GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

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solentgal
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GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by solentgal »

We have just bought a GP14 and I looked at the GP website only to find that the boat register is no longer available to view :(
As we bought this boat from a family who owned it long term (may have been a one owner boat in fact), I wanted to date her roughly. The sail number is just over 8k, and she's a GRP boat on the original trailer with all original gear in good condition......does anyone know what years he would be roughly? I'm guessing around 1970-ish???

The other thing I wanted to know is whether the old 3 stud trailer wheels come up very often at jumbles etc......haven't seen one for a while.....but then I haven't been looking! The trailer tows really well, and I think it would be worth getting a spare wheel if possible.
Sami.
dronskiuk
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by dronskiuk »

If it is of any help my school took delivery of 6 new boats in 70/71 that were numbered 8233-5 and 8431-5...I'm sure someone will be able to be more accurate though. :D
roger
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by roger »

my GP was 8539 and was mid 70s I will ask my brother if he can look at the boat register as he is a member.
What is the number and he may be able to find some history.
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solentgal
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by solentgal »

Thanks guys........that fits with what I thought........sail number is 8102, and the previous family of owners told me they had owned her for getting on for 50 years ......passed down from father to daughter. I spoke to the father when we collected the boat, but forgot to ask if they bought her new...... I suspect there won't be any history as such, but that length of ownership is as good as it gets I think, and she has been well looked after.
I have spotted a few 3 stud wheels on ebay.....but whether they are the right dimensions is difficult to judge........I have a feeling these ones will be imperial, but haven't checked yet.
The next thing I have to work out is a way of launching and recovering single-handed up a longish slipway with no power......thinking of some sort of brake system on the trolley (with jockey) so that I can "walk" her up one wheel at a time if you see what I mean..... a work in progress!
Sami.
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by Rupert »

Would a caravan mover work?!
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Ed
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by Ed »

Was looking for a silly image....but found this, which is brilliant and could really get lots of use at some clubs:

Image
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JimC
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by JimC »

What access do you have to the end of the ramp? Could you rig a purchase to some sort of anchor point? Mind you I have a vision of a secondhand rotavator with the blades removed.
chris
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by chris »

Can someone design a trolley that can store energy up , perhaps in a powerful spring, so that when you go down the slip for launching it winds the spring or whatever up then if you can turn that 'off' and keep it stored
when you take the trolley away empty.
When you then take the boat back up you can use that energy to help. This would also act as a brake when launching down a long or steep slip on your own.
Michael4
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by Michael4 »

I've thought about one of those electric winches that attach to the car's tow hook and take power from the car.

The caravan movers seem expensive and I fear they would slip on our rough launching sites. There's a new one around with caterpillar tracks and built in high tec battery that might be OK but still ££££s.

Has anyone any experience of these things?

I like the idea of storing available energy on a huge clockwork spring...
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solentgal
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by solentgal »

Yes... KERS technology on a launching trolley......great idea :) I'm sure it must be possible, but anything complex (or electro mechanical jockeys etc) has to deal with water....often salt water, as we have down here!......so simplicity is needed I think.
Jim.....there's a winch for the slip up to recover, so no problem, but it is a long uphill ramp to get to the top of the sea wall before going down the other side to launch....... I can't see anyway of rigging up a system for the long ramp, and would probably upset folk if I were to try anyway, so it is going to have to be something suited just to my trolley I think.
I'm working on a simple idea of chocks that drop under the wheels when going astern, with a simple rope pull system led to the front end of the trolley to hold them in the brakes off position.......then all I would need to do when going up the ramp is to put the brakes on and weave the front end on the jockey from side to side to work up the ramp. I've used this basic principle moving small yachts (up to a Westerly 22!) on the flat with someone just following behind pushing in the chocks as I go. The long ramp is relatively shallow, but too steep for me to get a GP up in one run......a Laser size/weight of dinghy would be about my limit I think......all this is so I can go out sailing when no-one else is around!
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PeterV
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by PeterV »

If the slipways wide enough could you tack up it? This was the only way I could get my Finn up the steep slope at Mayflower sailing club after coming in from a sail by myself, and I only had a road trailer at the time.
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Pat
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by Pat »

I've seen 3 stud wheels on the trailer spares suppliers' web sites but can't remember which one.
May have been Western Towing.
(Half Cut and What a Lark Removals Ltd)
solentgal
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by solentgal »

Peter.....sort of what I intend....not very wide slipway, but pushing the bow from side to side effectively pulls her up if the pressured wheel is blocked by my brake/chock idea.....all theory at present, but I feel confident it will work if I can find suitable bits of metal lying around......a nice little challenge for me :)
I would probably be alright most of the time as there are usually a few folk around to help.....but not always, which could be frustrating.

Pat....noted, thank you.....I've seen one or 2 used ones on ebay, but not sure of stud pattern dimensions.....no rush on this, just would be handy to have a spare.
Sami.
chris
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by chris »

Low tech bungee power-assisted trolley
Suppose the slipway is 4times the length of a GP14 (ie 56ft)
The circumference of a trolley wheel is approx. 4ft. So the wheel rotates 14 times.
Length of trolley: say 7ft to the axle.
Bungee can double its length when fully stretched so a 7ft bungee length from end to axle gives 7ft of usable stretch.
If this was wrapped round a drum of circumference 6” ( approx. 2” diam) the 7ft of stretch would match the 56ft slip.( 14 revs x .5 ft)=7ft and (14revs x 4ft)=56ft slip
The trolley needs a rotating axle with wheels fixed to it and a clutch mechanism to engage/disengage the drum. Two positions: 1 drive or driven and 2 storage of energy and disengaged.
The drum can lock onto the axle for winding–up or driving. And when disengaged from the axle it must be locked to the trolley frame to keep the energy stored while the boat is off the trolley and also to keep it disengaged for trundling around on the level. A dog clutch might do this. Figure 2
I don’t know how many bungees are need to make this useful but a number of them.
But: the torque will change perhaps too much. Max torque coming out of the water but very little energy left just before the top of the slipway. It may be necessary to increase the available stretch by doubling the bungee over pullies. Figure 3
Caution - no idea if it would actually work!
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JimC
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Re: GP14 age and 3 stud trailer wheel availability?

Post by JimC »

Magnificent! But maybe not practical. Just how much energy is being stored?


I wonder if you could drag a couple of aeroplane style chocks behind the wheels for your one wheel at a time concept. I can see them being a damn nuisance though. Maybe a line from each one which would enable them to be pulled up to the cradle out of the way when you need to push the trailer. Push trolley into water, release line, chocks drop into position.
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