PDRacer & Goat Island Skiff Trailers

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I like boat trailers that have other functions too.

One way is to adapt another type of trailer - like a conventional box trailer at least for smaller boats.

An alternative is to go for something very "bare bones".

One thing that makes a boat trailer more useful for different boats is to have a longer drawbar than normal on the trailer.

So if you are having a trailer made - adding a foot or two to the drawbar may make it useful for bigger boats too.

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Most of the boats I design are pretty light anyhow.

With the dual puddle duck setup note how we have used a frame that fits in the top of the box trailer for the lower boat - no chance of that moving at all - and then use two padded cross pieces with holes in the end for the ratchet tie downs to pass through. That can't move much either.

The frame trailer picture right is for the flat bottomed Goat Island Skiff that has two longitudinal runners on the bottom of the boat.

The cross pieces line up with bulkheads inside the boat.

If you are using a cross bar across the top of the top boat I would put holes in the ends of that for the tie down too.

The whole lot sat down very happily all the way to the recent Stansbury/Port Vincent Wooden Boat Festival.

PDRacer Trailers including a single trailer too

http://www.storerboatplans.com/GIS/G...er%20setup.jpg

One pic and a little comment about the frame trailer
I would normally put plywood over the trailer frame before adding the bearers that support the boat to reduce the risk of stones chipping the hull.

This is Robin Badenoch's trailer - it is one of those buy online and we'll deliver at the end of the week and we will assemble type packages.

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Here is another variation on the PDR theme. Three PDRs sitting like toast on truck tray. The same trick would probably work with a box trailer of a certain width the clear area looks like having to be a minimum of 1239mm for three boats - just a bit wider than a 4ft wide trailer.

Note that it only allows for stacking them on their sides with the very thinnest of padding between the boats. If storing them on top of each other I would move to one of the trailering methods shown above.

Also the size might vary from batch to batch!!!!

Jonathan is moving the PDRs to the local sailing club down at the bay in DAKAR so they will be more convenient for the kids to go down and use.

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For those who don't know about the West African Puddle Duck Racers, that great story is here.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=69870

Best wishes
Michael