Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I see some folks posting pics of their toon sitting on blocks. Mine sits on the trailer when it's not in the slip.
So my question is how do y'all get your toon off the trailer and onto the blocks? And how do you get it back ON the trailer?

Just curious. Partly because I sometimes see toons offered here for not a lot of cash, but they're sitting on blocks and have no trailer. My trailer sits here empty while the boat is in the slip. Might be interesting to pick up another to either restore and flip or just do something interesting with it. IF... I can get it hauled up onto my trailer and then get it off and back onto blocks.

Very very carefully... LOL. there are some threads on here I think, I know I did a detailed procedure somewhere I think on this forum, its really not that difficult. I'll look around.

View this picture, you have to improvise because all trailers are different and you run into slightly different situations with each one you do. I have boat stands, but you can adapt using cinder blocks, I have done that before, just make sure you have wood on the blocks to distribute the load where to toon is sitting on it.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24685

It takes.ingenuity to pull off, especially if the toon has a large engine, etc. The back end is easy to put up on Jack stands. Sometimes engine hoists can lift the front end. Or use a winch and a big tree limb.

Google this:

"youtube putting boat on blocks"

You will get several helpful videos.

I've seen photos of boats sitting on old tires, usually with the bow higher. I'm assuming so that the bow can be winched onto a trailer. I'd be concerned about damaging the motor. Could you sit the boat on logs? As you winch the boat back onto the trailer, the logs could roll.

It would be nice to have the boat on the ground for Winter restorations. It would be easier to get in and out and you could work on the trailer as well.

I always assumed folks with bunk trailers (or no trailer) borrow, rent or employ someone with a scissor-lift trailer to pluck their 'toon out of the water & drop it on their lot.

BTW I have the typical stack of old tires to sit my toon onto but for the past 3-4 years I've been using 4 big solid blocks of Styrofoam instead. Tractor Supply gets their utility trails stacked without wheels mounted and the blocks are used to keep them separated for transport. They give them away. They're dense enough not to crush or split under the weight of the boat.

I have access to a table lift that we use for batteries. I think the capacity is around 1000 lbs. Would this be enough to raise and lower the bow to the ground from a prop with the stern already sitting on the ground? Most of the weight is on the other end.

Example: