Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report #2-7 . . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Got bit by the old 80/20 rule on the trailer. 
All that trailer stuff a year ago last February and April, took about 80% of the trailer time.
The last 20% of trailer stuff on the last day of June and the first week of July, ALSO took 80% of the trailer time! 

Got the skeg/bow rollers mounted and needed to get the skeg bunks mounted, so the rollers could be adjusted to the height of the bunks.
The bunks are made from Trex, a synthetic decking from the Big Box stores; they never rot, they flex just enough, they are non-slip to walk on and they don't need any carpeting.
Countersunk the holes with a Forstner bit and then drilled holes  for the mounting brackets.
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But how do you mark the next set of holes?!? 

Like this:
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Flip the plank over and insert the bolts in the bracket holes.   

Then use the brackets at the other end to mark the holes on the surface of the upside-down plank
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Easy! 
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Looks like they'll work fine.
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A little more refinement on the front roller bunk height, to get closer measurements before committing to drilling holes in metal.
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Looks good! 
Now, to do something about those ugly wooden bow stops.
I originally had wood faced with some scrap Glyde Slicks, but wanted to replace the wood with HDPE King Starboard.
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Getting the size right was a little tough, because of the location of pre-fabbed holes in the Glyde Slicks.
The HDPE Glyde Slicks . . . . .
Allluva sudden-like, some saying about "Carrying coals to Newcastle" came to mind. 
I didn't need to screw some HDPE onto some more HDPE, all I had to do was fabricate the HDPE Starboard, any way I wanted!   

Durn!!    THAT was easy, once the Brain was finally in gear! 
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I didn't want that thing moving after it was installed, so I put a star washer in between the mount and the bracket and a lock washer on the bolt.
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Now, how to hold it in close alignment to the hull, so I could tighten it down?!? 
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Oh, Yeah.
Had a winch.    Held it in place, perfectly.
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Added the secondary bow restraint, as required by Florida law.
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That's how it'll look going down the road.
(Soon, I hope!) 
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Once I'm sure of the required length, I'll cut the chain down, some.
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On a roll, now! What could go wrong??!! 
Ya know, you measure, you look at plans, you think things through, you read a bazillion SCAMP blogs, you look at tons of pics, ask a million questions on-line, you rely on decades of trailering refinements and experience, and then . . . . .
DOHHHH!!!!     
Well . . . . . . . . the license plate won't rotate because it's too low, next to the hull!!   
Just one of those things you don't find out, until you actually lower the hull down onto the trailer.
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That's as much angle as you can get.  Think the Florida Highway Patrol would let that slide, at a 45º angle?!? 
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Yeah, me either. 
Durn. 
And perhaps some stronger Sailorly Words. 
Ah, well.  Nothing else to do but fix it.   
There's 20 bucks worth of pipe and couplers, I would have rather spent on something else.

Thoroughly snake bit by now and taking no chances, I temporarily installed the coaming, just in case there were any other height or spacing issues down the road, that I needed to deal with.
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Sawed off part of the goal post.
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On both sides.
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For the sake of brevity and bandwidth, just assume whatever you see on one side, was done to the other side, as well.

Glued the new section on and drilled the light bolt hole . . . . . .
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A little bedding compound in a ratchet-drive socket, makes this far less of a chore.
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See? 
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Looks like THAT is gonna clear, nicely!! 
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Color me happy!! 

How it will look, going down the road.
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With that odious chore out of the way, I could return to cold-galvanized spray-painting all the newly mounted hardware.
And wash and touch up some spots where the squirrels in the back yard, were having their way with my trailer! 
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How'd you get all those rollers so level, Charles? 
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It was easy!! 

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So, what's with the Glyde Slick pieces up at the front of the planks and why is the roller for the right hand plank, off-set to the left of center?!? 
Those were left over pieces from re-doing the Glyde Slicks on Urchin.
Correction: Sailors don't have "left-over pieces"; they merely have as yet un-purposed, boat parts stock.
Two reasons:
1) The Glyde Slicks are to help align and center the skegs on retrieval, or if the hull really crabs on to the trailer in a tough cross-wind and/or cross-current, it will help force it to straighten out up by the bow.
The goal posts keep things in line, back at the stern.
At worst, if a skeg ends up on top of a Glyde Slick, it will be easy to push sideways and align the skegs again.
This also helps the hull from sliding too far sideways on an inclined surface, like pulling off to the side of the road to deal with a flat, etc.

2) The off-set plank on the starboard side is to give the (off) center-board, part of the plank to rest on when trailering. 
Otherwise, the centerboard up-haul tackle would have to be engaged all the time and would chafe and wear out prematurely.
Had to do that to the swing keel on Urchin as well, otherwise the swing keel cable would saw a groove in the bolt used as a cable turning block.

Mounted the spare tire and cover and also some step blocks made from the unused portion of the skeg planks.
(Un-purposed boat stock.)   
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While there's certainly metal things that can eventually rust, there is nothing that can rot. 
No wood anywhere; just PVC pipes, Polyurethane rollers, HDPE Starboard and Trex, synthetic decking. 

Also decided to put a mast stand on the SCAMP trailer.
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It's probably 6 or 8 inches too tall, but I'm not ABOUT to cut it down any, until I have the hull back on the trailer! 
(Once burned, twice shy.)   

I see where a lot of guys make mast crutches that sit in the mast trunk.
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I don't want to do that, because I want to put a boat cover on the hull.

Like I did when I brought the hull down from Wisconsin.
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I have a good reason for doing so.
My carport is rife with birds and squirrels.  My wife loves it; thinks she's living in a Disney Movie. 
MEANWHILE!!    I have to take the boat to a drive-thru car wash and use all the wash cycle minutes on the high pressure soap spray, every time I want to take the boat out. 
With a cover the boat will stay more usable, but that precludes using mast trunk crutches.

My final chore was to add a strip of reflective red tape just under the trailer lights.
At night if I tap the brakes, the reflective tape reflects just enough light to show in the rear view mirror, whether or not the tail lights are working.
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I also have silver reflective tape lower down.
It's even with the back-up lights and very useful for night launches/retrievals.
And if the reflection disappears at night, then I'll know that I've driven off the end of a concrete ramp, or into a hole made by power boats, doing power loading! 
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Fine looking trailer! 
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All it needs now, is a sailboat to sit on it!! 
Took about 3 days longer than I thought it would, but I now regard that portion of the project as officially: Done.
Sure, I may have to make adjustments or remediation after I get it into actual use and I fully reserve the right to make any future improvements I happen to dream up! 

Charles Brennan

[Captain Kidd]

Fabulous. Your attention to detail is absolutely amazing.

[Doug SC]

Thank you for posting this. I have a few take aways I my use from your trailer setup.

[Riley Smith]

One thing I did was add DOT reflective tape on the longitudinal sides of the trailer. Mostly because I worked at a place that had that stuff laying all about and was going to throw it away. It lets someone know at night that a trailer is behind your tow vehicle a very long way away. A good tactic for anyone. Good work there CB!

[Charles Brennan]

Dale, Thank you for your kind words.
Can't help but think though, that sufficient "attention to detail" might have precluded having to re-work the goal posts. 

Doug, I would be interested to know, what "take-aways" caught your interest? 

Riley, As someone who spent a life-time in electronics, I know exactly how much of a premium to put on non-electronic passive indicators!! 
They rarely fail. 

Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

The angle brackets with the star washer. On my trailer those brackets aren't angled. I think I will change out my bucks to plastic decking. My bunks are inside the bottom skids on the boat so I will probably keep it that way. What do you think on that? I have put reflective tape on my kayak trailer but haven't thought about doing that on the goal posts. My lights and tag are on the trailer so far it has only been used in freshwater, but I plan on also sailing on the brine. Just how does the rotating tag thing work?

[Charles Brennan]

Doug, to answer your questions:

1) "The angle brackets with the star washer."
Easy to implement. Most trailer winch stands have a vee-stop or vee roller with a bolt going through them.
Remove the bolt and replace it with two trailer bunk swivel brackets.
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https://www.etrailer.com/Boat-Trailer-Parts/etrailer/HP35FR.html?feed=npn

The real key here, is adding a 3/8" star washer to keep it from slipping.
The 1 sq ft of King Starboard is available from Amazon and as you can see, is more than you need.
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https://www.amazon.com/WHITE-KING-STARBOARD-12/dp/B00S1KUL28/ref=asc_df_B00S1KUL28?mcid=c184f4a01cd031d48b27e5e2dfca65d5&hvocijid=3300483541180169831-B00S1KUL28-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3300483541180169831&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015134&hvtargid=pla-2281435177858&psc=1

I have an idea for the remainder (un-purposed boat stock) of the starboard, later on in the project.

2) "I think I will change out my bucks to plastic decking. My bunks are inside the bottom skids on the boat so I will probably keep it that way."
If I understand you correctly, the hull rests on the bunks and the skegs are inside the bunks.
I didn't bother with covering the entire bunk with Glyde Slicks, since my skegs have stainless steel skid strips on the bottom.
The comparatively coarse texture of the Trex may abrade the paint in time.
On Urchin I used Glyde Slicks to rub against the hull and got no marks or abraded paint, whatever.
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3 columns of Glyde Slicks is probably over-kill, but depending on the side-to-side curvature of your hull, you may require more than a single column.
If it was me, I would get two 6 foot columns, put one column on each new bunk and see how the hull sits on them.
Here is a (pricey!) source:
https://tacomarine.com/dockside-accessories-store-p06-06w?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22199886886&gclid=CjwKCAjwg7PDBhBxEiwAf1CVu1H7ZCK3zsxa1E_OP8Pou4-ZFNfOjTFwj1ciMH46pPtK4i1G09IIIBoCIdUQAvD_BwE

This is a more reasonable source:
https://trailerparts.com/products/boat-trailer-parts/glides-bunks/tie-down-87170-1-3-4-x-17-bunk-slick-8-pack.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22647536140&gclid=CjwKCAjwg7PDBhBxEiwAf1CVu4xPFxbIYpw5jXb5S5KtZlke7EtnP6pfU3Uxmeo1ZOh8mAW8zKZyZhoCX6UQAvD_BwE

You may also have issues with scraping paint on the side of the skegs.
I have a straked hull on Short Ribs, my RIB and used Glyde Slicks on the sides to protect the strakes.
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You may, or may not, need those to protect the sides of your skegs.

3) "I have put reflective tape on my kayak trailer but haven't thought about doing that on the goal posts."
Recommended.
As mentioned, the red reflective tape can show you your light status without having to go all the way back to the back of the trailer.
I always check my trailer lights before I leave a ramp and at night, it saves a lot of walking back and forth.
The lower silver reflective tape  on this trailer is used as a trouble indicator (trailer fell off the drop-off), but in previous years I have used it as the "float-off" indicator on the trailer.
When it hits the water, I know I can push the hull off.
Also makes it easier to find at night, with a flashlight, in a crowded parking lot full of goal posts!

4) " Just how does the rotating tag thing work?"
Quite well, actually! 
And if you don't, you end up beating your tag to death, every time you launch and retrieve.
Assuming you used 1½" schedule 80 PVC for the goal posts, use a 2" piece of schedule 80 PVC to make the license plate holder.
A) Center your license plate on a 12" length of PVC pipe and mark the edges.
B) Saw most of the way through at the marks.
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(This was only half-way through.)
C) Cut longitudinally down the length of the PVC tube between the two lateral cuts.
D) Using a heat gun, heat the PVC tube and "unroll" the tubing, force flat and allow to cool.
Clamping between two small boards helps.
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E) Cut 2 notches at the bottom, at 90º; one notch is the road position.
(Check the reflective tape!) 
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The other notch is for the launch/retrieve position.
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Big Fan of goal post trailer lights, especially if they are LED lights.
For one thing, it puts the lights right in the face of the driver behind you and tends to make them increase their following distance.
For another, the instant-on time of LEDs compared to the 100 msec on-time of incandescent, gives drivers behind you an extra 50 feet of stopping distance, at Interstate speeds.

Just make sure you make the posts tall enough, the first time!! 
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My mistake was simply sawing the tubes in half and using each half.
If I knew then, what I know now, I would have bought two lengths of PVC pipe and cut them down after the fact.
You should be able to figure out if you need one or two lengths of PVC pipe, since your SCAMP is already on the trailer.
Here's a link to the original fabrication of the goal posts:
https://trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?topic=752.msg4632#msg4632
Further down the thread are instructions for adding and wiring the lights.

Hope this helps,
Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

Thanks for the time and details. You share so often. You are at the top of the list of the many people I value here.