Dear Dean,

You are correct: def- a straight line will only be tangent to a circle at one point, in Mechanical Engineering/Statics (beam loading) that is called a point load. So years ago I removed my “rollers” and installed carpeted bunks/beds as I got tired of fixing the dents on the bottom of my hulls every winter.

So here was my solution, I make bunks approximately 16-18” wide using PRESSURE TREATED 2”x8”s (stacked two high) and bolt them to the trailer crossbar with galvanized carriage bolts. If you want to be really fancy you can make a small wedge piece to put on top outside ends. Cover with ½” styrene and then cover with Nylon carpet. Be careful to pick a material that DOES NOT retain moisture, or you can cause “gellcoat blisters to form! (Astro turf doormats work also) I can carry any boat from a H-14 to my P-19mx on my trailer.

Cradles: Go to a home development construction site and look for some large (+10”) plastic water pipe/gas main scrap ends (they should be blue or green in color). Now if you heat them up to approx 210-225F the material will became plyable/moldable. So cut the required approximately sized piece ( depending on pipe dia it will be 1/2 or 1/3 of circumference). Heat and mold to the hull, being sure to place a pad of the approximant thickness of the carpet/padding to be installed in the cradle to protect the hull from the heat. Cool with cold water. NOTE: Do Not let the girlfriend/wife know what you have cooking in the oven, they will not appreciate cooking plastic pipe in the same oven they bake their muffins in!!! ( been there, done that, had that conversation!!!) Be REALLY careful or the temperature, +250F and you will have SMOKE!!! I have made cradles for beach wheels and trailers using this method. To mount to a trailer you will need to install a block or brackets on the underside of the cradle, If the cradle can pivot/rock fore and aft it will help with loading the boat on the trailer.

Good luck
Harry Murphey