I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

[SkiNautique2001]

Okay, here's the deal. My 1989 2001 will fit in the garage, but my trailer will not ( I want it to sit straight in the garage so that my wife can park in it too). Even a swing away or removable tongue will not get the job done because the two support rails on the trailer come together in front of the nose of the boat (I hope that makes sense). It stays at the lake during the Summer, so I only need it in my garage during the Winter. My best idea so far is to put the boat on a temporary cradle for the winter. I'm looking for ideas to make this happen as smoothly and economically as possible. I have a welder in my garage, so modifying/fabbing something is not totally out, but I would prefer to have something to start with such as an old or wrecked trailer that isn't roadworthy (translation- cheap). I'm located in Greenville, SC for any of you that may have or know of a trailer that I can use for this project. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

[morfoot]

RE: I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

Will the boat fit if you took of the platform and swung her in at a slight angle? If not then I 've seen guys shore it up with stand so they could work on the trailer but don't see any reason why it wouldn't work for winter storage.

Foot

[Hlymons]

RE: I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

I used to have a wave runner and had a cradle for that. I would think you could do the same thing on a bigger scale. The hard part was the transfer from trailer to cradle. We used plastic strips that are slick as snot on both the trailer and cradle. I just slid the ski on and off the trailer. That worked great for our 650 lb wave runners, not sure if it would work for a boat.

Good Luck

[swooddc]

RE: I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

I've seen these at my nautique dealer, they have the showroom boats sitting on em. you could at least take some measurements. maybe even sell you an old one cheap.

[pjdave]

RE: I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

All the boats shipped to OZ come on steel cradles, see if some dealer has one and modify it to suit

[DanielC]

RE: I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

I had to do some work on my trailer a few years ago. I set my boat on blocks of wood, I used three piles of blocks. I used old 4 inch by six inch fence posts, cut up. I put two piles of blocks at the stern, and one on the keel just ahead of the fins.
I pulled the boat back off the trailer about six inches, to put the blocks under the stern of the boat. I then jacked the trailer and boat up, and placed the blocks under the boat. I then lowered the trailer, and the boat weight was on the blocks, in the back. I then lifted the front of the boat, and pulled the trailer out from under the boat very carefully. I did not get in the boat al all when it was sitting on the blocks.
Be very careful when doing this with your boat. Try to always have two independent ways of holding the weight of your boat, so if one way fails, the other will hold the boat.

[Rick]

RE: I need to make a storage cradle for my 2001

All boat dealers/marinas have cradles that they use to store boats I would go by the dealer and ask whether they sell them or if you could copy one. I would then use DanielC's method to get the boat off the trailer and then slide the cradle between the blocks; or if your close ask how much it would be to have the dealer lift it off with their forklift.