Question

The Boat Trailering Guys

My 16-roller trailer (4 roller assemblies, with 4 rollers each) is a replacement for an older 19 foot boat. Apparently the roller placement on the trailer is not adjusted for the boat's hull; and the boat will not center on the trailer, no matter how hard I try. The rubber rollers catch the strakes (ribs) on the hull's bottom. The rollers end up stretched or distorted and the boat off center to one side of the trailer. How do I adjust the roller assemblies on the trailer so that the boat is properly supported and centered on the trailer? The boat has a 10 inch wide flat keel at the stern that narrows to 3 inches wide by the front two trailer roller assemblies. The boat's hull has two stepped strakes on either side of the keel, between keel and chines. Do I adjust the roller assemblies on the trailer so that the inner rollers are a certain distance from the keel?

W. Mahan

Answered on: 6/2005

MIKE: It is hard to say without seeing the current setup. I couldn't say that there is going to be a certain distance from the keel to the rollers without knowing where the next strake falls. If there is enough room between the two strakes you may want to have the rollers positioned so that they roll between them. If not perhaps have the rollers straddle the strakes. Again, it is hard to say without the visual factor. You may want to take the trailer with the boat back to the trailer dealer for their assistance in properly setting things up. If they are reputable they will follow up their sale with good customer service.

The Boat Trailering Guys: Mike