CONTINUOUSWAVE

Regarding my trailer set up for my 1976 Montauk: I have read Jim's article on the subject and it answers a lot of my questions, and, even though I have pulled trailers most of my life, I still found information I had never considered before.

Right now the rig seems to tow just fine, however [the boat] does overhang the trailer by about 12-inches. The wood bunks are still supporting the boat so I don't think I have a problem there.

The way the boat sits on the current bunks does not look correct to me. As stated in Jim's article, the weight should be on the rollers, which it is. These bunks are rotted and I want to replace them. I would like to move the new bunks inboard so the boat is not sitting on the step in the hull. I'll have to run the new timbers through the table saw so they will fit the angle of the hull, but that is no big deal for me. My new timbers are only 2" x 8" (actual size), not the 4 x 8 timbers that I currently have as shown in the photo. I have new carpet to install as well.

Is moving the bunks inboard about 3 or 4-inches going to be okay?

Thanks for your help!
Dan.

If you are supporting the weight of the boat on the keel roller (as mentioned by you), then the bunks are only used for stability (to prevent tipping left or right). If that is the case the wider the space between the bunks, the better. The 3 to 4-inch (6 to 8-inch narrower) should not cause a real problem. And, as you said, as long as you support the boat on a flat part of the bottom you should be okay. One thing I noticed is that your current supports and bunks are not hinged. It behooves you to make them hinged so the bunks can find the best supporting angle to the bottom of your boat, or you must rip the correct angle to the 2x8's you'll be using as shown below.

As illustrated in the photographs posted in the initial article, the height of the support bunks on the trailer under discussion is fixed and cannot be adjusted. This is contrary to the usual construction for a keel-roller trailer with support bunks. Usually the keel roller height is fixed and the bunks are adjusted to fit.