As anyone who sails an iceboat larger than a DN will tell you, the trailer is a critical part of the program. Once you have it on the ice all the gear is out there and the boat becomes very easy to move out and set up. A trailer that’s light as possible allows you to simply back it onto the ice, un-hitch, and roll it away to some spot that’s NOT in the direct path of the next guy or gal moving their trailer down. At the end of the day all your gear goes in there and all you need to take back to the car is your lunch box. And if the sailing’s all done, when you get home with the trailer it’s just a matter of un-hitching and going inside for refreshment.
With that in mind, Denis Guertin built a new trailer and shares the process:
You will see a new trailer on the ice next season. Whizz #10 has a new custom built trailer to travel many times from Quebec, we hope! The first goal was to build a much lighter trailer than the previous one. The frame is all aluminum: 2 x 6 channel side beams and 3” angles for the middle cross bars, as well as the top structure which is all 1¼” aluminum square tubing.
All the gear has its dedicated place inside the trailer, with all the hooks, brackets and rubber bands to hold it in place while traveling the fabulous roads in the Jackman area!!
-
-
img 1854
-
-
img 1855
The skin is PVC canvas with coroplast (corrugated plastic) panels under it to add some solid but still light stuff behind the fabric.
The problem with the coroplast was to tighten the screws without crushing the material. Small plastic tabs were inserted in the coroplast where screws has to be tightened.
A roof rack was added to carry another boat or two, just in case. ISA here we come!
The final result is great, with a color that will be easy to see when looking for the pits at high speed on the ice. Trailer is all completed, ready to go when the first ice comes in December… or November???
Think road… and then think ice !!
