Pulling boat up onto a dock and rollers

[SCWooden]

Hi all,

My dad has a big wooden dock out back on the salt water creek and he used to winch up his 16ft Hydra Sports. My neighbors have told me I shouldn't pull my 15ft wooden boat with a 25hp Suzuki 4stroke up onto it using the eye eventhough I reinforced the eye inside the bow with an inch of steel three inches wide by 12inches.

The pic below are the old set of wheels he rolled the boat onto. They fear they may scratch the wooden hull.

Your thoughts on both issues? I only plan on leaving it up there a couple days at a time otherwise the boat is trailered on cement pad besides the house under a four sided "tent" carport.

Thanks!
Kevn

[vupilot]

In general rollers on a wooden hull is not a good idea. Is it on a lift or fixed in place? If on a lift could you switch to carpeted bunks?

[SCWooden]

I keep it up on the trailer on the side of the house in the four sided carport. It's just easier with a dock right out back if I could find an affordable way to put it up on the dock for a couple days at a time.

Too bad the consensus so far is that rollers won't work on a wooden boat.

[billy c]

i'd think you would be ok since it is such a small boat and you are placing the rollers specifically for your boat. you should get the roller to sit on a frame and longitudinal junction when setting up. as long as the rollers are clean and free wheeling it will not scratch anything.
one step better is just get a few pressure treated 2x's and cover them with carpet to create bunks instead of the rollers.

[SCWooden]

Thanks Billy.....uh, what do mean by "...get the roller to sit on a frame and longitudinal junction when setting up"? I took all four pieces which hold the rollers off the dock including the winch.

The other concern is whether you can winch a 15ft wooden boat with a 25hp 4stroke up at a steep incline via the eye until it lands onto the rollers out of the water...u know, when it pivots off one point in the keel until the bow comes down?

Help is really appreciated.

K

[billy c]

...i was thinking where the rollers will finally end up contacting the hull when it is winched completely onto its dock. you want to set it up much like you would if you were positioning rollers on a trailer. so your keel and transom end up being supported by the roller and brackets, similar to the way it is on your trailer.
a frame, transom, keel or stringer junction on your hull is stronger, so the resting spot for the roller is better there than just picking any spot on the hull

[SCWooden]

Awww got it Billy thanks!

[gdcarpenter]

What I understand to be what you are considering doing is something I would be very reluctant to put my ZIP through. My bow eye is a 'U-Bolt through the stem with a backer plate and connected to my deck lifting eye via a 5/8" threaded rod, so I don't doubt my ZIP bow eye would have the strength to handle the pull. Sounds like your bow eye is pretty beefy too.

I just can't imagine the bow having to rise to get over the dock edge so it's aiming for the sky, with the winch trying mightily to pull it down and forward, while the heaviest part of the boat (engine) is saying noooo! This would seem to place a lot of stress midship. I suspect it would work but wouldn't want to try it with my boat.

Ever consider boat lifts?

Stumbled upon this, looks pretty cool

If you scroll forward through the photos - 5 or 6 in and there is a video.

http://www.jetdock.com/products/univ-14ft-boat-dock.asp

[SCWooden]

Thanks and yes ideally I'd love to have a lift like a strap system or lift using two carpeted rails. The issue is $

[Kyleaterry]

Kevn,
Are you still on this forum? I have a similar issue to the one you had in 2015. I live on a river, cross it daily, and would like to pull my 13’ smoker craft with a 100lb motor onto the dock during storms. Lots of pressure mid ship if I winch it up, I would assume, is it possible?