Birdwatcher-2 Boat Turning and Trailer

In the evening on 26 July, we had a gathering of friends to roll the boat over and slide it onto the trailer. I posted a note on the Internet e-mail reflector for the Western Oregon Messabout boat group and ten fine folks showed up from as far away as Portland, Eugene and even Sutherlin. The neighbor families have been watching the boat grow in our driveway and eagerly came by to help turn it over, so we could find out what was inside. Then more friends and relatives arrived, making a fun and festive group! After pizza drinks and greetings, seventeen of us lined up around the boat leaving many to do cheer leading and picture taking.

This turned out to be a warm sunny day, with the airport listing 99 degrees F at 6:30 when we turned the boat. We were glad it was going to be a distributed task. A nice breeze and low humidity made the weather more pleasant. Many thanks to everyone for taking the time to help!

Here is the bracing inside the boat to prevent damage to the two middle frames. These frames will eventually be strenghtened by the top structure and windows, but until then they need to be protected. Regular 2x2 lumber makes up most of the bracing and it is held in place by clamps. With our giant sized crew we could have lifted the boat and rotated it without touching the frames. But to test the procedure, we actually rolled it around, stopping with it sitting on the bracing. It was certainly of sufficient strength.

Look at all those hands! The group on the back lifted the port side and the boat easily rotated until it was resting on the starboard-side chine and rail. Mats protected the boat from rubbing on the driveway.

I don't know what we all expected to see, but this picture suggests it was not what we saw! Or maybe it was just amazement that it happened so easily. The boat still has the bracing inside, but we removed that before putting the boat onto the trailer.

Our talented group lifted the bow up and the trailer was slid underneath. We adjusted the position to the estimated spot and we were done! The next day, I took this picture. The EZ-Loader trailer company, of Spokane Washington, specially made this light-duty (but still 2100 lb. capacity) trailer, adding four feet to the overall length. The tongue is two-feet extra, and the flat bunks are two feet more with added bracing at the back. The trailer has not yet been "fitted" to the boat. This will wait until quite a while so that the weight will be distributed in its final location.