Alternative trailer designs

[Malcolm Sadler]

I have started this new topic as a place to capture views and news about different trailer designs.

I referred in the Collapsed Suspension thread to the brilliant trailer which Bob Steele designed and developed with Vanclaes. Below are a couple of pictures of it

With Bob’s permission, I provided photographs and measurements to Tim Altham some months ago. I gather from Tim that he has been working from those to develop some of Bob‘s ideas about a roll-on roll-off trailer in stainless steel, but to keep the cost down. These are all highly desirable objectives and I asked Tim to keep me posted. As and when I have further news from him, I will put it up it here.

If anyone has a successful trailer design which enables a Cape Cutter to be launched and recovered without a long rope and without wetting the rear wheels of your car, please send us details and photographs on this thread.

Happy trailing

Malcolm

[Justin Greig]

I think the trailer designed for Bay Raiders has some merit: a cradle at the rear allows guide rollers to swing down and centre the bow as it approaches the first roller - see pictures.

[Malcolm Sadler]

Yes, Justin – that does look interesting.

Of course the Bay Raider, with its water ballast, is a very much lighter hull when towing than the Cape Cutter – probably about half the weight.

I know one of the issues being considered is whether it is necessary to have a line of rollers to take the weight of the Cape Cutter on the keel rather than it all being born by wheels on either side of the hull – which I see is done on the Bay Raider trailer. However, I would have thought that the pivoting cradle at the back of the trailer should work equally well even if, once pulled further onto the trailer, the boat rests its keel on a straight line of central rollers – so any side rollers are for lateral stability rather than the main weight-bearing.

I imagine Tim Altham will be aware of the Bay Raider design, but I’ll pass it on to him anyway – thank you again.

All the best

Malcolm