle bunks out about 3" on each side to make room for the fairing block. After about 7 or 8 tries to get it positioned correctly, we tightened everything down and brought her home. The center bunks really need to be shimmed up, because they are not supporting much weight in their current position.

So I have two problems:

1. The bunks need to be adjusted up (shimmed?) or I need a bunk that is designed with an indentation to accommodate the fairing block. (does such a thing exist?)

2. Because there is only about 1" of leeway (too far to port and the starboard side bunk rides ABOVE the strake and too far starboard and the fairing block hits the port side bunk) it is a ROYAL pain in the butt to get her on the trailer correctly. It takes one man standing knee deep in the water to watch as she comes up and the nudge her side to side to get it just right. It is taking three or four attempts to get it right, and frankly after two outings, I'm already tired of it!

We plan to take it to a trailer shop to address #1, but I'm curious if anyone has experience in installing those upright "guide posts". I know they make loading the boat easier by keeping the stern lined up, but can they hold the stern within a 1" position, or is that asking too much? The trailer shop wants $600 for the "side bunk" style guides and about $300 for a carpeted "upright" on each side of the rear of the trailer.

Thanks in advance for any advice or experience you can share.

-Brent

 

[grouperjim]

tough to give advice without seeing pics.

obviously one or the other will have to go. in every case i have come across in the past (other peoples boats) the bunk was trimmed to accommodate the transducer or raw water scoop whichever.

FWIW i have a trailer with the centering bunks. mine are not designed to rest up against the hull after recovery of the boat. they are there to guide the keel down centerline of the trailer. when the boat is at rest on the trailer (weight supported by the main bunks), there is perhaps a 1 inch gap between the centering bunks and the hull.

 

[SBH2OMan]

Thanks Jim. I'll try to snap some photos when I bring her back from the shop where she is being looked at for a high idle problem (shifter or shifter cable problem, I suspect) and a low RPM vibration that I'm afraid might be from a slightly bent prop shaft.

On a separate note, Jim, I notice you have the "guide on" posts that appear to be the fulton "light duty" variety. My trailer manufacturer recommends "heavy duty" side bunks with 14' long boards (the kit costs $350) and tells me that my boat will "snap off" the light duty ones like those you have on your trailer. Two questions for you:

1. Have you ever had a problem with them being too weak for your boat?

2. Would you guess that they would be sufficient to "clamp" the stern in a position tightly enough to keep it from moving more than an inch in either direction (which is about how much leeway I have while loading onto the trailer).

Thanks again for your ideas and advice. I called the largest local trailer shop and they quoted me $600 to set up side bunks and adjust the trailer. I thought that seemed ridiculous.

Brent

 

[TunaJoe]

I have the same guide on poles that GJ has.

Can't speak for GJ, but mine won't hold my boat within a 1" tolerance. I have a similar problem with my Parker. The way the trailer is set up, if not perfect, the raw water pickup rests on a bunk. I adjusted the bunks the best I could and then made sure the boat was on the trailer perfect. Then snugged up the vertical poles against the rub rails.
When it's windy, it'll push the boat around, flexing the poles a bit.
Curious to see how you fix things. For me, it's such a PITA when loading the boat. I'm tempted to buy the expensive side bunks.

 

[grouperjim]

1. Have you ever had a problem with them being too weak for your boat?

2. Would you guess that they would be sufficient to "clamp" the stern in a position tightly enough to keep it from moving more than an inch in either direction (which is about how much leeway I have while loading onto the trailer).

Thanks again for your ideas and advice. I called the largest local trailer shop and they quoted me $600 to set up side bunks and adjust the trailer. I thought that seemed ridiculous.

Brent

yes, that price is nuts.

too weak.......yes. the 2320 is a very heavy boat especially when loaded up with gas and gear. the guide ons are just the PVC plumbing type. i think the originals were sched 40. when a crosswind caused the boat to bend one over a bit, my trailer guys said they simply put the next size over the old ones which are slightly wider and thicker matl (2 " diameter i think). now they are pretty stiff and strong. i am happy with them.

question 2.......not sure the guide ons are designed to "clamp" the boat into position, but rather just bend and push the hull towards centerline on the trailer. while i have never owned one, i do think those west coast style trailers you see with the structural side bunks are designed to keep the hull "clamped" into position.

if you look at my previous pic of the trailer bunks, you can see that the outboard lifting strake pretty much "clamps" the boat due to its proximity to the main bunk. you might try adjusting your main bunks in a similar fashion so they ride up against those outer lifting strakes.

hope that helped.

 

[SBH2OMan]

OK here are some pictures. Now that I have a kicker and solved the high idle and excessive oiling problem, the ONLY thing left to do is to fix this trailer problem.... (the "middle" bunk is the problem - it is too far out from the centerline so that it is not actually supporting much weight of the hull.)

Detail of the problem from the stern:

Looking at the starboard side, you can see there isn't much clearance to the strake

Here's a detail of the fairing block on the port side from the bow:

Here are other pics showing general "fit" of the trailer:

 

[Brent]

random thoughts and m2cw
move the transducer to the stern
install shoot thru or in hull transducer
maybe the existing transducer can be used shoot thru

 

[SBH2OMan]

random thoughts and m2cw
move the transducer to the stern
install shoot thru or in hull transducer
maybe the existing transducer can be used shoot thru

Yea that would solve the problem, but then I'd have a 6" long x 3" wide hole in the center of the hull...

I really like this setup - it shoots a real nice picture of the bottom, even at 20 kts, so I'm hoping not to have to deal with removing it and patching the hull, etc....

 

[Bryan 2530]

How much clearance do you have between the keel and trailer cross members?

It looks like you could move them out 6" or so, it would drop the boat a little but you might have clearance, can't tell from your pics.

 

[SBH2OMan]

There is about 3" of clearance to the center cross members, and this is one option I am considering. Unfortuantely, this trailer is "custom built" for the Parker 23 DV, which means that that uprights are welded at a specific angle and the bunks are mounted at a specific angle. My concern is that if I spread everything out, then the angles will be all messed up.

Argh! Why can't anything be as easy as it seems like it should be!

 

[Brent]

random thoughts and m2cw
move the transducer to the stern
install shoot thru or in hull transducer
maybe the existing transducer can be used shoot thru

Yea that would solve the problem, but then I'd have a 6" long x 3" wide hole in the center of the hull...

I really like this setup - it shoots a real nice picture of the bottom, even at 20 kts, so I'm hoping not to have to deal with removing it and patching the hull, etc....

Can the transducer be flush with the hull?

 

[SBH2OMan]

I think the fairing block is required because of the angle of the hull, but I'm not sure.

 

[Brent]

Who makes it and the model number?

 

[SBH2OMan]

Who makes it and the model number?

Not certain, but it looks a lot like this one, and the stuff on board is all Raymarine.
http://www.raymarine.com/ProductDetail. ... ODUCT=3651

 

[Brent]

random thoughts and m2cw
move the transducer to the stern
install shoot thru or in hull transducer
maybe the existing transducer can be used shoot thru

Yea that would solve the problem, but then I'd have a 6" long x 3" wide hole in the center of the hull...

I really like this setup - it shoots a real nice picture of the bottom, even at 20 kts, so I'm hoping not to have to deal with removing it and patching the hull, etc....

Ok I thought hull hole would be smaller around 3/4 to 1 3/8 "

 

[grouperjim]

OK. i've looked it over. although it may be common, i have never adjusted this type of setup before.

looks like you have three bunks on each side. the aft bunk looks to be most outboard and rests up against the outer lifting strake as does my main bunk. the middle bunk is further inboard and looks to be the offending bunk. and the centering bunk is even further inboard and is not a factor.

since the outboard most bunk can support the weight of the boat and does not interfere with anything, my first thought would be to move both middle bunks (stbd and portside) outward so that they are in line with the aft outboard most bunk. set it up so that the aft and middle bunks both rest up against the outboard lifting strake just as my main bunks do.

my other thought which would be the easiest (for me anyway), based on the transducer pic you posted, there should only be a 1 1/4 inch hole or so to repair if you remove the fairing block/transducer. this would involve leaving the trailer in its original configuration, and installing low profile tilted element, or shoot thru which is easy enough to do. i would retire the old transducer and go with a new one.

good luck

 

[Megabyte]

Those outboard 'clamping boards' as you call them seem to be a west coast thing. We just don't see them here in the east.
Not sure if they are any better than the guide poles we use or not as I've never had the opportunity to see them in action.
Might they be there for positioning a boat in current?

Almost all the bunk trailers we see in this area use the PVC guide poles you see in the photo below.
Their purpose is to simply position the boat straight over the bunks as the boat is driven on to the trailer.
They also assist in keeping the boat in position in current, but that isn't the real intent or purpose of them.

 

[SBH2OMan]

I thought they were just for when you eastern guys had had too many beers but still insist on driving the boat onto the trailer.

 

[Megabyte]

I thought they were just for when you eastern guys had had too many beers but still insist on driving the boat onto the trailer.

That too! :lol:

 

[SBH2OMan]

Just wanted to post back and say that I solved this problem by shortening the bunk that was interfering with the transducer. It spanned three cross members, so I cut it just aft of the second cross member. Then on the third cross member, I mounted a "stub" of bunk for extra support. The transducer sits between the second and third cross members. So far it is working great, though I never seem to get the boat up far enough onto the trailer unless I torque the beejeezus out of the winch (I'm worried I'm going to rip the bow eye right out of the boat!).