Wow Ken! Thanks for sending this!

This text, along with your photos, would be a great addition to the web
site. You should get in touch with Bruce.

Cindy

Ken Beiser wrote:
> I apologize to the list since I promised to share my trailer
> construction details last week but I have been busy with work and kids'
> sports. Yesterday I put in a 15 1/2 hour day timber framing on a home
> construction project on Flathead Lake in Montana. What a lake!! We had
> everything...sun, snow, wind, rain. We were in the lee of some hills to
> the west so it was pretty calm until the evening when it shifted NE and
> we needed a reef in the main and to battened down the hatches (the
> "hatch drill" as we called it). My part of the project is pretty much
> done so my schedule will open up soon.
>
> Our trailer is a steel square tube frame and it is fully adjustable.
> The three dropped axles are on a frame that bolts to the long square
> tube frame so the axle set can be moved forward and back. In addition,
> all the stantions are adjustable and can be removed to use the trailer
> for something else. We went with a tag-along design since we were not
> sure if we were going to have a gooseneck in a pickup to do the
> hauling. I was considering using a small boom truck to haul the boat
> since I thought it would be a nice addition to my business, as well.
> Wouldn't it be great to have your own boom truck to step your mast, too??
>
> We ended up with a pickup with a gooseneck hitch now so it would have
> been the way to go. Gooseneck trailers pull a little better than the
> tag-alongs but ours seems to do well. The welder I hired did a really
> nice job of welding but did not pay attention to the plans I provided
> very well. I had to make some changes after we had the boat on the
> trailer so it worked the way I wanted. He also did a poor job with the
> electrical wiring which is a pretty common shortfall on trailers. I
> have upgraded the wiring where I could. I wanted to be sure ALL six
> electric brakes were going to be working with my load. I figure the
> trailer weights about 3000 pounds and our boat weighs about 14000 dry
> and unloaded (not 12,500 factory specs). I think we had a 19000 pounds
> behind the truck.
>
> Most of the time it was pulled by a fellow I know from my business that
> hauls timbers for me. He offered to tow my boat to Florida from Montana
> for $2000 in year 2002. (Once there he ended up asking for $2500). It
> is 2800 miles. I paid him under the condition he would also do the
> return for $2500. I sold my own pickup when he committed to hauling us
> down to Florida with his Ford F-550. I now have a older Ford F350 one
> ton for my business with a gooseneck hitch and wish the trailer was a
> gooseneck. I have considered changing it and it would be pretty easy
> but at this point, we think it pulls well the way it is so we plan to
> leave it. I wish the long tongue was a little stiffer so we would only
> "hobby horse" when at sea. I also could use my equalizing hitch to
> lessen that and that could mount that easily. Actually, we don't
> hobbyhorse that bad on land or at sea.
>
> Van, as far as the axles go, the manufacturer did not want to warranty
> torsion axles in a triple configuration. Tight turns drag the
> tires/axles sideways and apparently they had some trouble with the
> torsion type. I have a friend with a trailer built for a Pacific
> Seacraft 31 with torsion axles and they work fine. His axles allow him
> to have the boat lower to the ground, too. My trucker has suggested
> "slipper springs" as a better axle set-up but I never researched that
> approach for my "next" trailer.
>
> I would have made the bearing for the keel a little different next
> time. I did not allow for getting straps under the keel for the travel
> lift. I ended up blocking the boat up enough so I can get the strap in
> there. If I ever retrieve the boat on a boat ramp, I will have to
> fasten the blocks in there ahead of time. I have a wheel that mounts on
> the tongue so you can send the trailer down the ramp on a cable or
> chain. There is a bit of the pucker factor when you disconnect the tow
> vehicle from the trailer but we have done it with my friend's boat by
> using two vehicles. We connect a long cable to the trailer before we
> chock the trailer and then disconnect the tow vehicle and let it down or
> up the ramp with the second one. It all goes pretty well. You need a
> good ramp though. You would probably be interested to know I now have
> about $9000 into the trailer. Whew!
>
> Then there is the subject of permits and "wide loads". Let me know if
> you want to hear about that one.
>
> Having the boat on a trailer is fabulous for us. I have it under a roof
> in a 3-sided building 100 feet from my shop. I have some recycled
> steps from an old factory so we don't even need a ladder to get up to
> the cockpit. It is as good as it sounds. We have it half-heartedly for
> sale since we are just too busy to use it. That could change in the
> future but we worry about storing any boat for 6 years. I have a number
> of upgrades I would like to do if we keep it in our barn. I want
> davits/solar support, a single galley sink, and might also do something
> differnt on the bow where the grated area can take water into the anchor
> locker when getting green water over the bow. The barn is a perfect
> place to do all those things and the trailer makes it happen.
>
> Let me know if you want any more details. I also have some pictures I
> could share somehow. You could contact me off list and I could send
> them that way.
>
> Ken
> Moonshadow II
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> Baba Panda and Tashiba Owners Mailing List --
> For more info, please check out the FAQ...
> http://www.ballreich.net/hypermail/baba-l/faq.html
>

-----------------------------------------------------------
Baba Panda and Tashiba Owners Mailing List --
For more info, please check out the FAQ...
http://www.ballreich.net/hypermail/baba-l/faq.html
Received on Tue May 9 10:56:32 2006