Looking for some tips about loading my Hunter 18.5 on the trailer. I back the trailer into the water the same distance as when I launch it. I back in far enough that it floats off. To load, I hook up the trailer winch to bow to pull the boat all the way forward. A dock line on the stern is used to help keep the boat aligned with the trailer. When I pull the boat out of the water it is not setting level on the trailer. The boat rests on the keel when on the trailer. Any thoughts on what I can do to get the boat to set level on the trailer?
Loading boat on trailer
- Thread starter abouttime
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So there is no keel guide to keep the keel in the middle of the trailer when loading?
Post photos. Much easier to help, when you consider that many trailerable sailboats of the exact same model have different trailers.
To retrieve my boat, I cannot back as far as launching it. I have to back part way in, get the keel aligned in the keel tray with the boat only partially on the trailer. Then I can back in the rest of the way and finish cranking up the boat. It's not a wing keel though.
That is why a well designed keel guide, or at least a hull guide, is a godsend.
A boat can be a bit of a pain to get centered, depending on the slope of the ramp. Especially in windy conditions.
We had uprights at the back of our Catalina 22 trailer, the same as is common on power boat trailers.
Fairly cheap to build or install good ones.
Apparently the previous owner was so cheap that the ones on our boat would flop all over due to the horrible way he/she mounted them. They would have worked much better if they were nice and rigid.
A better bolt on option is a bunk guide. I had planned to make one for our Catalina 22. Here is a Hunter 18.5. on a trailer with them:
FWIW: The trailer for our fixed keel, 30ft, 5 foot draft boat, has welded steel guides that will line up the keel when the boat is floating 3 feet above the trailer. It has a keel stop at the front of the guides so that the boat stops at the exact spot fore and aft.
We can have the boat out in minutes. That $1000 trailer modification was worth every penny.
(After seeing the keel damage on a fixed keel Catalina 25, that was hauled out this fall, onto a badly designed trailer, I am even happier with the expenditure)
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"keel stop at the front of the guides so that the boat stops at the exact spot fore and aft"
Leeward Rail has clarified the need to think of the sailboat as a ship rather than a speedboat or runabout when retrieving it out of the water onto a trailer. As the mobile dry dock is pulled out of the water it's level will match that of the ramp not the water so we need to lift the bow up to the same angle as the ramp so the boat will be level when the trailer is level. So now here's another question along the same lines. I have understood this concept of position on the trailer and attempted perfect positioning at haul out yet I'm still often required to do a McGregor bump.
Leeward Rail has clarified the need to think of the sailboat as a ship rather than a speedboat or runabout when retrieving it out of the water onto a trailer. As the mobile dry dock is pulled out of the water it's level will match that of the ramp not the water so we need to lift the bow up to the same angle as the ramp so the boat will be level when the trailer is level. So now here's another question along the same lines. I have understood this concept of position on the trailer and attempted perfect positioning at haul out yet I'm still often required to do a McGregor bump.
Looks like it is sitting correctly in the photo. Weight on both the keel and the Hull.
The keel guide would likely work better if the aft end of the guides was angled towards the sides so that as you pull on, the keel is pushed left or right until it sits in the middle. A funnel shape.
But.. And this is a big but... That keel guide width looks like those wings would hit it when you are loading with the trailer too deep in the water.
In that case, as the boat and trailer came together, the keel could easily be ABOVE the guide at the start (not behind It) and as it moved down towards the trailer while pulling out,.. the wings would hit the top of the guides.
Is that the problem occuring?
You would need to ensure that the trailer and boat were close enough vertically so that the keel would slide into the guide from behind, as opposed to lowering itself onto it.
Because of the wing keel, I would remove the keel guide and reuse/modify it as bunks that guide the Hull, like that shown in the photos above, and keep the keel support pad. That way the boat and trailer could simply come together vertically, in various ramp depths.
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This may have nothing to do with your problem but it happened to me so it's not impossible and it might be relevant.
The first time I loaded my boat on the trailer it wasn't level, it was rolled slightly to one side. I put it back in the water to straighten it out and noticed that it also sat in the water with a slight roll to the same side, due to how it was loaded. (I had actually noticed that before but the significance hadn't struck me until then.) So I backed the trailer down the ramp and then cocked it slightly sideways, so that the trailer had a lateral roll angle that matched the boat. The boat came on nice and straight.
After that, of course, I rearranged equipment on the boat so that it sits close to level in the water.
The first time I loaded my boat on the trailer it wasn't level, it was rolled slightly to one side. I put it back in the water to straighten it out and noticed that it also sat in the water with a slight roll to the same side, due to how it was loaded. (I had actually noticed that before but the significance hadn't struck me until then.) So I backed the trailer down the ramp and then cocked it slightly sideways, so that the trailer had a lateral roll angle that matched the boat. The boat came on nice and straight.
After that, of course, I rearranged equipment on the boat so that it sits close to level in the water.
Take a couple more pictures specifically of the keel guide and will check my notes from when I was a Hunter dealer. I hated that trailer set up
I built guides for my Hunter 170. They are not pretty but very functional and cheap.
Attachments
- Is the ramp level? Does this happen at different ramps?
- If you have a foam pad you can place it on the ground, lay down and leg press the boat into position
- Clear water makes it much easier to position the boat on the trailer. Murky water makes for a bit of guess work
- I built some guides for my old 19'. They ended up costing about the same amount as buying them and they were a bit flimsy. If I needed some again I would buy for sure
- Take note on how far into the water your trailer needs to be in order for you to reposition the boat and have the boat actually stay in that position
What everyone else said. One thing to add. If you installed a set of Surfix bunk slides on the hull bunks and on the keel bunk you could likely easily center an 18' boat, after the fact, by rocking it on the trailer when it was out of the water. They would also make it easier to launch and retrieve the boat.
I have to agree with Sesmith. I have a precision 18 with 3 rollers that the keel sets on, and then the side bunks just cradle the boat to stop any leaning. I am seriously think of removing the rollers and replacing with a treated 2" X 10" and put some thick poly' on it to help get the boat centered and up to the bow roller with out having to back so far down in the water for positioning or having to drag it up with the winch (my old shoulders do NOT like that last 10" of pulling that boat up to position if the ramp is too steep). perhaps putting something a little more "slick" on the keel rest and some guides on each side would help align the boat over the trailer. Do you have a motor on the back of the boat when pulling out of the water?
The plastic helps but you do need some friction to keep the boat from moving while trailering. 2" or larger straps helps. A two speed winch really helps get it onto the trailer. I have a Fulton F1 winch and I do recommend it if you're in the market for one
10/4 on the fulton. I already am strapping across the boat at cockpit, but in front of the stanchions and also across the bow (also in front of the stanchions (just in case i slam on brakes maybe, just maybe the boat will stay locked on the trailer and not try and jump the bow roller and come knocking on the truck roof). I would really like to know how much weight is actually on the cradles and not just on the keel when on the trailer.
The theory is that the keel takes the vast majority of the weight while the side bunks keep the boat from falling over. In reality it depends on how well your bunks are adjusted to fit your boat.
A trick you can try is putting dish detergent on the bunk to reduce friction. I personally havent tried it on a trailer but it works well when pulling tubing or electrical wiring. It dries up on its own and is pretty gentle on various materials
You really should verify that the ramp you are using is actually level. You should be able to put a level on the trailer tongue while it's in the water. Perhaps try a different lake? I had nearly the same issues as you when I bought my first sailor trailer. Switching to a lake with clear water virtually eliminated all of my issues
x2 on dish detergent. I've used that on bunks with great success. I will caution though: be VERY certain the boat is secure before driving off down the road.
Is there a story here? Makes me think of my brother's powerboat that somehow unhooked itself from the trailer and went on a road trip.
