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It may seem like a good idea to save time and pull the trolley onto the trailer using a roller or skid-material at the rear of the trailer – so that the wheels are suspended and the trolley frame is resting directly on the trolley. Or to put chocks under the trolley axle so the wheels are suspended once it’s been loaded on the trailer.
The problem is road impacts may cause the long overhang between the axle and the stern to put excessive force on the aluminium trolley near the welds of the axle – particularly if you load the cockpit full of gear (the only thing that should sit in the boat while being transported is the sails). The frame can be repaired by welding a plate on the outside.
Avoid Straps
Don’t use straps (especially ratchet straps) over the hull unless you pad the gunwales and only attach any straps that secure the boat to the trolley – not to the trailer.Secure the hull to the trolley
Tie the Main Hull to the trolley using the rear trolley ties attached to the trolley frame and cleated on the deck, and then tie the bow to the front of the trolley.
Secure the amas by bringing the main sheet over the top of the tramps to hook on the mast step bar or Cunningham hook, then tighten with the mainsheet ratchet.
Don’t overload the hull
Don’t put heavy weights in the hull such as toolkits, the foil bag etc in the hull for long distance trips. The sails are fine but excess weight at the stern is going to cause more stress on the trolley frame.Use a flat-bed trailer with ramps
If you use ramps to load the trolley onto a flat bed trailer and don’t over-inflate the trolley tyres or tie the trolley down so hard that it cannot move, the tyres work in conjunction with the trailer suspension to cushion road impacts and prevent damage to the trolley.
Secure the trolley to the trailer at the bow against the winch post with a roller or rubber V block using the winch.
Then with the trolley tires partly inflated, tie the trolley axle diagonally to the rear corners of the trailer either side, to keep it centred on the flatbed, but allow it to move vertically and absorb the road impacts using the trolley tires and trailer suspension.
You can buy a flatbed trailer (even a folding one) or create one from a small boat trolley with all the rollers and skids removed and replaced with a marine ply deck secured to the trailer frame. Avoid drilling holes into the galvanised frame.
Add a rear trolley support
If you have a combi trailer or chocks, add an additional support bracket the the back of the trailer to support the rear of the trolley – especially for long journeys.
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