Is this how the TI cradles are supposed to fit?

Taking some time this morning to adjust things on the trailer. I wanted to move everything forward a bit (took off the winch, more weight and trouble than it was worth to me) and noticed while moving the crossarms holding the cradles that things just don't fit very well...

Here is the front cradle, positioned under the front drivewell. Farther forward gets worse.



And here's the middle cradle (I'm using three) positioned toward the back of the rear drive well. It actually seems to fit well here, but...



...on the sides it doesn't fit so well. You can see a divot just ahead of the cradle that was made by the cradle when everything was strapped down in the previous position.



So, anyone have suggestions/advice? I've been shuffling things around and can't seem to find a very good way to set these up. If I slide them closer together so they both fit well across the bottom they're going to be VERY close together. Farther apart seems preferable load-wise, but then all the weight is concentrated on those points...

The third cradle doesn't really do anything, once the TI is in place. At this point it's just to make it more convenient to load/unload.

The nature of plastic rotomolded hulls is that they're never exactly the same so you're going to find that the cradles aren't going to fit exactly on any given hull. Just move them fore and aft until you find the closet fit.

Another thing - you don't need to really crank down on the retaining straps. I think a good many people overdo this and the dents and deformations in the hulls are the result. The boat won't easily slide on the foam covering on the cradles so when you strap it down, just get it snug and tie off. That's really all you need to do. And... when you arrive home, always loosen the tie-down straps. Don't leave them on the boat under tension.

Trailex describes the rear beam at the far back of the trailer and the second one 6 feet (72") forward. We say 73" spacing between cradles. This leaves the bow supported by the bow stop roller.

https://www.trailex.com/Instructional%20Sheets/SUT-350-AIT.pdf

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Okay, thanks. I'll take another look later on, maybe move the two farther apart.

I went with the SUT-350-S and three cradles for more support (and I like the longer trailer). Of course that's going to mess with my adjustments a bit...

I think I found good places for them now, have the front one between the front drive well and mast, it doesn't fit perfectly but okay. Moved the middle one back to a bit past the rear of the rear drivewell, still fits well and the sides have narrowed enough at that point there's a small gap on the outsides.

I found the rear cradle does support the main hull under the cargo bay, just not the amas since they sweep up a bit by that point.

Wanted to also ask about the bow stop roller. I was originally thinking it stood more upright, so the front of the bow hit it (literally a stop so the boat doesn't go too far forward) but your comment Matt and something someone mentioned to me last week made it sound like you're putting the bow roller very low so the bow actually rides on top of it? I've done that this morning, I couldn't do that with the winch on but was able to with just the basic handles.

Thanks!

The only problem in using 3 cradles is that they are designed to fit fore and aft, mostly, so a third one isn't likely to fit well anywhere.

I used two cradles and then a support under the bow and one under the stern. These are rollers, which shouldn't be used as supports unless you have the boat also tied from the bow and stern so that it can't move fore and aft upon the easy turning rollers. If you secure it fore and aft, then rollers are okay as supports at either end.

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Joe,

Deja vu all over again. I went though the same process last year so I understand your frustration.

Look up Sun E Sailor's posts regarding three cradle (and trailer wheel frame fore/aft) placement. I found his suggestions to be excellent starting points and my final placements were very close to his. Also, his thoughts on the rear roller were spot-on.

I use a winch and my bow stop is near vertical. I have a tongue keel roller between the bow stop and front cradle -- it just kisses the hull. I power the winch with a 18V portable drill which works great.

If I'm viewing your photos correctly, it looks like you mounted the wheel frame on top of the tongue, lowering the hull 5" relative to the ground. That's what I did also. I really like this mod as it gets the hull in the water sooner as you back the trailer when launching.

As mentioned earlier, don't "crank-down" too much on the tie-down straps. I strap the main hull separately from the amas to prevent scratching, placing a small foam pad between the hull and ama for further protection. I use bungies to hold down the amas to the front and middle cradles only. As I remember, the ama is floating slightly above the rear cradle.

I sail in fresh water and dunk the wheels until the rear cradle is just underwater when launching and retrieving. Early on, I tried to keep the hubs dry, but I just found it too hard to muscle the boat onto the trailer.

Gary