Posted: February 10 2008 at 23:32 | IP Logged

Hello,

   Does anyone here tow their Carver Santa Cruz?

I am looking for help with bunk positions for a new trailer and for how far up the bow stop should be.

I have recently bought a Santa Cruz and an in the process of buying a trailer and dont want to trust everything I am being told by the trailer people.  I want to check what they tell me with others to make sure I am not having the trailer set up in such a way that will end up being unsafe.

Thanks much for the help and looking forward to my first of many years as a happy Carver owner!!

-Bob

Posted: April 25 2008 at 15:15 | IP Logged

rsatchell
Currenlty I have a 1980 Carver 266 Santa Cruz. I tow with a Magic Tilt tandem axle trailer. Many boats, many trailers, many years.

Use the "standard" bunks that came with the trailer, usually sufficient. The bunk positions should be located such that the boat will rest on the first chines up from the keel. That's where the keel transitions to a ~3" horizontal "flat spot". Why? This is where there is hull reinforcement. Strong point. If they rest on the curved part of the hull there is no reinforcement. Also, your bunks are not beveled to match the curve of the hull. Thus, causing a sharp "point" load along the length of the hull at bunk contact point.

The CG or Center of Gravity of the boat should be positioned directly between the two axles, or the center axle if you trailer has three axles. A boat yard sling lift can find this for you using just a single sling. They only need to lift the boat a few inches to find the CG, or longitudinal (fore/aft) balance point of the boat. Rember full fuel tanks, boat toys, etc. will affect this. So maybe half tanks, and just the stuff you usually carry onboard.

Mark the CG on the hull for future reference. Why? Because you're not done yet.

Now you will probably need to adjust your tongue weight. This is done by moving the axles either fore or aft on the trailer frame. NOT willy nilly shifting the boat on the bunks. Remember you just paid to find the CG. It always remains centered betweent the axles. The boat and axles need to move fore/aft as a unit.

This is always the proper way to set up a boat/trailer combo.  NEVER let anyone tell you it isn't. Boat salesmen are a very poor source for technical information. Show this to any Mechanical Engineer and I'm sure he will agree.

Dave