DIY yacht legs

slawosz

slawosz

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Hi,
my Sadler 25 sits on road type trailer. Its rather sturdy, but for additional peace of mind I am thinking about extra legs to support it.
I would like to have something DIY, as its cheaper to new and used one seems hard to source. What do you recommend? Old-style type wood poles, scaffold pipes with wooden foot, or something else?
 
If it's well enough propped to survive being towed around it won't need any; if remaining in one place for long periods it's perhaps worth putting the trailer on axle stands to take the weight off the tyres though.
 
If you mean supplementary legs to secure boat to trailer surely you can't use wood.

You need metal and a welder etc.

Scaffold poles (aluminium ones) can be bent we the right tools, but then need securing to trailer.

Is their an owners club where it has been done before?
 
Do you mean you want legs to stop the whole affair blowing over? If so I would just use wood at a well inclined angle from ground to the toe rail or thereabouts. Four legs would prevent shearing and putting the trailer on blocks would prevent the suspension acting to release said props. We used to use wooden wedges or foxed (opposed pair) wedges to preload the props.
 
Even better would be to buy the Yachtleg company legs second hand, hard to find, but guess what.... I have a set for sale?
 
Keith-i said:
Acrow-props
Click to expand...
If using them I would suggest tie them to the chain plates & tension them up. I think that is better than pushing them up against the hull. Possibly acrows may be too long for that anyway. But the trailer needs to be blocked as suggested ealier, as the suspension will be an issue. One should be able to pick them up for under a tenner each second hand.

In our marina, if they expect high winds, they use long 6 * 4 timbers with a piece of rod through near one end so they can fit a rope. They lean that against the side of the boat & apply a rope lashing to the chain plates & up to the rod on the timber. Of course, the boat is also in a decent cradle, which one appreciates, are supplied (at additional cost) to owners
 
When I kept my Albin Vega on a trailer for the winter, I removed the wheels and blocked the trailer up. The boat had previously been fitted with steel plates on the gunwales for some type of legs. I bought some big square section fence posts from a garden centre (I think they were about 6" square and 10ft long). Added a cleat near the bottom to run lines fore and aft, and a big bolt at the top which fitted through the existing plate. I didn't have to exact about the length of the legs because I had enough wiggle room to adjust the splay, so I just pushed them in firmly and then tightened up the ropes.
 
Wedges and tie down ratchets: when things jiggle the wedges loosen, (unless they are screwed) the ratchet hooks drop off. Ask me how I know. I never use ratchets for trailering my wooden 15ft, but rope and wagon hitch.
If you just want home made legs to fit while ashore: ply profiled to the hull from above the toerail to the bilge, two a side, ally or wood leg bolted between at a suitable splay for good support. Fasten at the toerail or through the hull.
Can the leg be bolted through a bottle screw on a shroud above deck? Solid fixing and good splay.
Otherwise just square ally or wood with a wood cheek profiled to the hull. Now it gets tricky. Mine had a bolt 18in down from the top, captive in the leg, nut fitted inside the hull, so you need two people....or a captive nut inside.
Then you have the issue of the foot. Big flat one for mud? But it has to take a lot of weight. Small one to sink in the mud? But seen one get stuck and sink the (35ft) boat.
And what length? Mine were 2in short for level ground, so if the boat landed while ranging in a swell (St Ives protocol) the boat lands before the legs, also why only one bolt, so the leg can move a little.
 
Thanks for the response. Lot of interesting ideas.
The trailer already rests on the sleepers. Not perfect, I will probably need to use spade to even out ground a little. But its common practice in my yard.
Acrow-props - thank you! I didn't know something like this exist, I might actually buy some and use sleepers to turn them into poor man boat stands.
Attaching trailer to the ground (after weight is take n out from wheels) is an option, but I would need a hell of an anchors.
 
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