Hull preparation

[Jack McCollum]

Hi All,

Now that my boat has been used for three seasons I decided to bring it home and see what I could do to make sure the bottom was smooth.

I didn't try turning it over due to a lack of manpower but I was able to fashion a two by four with a glove on one end to hold the boat up off the trailer. I put the glove end under the rail a little ahead of the jib car and set the other end of the board on a rubber mat. With this contraption I was able to lift the boat about six inches off of one bunk so I could get in there and clean.

Since my fiberglass is still fairly new I didn't have to do much more than buff it but when I got to the flat bottomed part where the hull sits on the trailer bunks I noticed I'm getting a deformation of the hull.

My questions are: Is this normal or should I be trying to fair up the hull somehow? If this is not normal what can I do to prevent it? My bunks are fairly long since my trailer is made for a 16er so I thought that I was lightly loaded.

Lastly, what tips do you racers out there have for hull prep?

 

[Ed Jones]

Hull deformation

Jack - Having long bunks is no guarantee. If the bunks are too stiff to conform to the hull's shape then deformation can occur. My bunks are also pretty long (about 8'). They are about 2" by 5", but I have them set with the wide side against the hull, both to spread the load better, but also it allowed the bunks to take a natural set over time, so they curve upward somewhat, matching the shape of the hull.

 

[Dave Lilley]

On my trailer, I had a second pair of bunks added at the front of the trailer. They overlap the rear bunks and extend forward of the most forward roller. The forward bunks also angle up slightly to match the upward angle (curve) of that part of the hull. Since I added them, the hull doesn't flex on the trailer like it did before.