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The guides on my trailer are completely submerged when launching and retrieving the boat. I want to extend them. How have you all done this. They are welded on so I want to use whats there just extend them.
How high, i am thinking to the top of the gunwales?

My extensions are shown in this thread. http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 3&p=265515

I brought them just above the rub rail, and even then they're all but submerged at some steep ramps.

The tennis balls were popping off in the water, so I cut more, but in an X-pattern, flared the leaves open, and ran a couple of SS through them into the PVC to keep them in place. Works well.

I just stuck pvc on it, go as high as you want. I think mine is about 2ft above gun wale. Makes perfect goal post. Even flexes a little .

jakeintexas wrote:I just stuck pvc on it, go as high as you want. I think mine is about 2ft above gun wale. Makes perfect goal post. Even flexes a little .

Ditto

Just slide a PVC pipe over each of the guides.

Ray

Tomfoolery wrote:My extensions are shown in this thread. http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 3&p=265515

I brought them just above the rub rail, and even then they're all but submerged at some steep ramps.

The tennis balls were popping off in the water, so I cut more, but in an X-pattern, flared the leaves open, and ran a couple of SS through them into the PVC to keep them in place. Works well.

Thank for the stats, very helpful as usual

use PVC natural gas pipe it has a much thick wall

J

Highlander wrote:use PVC natural gas pipe it has a much thick wall

J

Thanks I was not even aware there was PVC natural gas pipe.

Schedule 80 PVC electrical conduit is easy to get, is stronger than water pipe (schedule 40) and it's UV resistant to boot.

Unless you don't like gray.

Tomfoolery wrote:Schedule 80 PVC electrical conduit is easy to get, is stronger than water pipe (schedule 40) and it's UV resistant to boot.

Unless you don't like gray.

I already bought some 40 sch and I will see how they hold up if they crack I will go to the 80sch conduit PVC

Hopefully it won't be a huge wind or huge error that just snaps Em right off if they fail.

Now you have to decide what, if anything, you are going to do about water entering the metal pipes. Once water, especially salt water, gets into the metal guide it will not evaporate with the PVC over it. Some folks drill holes and let the water enter but also drain out. I didn't want water in the pipes at all so I capped my PVC pipes in order to form a bubble in them as the trailer went into the water. I hoped, and it appears to have worked, that the bubble would keep water below the top of the metal pipe and water would not enter. You have to be aware that the bubble will also launch the PVC pipes into the air and they will float away unless secured to the pipe. I just drilled a hole in the bottom of the PVC and used SS wire to attach.

The PVC pipes work well to give you a target to aim at, but if you drive the boat back on to the trailer in any sort of a crosswind they are going to snap. Every time. Been there, done that.

At the very least, you have to have pads at the top of those guide poles, because they are going to be under water at just about any boat launch you try to use. Better to take your trailer to a trailer shop and have them fabricate a more robust and usable system. Here is what we did:



Even with the additional goalpost, most of the side-bar is under water with only about 25% of it visible. Since this photo was taken I have added 1/2" line from the V at the trailer ladder back to the first goalpost. Retrieving with that original trailer without a dock was a real drag.

I did this to aid Le Zephyr return to the trailer. I don't care about the height of the guides. This rope system costs 20$ and assures le Zephyr of a gentle return to her trailer absolutely every time.