Heavy lifting.

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Q: I have a 32-foot pontoon boat. The trailer bunk carpet I needs to be replaced. I am limited on space to move the boat around. How do you suggest I go about this feat?

Terry C., Thornton, Colo.

Your pontoon should be just a hair over 5,000 pounds, light enough that it's possible to jack it up off the trailer. You could place a jack on each corner of the boat, with a board between the two front and two aft jacks, each placed about 1/5 of the way from the ends of the boat, and jack it up in place. Then you can pull the trailer forward and re-carpet the bunks. When you push the trailer back under the boat, you have to be very, very careful not to hit any of the jacks. But why go through all of this work and risk damaging the boat? My recommendation is, without question, to simply pile your supplies into the boat, drive to the closest ramp and launch it. Then do the work with the Party Cruiser tied up at the pier.

Lenny Rudow

Rudow has won four Boating Writers International awards in the electronics category and one Outdoor Writers Association of America Technical award.