how to make a wooden trailer sink ? ? ?

I have built a one sheet plywood boat and also made a wooden trailer for it to go on the back of my cycle. one problem is when i get to the launch ramp I have to take the boat off and lift it into the water because the trailer floats when I reverse it in. does anyone know what I can do the make the trailer sink so I can simply reverse down the ramp and offload. I don't want to be carrying a few bricks everywhere with me thanks in advance

 

I have to ask, is that 5" thick ply? You are healthy enough to cycle but cant lift one sheet of ply?

 

Lead works better than bricks.

It would be clumsy, but make some water tanks mounted to the trailer above where it needs to sink. Fill them with a bucket when you get on the ramp. Drain when you are ready to go home.

I like the idea of the boat towed by a bike.
How about a picture?

 

Hi, surely a one sheet boat will slide up the trailer with only the wheels immersed?, other than that you might fit some "guide poles" to the rear of the trailer frame that stay extended well above the water level, maybe some 2 liter plastic milk bottles filled with water from the ramp & tied to the poles above the water level.

Jeff.

 

http://postimg.org/image/darwp5duv/ <-- this link should work

 

If you have a boat small and light enough to not require immersing the axles, why would you not do that and avoid later problems with rusted bearings?

One easy and always useful solution is to make a plywood bed on the trailer so you can get up there a push the thing into the water. I can do that with a 300# 16' boat and am a weak octogenarian. I use 1/2" treated ply and it protects the boat bottom in transit to boot. Also store rudders spars and other stuff on the bed.

 

Build some boxes on the trailer that will fill with water as you back it in. A drain hole will insure you don't have to drag this extra weight around on the road.

 

I must be missing something.

If you fill small boxes with water, that have the same SG co-efficient as the water they are going into, how will that make the trailer sink ???

Some small containers that will hold sand, gravel, bricks, rocks etc that you might find laying around a boat ramp, might be the better way to go.

 

Oh - and the trailer solution is even simpler, if you add a removable tow bar and wheels to the boat, you can get rid of the trailer totally.

The boat looks 'robust' enough to mount tilt-able wheels to it, and the extra weight isn't going to affect 'performance' noticeably.

 

iv thought of making some wooden trays that slot on the sides of the trailer near the back and then having some splitpins to hold them on. when not in use they can be slin inbetween the boat rails and the trailer... fill the trays up with sand and it should help to sink it

 

stop it youre giving me ideas now and its too late to go into the garage ahhh cant wait for the morning to modify it

 

The weight boxes have to be higher than water can pour into. Joint compound buckets would be ideal. Each could have a cork in the bottom reachable from inside. Two 5 gal. buckets would probably be enough. About ninety lbs.

 

Toms solution is right on the target. I too have a trailer with a ply sheet for a bed. The ply has outdoor carpet on top. My 16 foot sharpie slides on and off with ease. I do not use a winch and I do not get the axles wet at most ramps.

On selected occassions I unload the boat and use the trailer for a cargo carrier. Flat ply bed works dandy at those times.

 

Why, ??

They wouldn't want to be for water, or you would need a filler jug or pump to fill them at the waters edge.

If they are just rocks/sand/ etc, it wouldn't matter.

 

That's the way - lose the trailer totally. Its way too big for the job. You could have gotten away with a few long bits of timber under it.

Get someone to show you how to weld - thats the next big adventure. You can make lots of good stuff. Little 'stick' welders cost $100, a self darkening mask and gloves, welding hammer etc another $60.

I found local places run courses for beginners - but Youtube is also good value.