"slick" bunk covers

I need to do the bunks on my trailer too. The problem is I don't have any place to put the boat while I work on the trailer.
 
I put some slicks on the forward half of our trailer bunks. They just slide on over the bunks and you use stainless steel screws into the side of the bunk. The forward half of our boat has a plastic covered v shaped piece the front part of the keel rests on. So I don't think there is a lot of pressure on the forward half of the bunks. Some say the slick covered bunks will chafe through your gel coat. I have not seen that yet as the new boat has only been trailered about 5,000 miles. Some of the Tugnuts spoke of the slicks being harder on gel coat that carpeted bunks. I don't know if that was just hear say or not. It might have something to do with how your trailer is setup for your particular boat. I'll be trailering to Bellingham, Washington from the Philadelphia Pa area come the middle of July so we shall see. We might head to Lake Powell on the way home in late September or early October. We will report back on the bunky business.
I would have to think worn out carpeted bunks would not so good either.
D.D.
 
We had the slicks on Wild Blue's trailer - definitely makes launching and retrieving less effort. Side effect: protects the bunk carpet. We ordered the trailer that way when we bought the boat - my experience is it is worth the added expense.
 
I used those exact same slicks from easternmarine for 7 of 9 years on the Regal trailer and was very happy with them. They are only needed on the forward half and be sure you put the screws in the SIDES not the top, both issues as DD duly noted. Worries re gelcoat damage are unwarranted (unless a topside screw scours the hull when the plastic broke from around it). I also find the worries re 'it will scrape off the bottompaint and I'll lose my critter protection in those areas." That's not an issue for me, since every time I load the boat the critters are squashed. If you only load once a season, handle those areas in shallow water with a green Scotch pad and goggles. If your bunks are 'bowed' the plastic will bend some but then crack. Buy the slicks, but only for the forward half. That will save you 50%. When we meet you now owe me a beer.
If you need to make loading a 2-step process by gently powering on only til the forward friction stops you at say 1500 RPM, then have the Admiral back the rig down another 2 feet to complete the process without any high-RPM drama or high friction.
When loading, friction on the hull is max at the contact point of forward hull and trailer while the boat aft portion is still floating off the trailer or only barely on it. Once loaded, the bunks should cradle the entire hull equally, and the most important issue becomes that the entire transom is supported by and not hanging off the rear bunks.

DD, best of luck on that trip. I bet any gelcoat dings will be from following gravel trucks and should be treated like parking lot dings on the truck...fix em all every 5 years for $3000, or just laugh about 'em.
Happy Boating!
John
 
I looked at bunk slicks because I want to launch at "unimproved" (i.e., beach) launches. After talking with a few Brats at Friday Harbor, I decided to go with rollers. I know that rollers are claimed to have less support, but I think that may be a misconception and part of the misconception can be shown by looking at the love/hate posts about bunk slicks.

We look at a bunk and think that it provides a huge area of support. A carpet-covered 8" 2x6 appears to provide 528 sq. in. of support. But because of 1) the gimpy nature of a length of 2x6 lying on its side, 2) the changing deadrise of the hull, 3) the limitation of the bunk having only two points of support, 4) the changing rocker of the hull fore and aft, etc., a bunk provides much less area of support than appears. And the carpet itself masks the less-than-perfect support of a bunk. Without carpet and the hull against a bare board, you would see daylight in many areas along its length.

All of which is just to get me to the pro and con discussions about bunk slicks. Placement of the bunk slick is likely to have a great deal of effect on whether you will like or dislike the product. You can see from the picture that adding this material to a bunk will create a leading edge. It is possible to place that leading edge right on top of a maximum point load for your bunk, meaning that the lip of the slick will be the bearing point on the bottom of the hull, at least while the hull is winched over that point.

Those who dislike slicks because they slowly (sometimes quickly) remove ablating bottom paint probably have the point load issue. Sure, it slides over easier, but you have increased the point load pressure way beyond that of a carpeted bunk. Bottom paint doesn't like that. If you don't have bottom paint, or the slick ends up in a position where a large portion of its bearing surface is always in play, then you will probably like them.

Just my thoughts on the subject. I'm in the process of adding bunk rollers and haven't yet reached the love/hate determination for that system.

Mark
 
Mark,
I wonder from your description if the bunks on your trailer are properly adjusted and supported? It may be a 16 "thing" , or your 16 trailer issue. How many brackets are there for the 2 x 6 bunk board? I have bunks covered with slicks identical to the first ones in Localboy's first link "Tiedown", but in white. These slicks, as not a "slick" as the ones from "Float On" trailers, on my Tom Cat. The bunks on my 22 trailer, have 4 points of adjustment from the trailer frame. Using several hydraulic jacks, one can get a very good fit against the hull, by lifting the boats up, until they lift the hull, and then slowly lowering until all have equal amount of contact.

I suspect that these "slicks" will take off a minimal amount of bottom paint.. May help to slide the boat, but not as well as the Float on, which I believe had some teflon in them.
 
Bob,

I'm certain that my trailer setup can be improved. I imagine that it was set by the dealer as "good enough" and was never fine tuned.

There is only two points of support for each bunk. I could see daylight through the forward 18" of both bunks (past the last support). I was just adjusting them today and looked closely underneath the bunks for the first time. The lag bolts that hold the 2x6 bunk to the bolsters are so rusted that some are missing. I "unscrewed" two just using my fingers. The front bolsters are both slightly distorted, I think because the setup didn't conform to the hull up forward it also allowed the boat to rock slightly. I'm going to double up on the front bolsters and I am heading to town right now for more galvanized lag bolts, washers, etc. Once again, my quick little project turns semi-major.

Mark
 
Once again, my quick little project turns semi-major.
Click to expand...

Welcome to boat ownership. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Based on some of your input, we are going to invest in the slick covers. I am probably going to get the rolled up version I posted above. Our boat already has some fine abrasion lines into the black gelcoat from the carpet on the bunks, so I am not too concerned with any abrasion issues. It's nothing that cannot be buffed out.
 
localboy":1nm9e028 said:
Once again, my quick little project turns semi-major.
Click to expand...

Welcome to boat ownership. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Based on some of your input, we are going to invest in the slick covers. I am probably going to get the rolled up version I posted above. Our boat already has some fine abrasion lines into the black gelcoat from the carpet on the bunks, so I am not too concerned with any abrasion issues. It's nothing that cannot be buffed out.
Click to expand...

When I re did my trailer bunks a few years ago, on of the goals was to eliminate some lines under the bow, on the color, and same on both sides of the centerline. I modified the inner corners on both inner bunk boards by rounding the severely. Turns out the best thing I did to round them was to get the trailer deeper into the water before I launched. It comes with practice. Letting it float off and on has eliminated that obnoxious pair if lines.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Mark,
Often it pays to put in new bunk boards--they can rot around the bolts. Some folks use bolts (countersunk heads) instead of the lag screws. If there is an area not supported, then another cross member can be bolted onto the frame, and more bracket supports installed.

I put some epoxy in to allow putting new lag bolts in (mostly on side bunks)--and 2 years later, it appears now it will be best to replace the boards.

Also when putting carpet on the bunks, Monel metal staples are best (vs SS).
 
Turns out the best thing I did to round them was to get the trailer deeper into the water before I launched.
Click to expand...

I try to do the same, Harvey. Usually, I back up until the rear truck tires just touch the water. Problem is low tides and it being a 25.

It appears most of the abrasion is at the bow end, as the stern is obviously floating. It's not bad. It looks like sanding with 1000+ grit paper; just the sheen is gone. That said, if I can eliminate it with the slick top bunks...
 
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