Centerboard Stowage While Trailering

chemprof

chemprof

Member
What secures the centerboard from moving during transport on a trailer? It seems likely that the dynamic load from bouncing down the road could result in breaking something.

With the larger retractable keel boats like the C22, the keel is lowered with the winch to rest on the rubber roller/cradle on the trailer. What do you folks do with your 14.2's?
 
Plywood we got plywoo

I placed a 3/4'X4'x5' piece of plywood covering the center of trailer and rest the board on a piece of rubber, bolted to ply, while trailering.
 
Keel trunk on Trailer, no?

Perhaps I am missing something. But the trailer I had, was setup like a keelboat's trailer, where there was decking (marine ply I am assuming), where the centerboard could pivot onto... it was carpeted... I never removed the centerboard at all... it was always cleated and bungee attached during transport.

What am I missing?
 
Thanks Shnool. Just to make sure I understand you, did you then lower the centerboard onto that carpet, set the cockpit bungee to provide some downward force, and cleat the centerboard lift?

My trailer, a Spartan, has virtually nothing under the centerboard area, except a rectangular tube crosspiece. This crosspiece crosses the trailer (side to side) just about halfway along the centerboard opening axis. It has a small strip of hard rubber on top of it that probably was put there just to protect the keel as you load and unload the boat.

I suppose I could lower the centerboard onto that rubber strip during travel ... seems too unprotected to me. Perhaps Solarfry has an idea that I could attach a bit larger landing area and carpet it.

It sounds like its not much of a problem for most to rely on cleating it in the up position while trailering -- maybe because the centerboard doesn't have much mass to knock around.

Thanks guys!
 
I had a whole keel trunk bed for my centerboard (probably 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, set at a V shape left to right, so it would steer (to some extent) the centerboard (if lower than the bottom of the boat) onto the trailer... yes I did rest my centerboard on it.. but I don't see any harm in pulling the centerboard all the way up, and having the cleats hold it up (away from the trailer completely)...

For the record I have travelled for hours with my boat, a 1986.. many many times... never so much as had to replace a thing on it. Record travel was 8 hours one way to go sailing for a week, on vacation.
 
Centerboard on trailer

CB: Depending on your trailer, if it has 2 longitudinal bunks upon which the boat rests, and nothing across the center, a worst case is the centerboard releasing from its cleats and allowing its tail end to fall and drag. Not good, especially when you back up. So, one way to avoid that is to run a light line across between the two bunks to catch the centerboard before it hits the ground if it ever comes uncleated during travel. Also, even if it would catch on a metal cross piece, that could be hard on the centerboard, so you may want to use a cross line or pad the cross metal piece. RK
 
Trailing and the CB

I have a Shorelander Tadpull trailer. There is a bit of carpetted cross piece under the CB, however, I have yet to find the CB resting on it after trailering. So far, raises the board and cleating it has been working fine for me. I travel over quite a few jarring bumps on my way to the launch, but it's only 10 miles. I guess my point would be. Raising and cleating should be fine, but have something for the centerboard to rest upon if it comes uncleated as a bit of insurance. I can't imaging road rash would be good :)
 
Thank you all for your comments -- I'm getting the impression that my lack of faith in that cam cleat is unjustified. At any rate, you've given me some good ideas to gain peace of mind during my 90 minute haul up to the lake next summer.
 
Chemprof... if the centerboard can make it to the road, I'd be concerned too.

putting something in the way of the centerboard should be MORE than enough to keep it safe for travel, and also is some insurance on your cleats.

I was under the impression your centerboard could only make it to the bunks underneath, not all the way to the road, if uncleated.
 
You were right SHNOOL -- I have a transverse cross piece that even has a bit of protective rubber so that centerboard couldn't reach the road if it tried!

I also, after messing with the centerboard cam cleat, am pretty convinced that it will hold, even if the whole boat fell off of the trailer at 60 mph! (Ok, I exaggerate a bit).

Thanks to all of you. -- Ed (my real name)
 
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