Trailering woes

Ed14004 · Apr 7, 2014

I had trouble also until I modified my trailer.

Kings Gambit · Apr 7, 2014

Suggest installing uprights (vertical guides) near rear of trailer.

cephius (Dave) · Apr 7, 2014

Is your ramp steep enough? Are you getting the trailer deep enough?

My bow floats over the bow roller, so there is no fear of hitting the supports. I can guide my bow to stay centered on the roller as I crank in the cable.

Jackdaw · Apr 7, 2014

Can you make a keel box with guides? This acts as a funnel to guide the keel in place. Once it's in place, everything has to be.

Ashley · Apr 7, 2014

What's your ramp like, do you have a dock beside the ramp? The Admiral and I loaded the boat yesterday morning and it went on like butter. We're still getting used to sailing off the trailer. We have a great ramp with a nice floating dock. I back the trailer in until the front roller on the trailer is just about under water. We walk the boat up to a few feet from the back of the trailer and I connect the winch cable and start cranking while my wife keeps the boat straight by pushing the boat out or pulling a line. I like to have a line tied from the stern to a dock cleat near the bow until the boat is on the trailer enough that I don't think it will float away. I can winch it all the way on almost right up to the winch, cranking pretty hard. Pull it out a little, drain the ballast and winch it up all the way. I have tried backing further down and walking it on the trailer as far as possible and it didn't work as well. I have found that winching it on the trailer pulls the bow towards the winch and it seems to go on straight more often than not. I never got around to installing the keel guides but might if we start having issues.

I have only used this method a few times and it seems to be working well. All attempts before were with a ramp with no dock. Got nothing for you there, occasionally it went well. It only takes a little crosswind to make you go from looking like a pro to praying someone isn't taping it and you wind up on youtube

Rick Webb · Apr 7, 2014

Lower the Ball

I use two different balls with my truck. I tow with the one on the bumper but launch and recover with the deepest draw bar I can put in the receiver without scraping the road. Helps a lot.

Double Dip
You also may be putting the trailer in too far. I have found on steeper ramps it is easier to get the boat started on the trailer let the water out and put it back in to get it on the trailer right.

Ashley · Apr 7, 2014

Kermit said:
We do have a dock, but not only is it not close enough to the ramp, but they are not really parallel to each other. (If you kept going straight back on the ramp, you would hit the dock.) I had a passel of people helping me after dark in November. 2 guys on the dock with extended dock lines, 2 people on a boat behind my boat giving directions and 1 person at the trailer winch giving instructions to the car driver and me.

Adding to the frustration, it seems I'm the only person in the club who is having this trouble.

nothing like a little pressure :cussing:

I agree with Rick, you may be backing in to far. I used to hate loading and it kept me from sailing off the trailer a lot. I think my biggest problem was backing in too far and trying to float it on or drive it on because I didn't think we could winch it on. It was always a struggle to keep it straight, especially with any kind of wind. After practicing some with a friend, I now winch it from the back of the trailer and it slides on much easier. I never would have tried before with just me and the wife. Not if I wanted to keep my boat.
I mean our boat

cephius (Dave) · Apr 8, 2014

My marina has a very steep ramp. It handles much bigger boats than trailer sailors. ALL boats come out of the water before the lake freezes over. A tractor is used for the cradles on the large boats.

If I tried to hook the cable on with the boat at the end of the trailer, I'd be swimming.

I've got to float the boat all the way on, then walking on the trailer to keep from going deeper than my boots, I hook the cable on and just winch in the last 4 feet.

I also like to pull forward to drain the water, then close the port and back down to ensure the bow is against the stop and all slack is out of the cable.

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 8, 2014

Kermit;

Are you using the ramp at the state park with the blank blank overhead wire at the beginning of the ramp?

First looking at your photos, the boat trailer does have guide ons.

The biggest headache I can see is that supposed stinking bow trailer guide which in essence is a headache. Generally the bow never scraped the frame on the trailer where the rollers are at. In addition, does it give support while trailering and the answer is no as the bow is resting on the V and with the boat secured all the way, that bow guide is absoulutely worthless and in some cases did create some damage. You can always adjust lower and cut the bottom of the supports off. Another way is to cut the supports a little on top removing the black plastic and conturuing them via grinding, adding an extra longer roller bar with two small but same size rollers but not as long on the outside to protect the bow. Remove it altogether and place a piece of delrin plastic (thick) on the frame with the edge of the plastic angled down when the bow if it ever comes in contact will come up smoothly vs. hitting an edge.

Never cared for the roller and found it useless except to insure that the bow never hit the frame. I would lower first trying that and adding the additional rollers. You are probably having difficulty getting the boat on and off. I use to modify that damn thing when the new boat and trailer came in and it was not only the Hunter boats but others as well. To use it as a bow support only enhance possible damage anyway.

As for the keel guide seen in one photo forward, I would suggest removing those and lowering your bow roller guide. If the boat should go on at an angle, the centerboard will come to rest on that guide damaging the center board driving it up into the centerboard housing and damagaing that as well. I know as I had seen that type of set up before when the boat was brought into my dealership for repairs. It was very expensive repair.

dave condon

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 8, 2014

Jackdaw;

If you install keel guides for the wing keel, they need to be the rear and up high as you would be guiding on the extended portion of the keel and not the wings. It has been done in the past.

crazy dave condon

John23883 · Apr 8, 2014

Here are my guides.

These guides always work and are plastic deck boards. I agree, don't get in too deep, winch as best you can then up the ramp, empty the tank, get level and winch the last 6 inches.

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 9, 2014

John;

Although you have guides which is a good idea, they are too close being forward. Should you be on a ramp that is sideways and load up, the boat will sit sideways on the trailer and on the top of the guides. truly the guides need to be in the rear and lower to prevent what I just said could happen. While a dealer heavily involved with the water ballast boats, I experienced a lot in my lifetime to include construction, selling, sailing and repairs and several times had to repair the hulls and replace centerboards. I strongly suggest moving them back toward the rear. I will not say anything else but I speak from experience and knowledge, not supposition.

crazy dave condon

Trailering woes

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