When retrieving our 26 with the ballast tank full, e.g., winching it onto the trailer while still in the water, the bow eye simply will not come all the way up to the bow roller on the trailer. Because our ramp is usually stacked up and people are very impatient (we have the largest trailerable and the only water ballasted boat at the marina), we now pull it out, empty the ballast, and winch it the rest of the way forward along the bunks using brute strength. Draining the ballast and refloating takes too much time. The people coming in behind us have already tied up by then, so we can't refloat the boat without asking them to move. Is this common to all 26s? Thanks for any advice.
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Ron Mehringer
Depends on ramp
I've only retrieved twice, but had the same experience as you with my H26. The ramps I use just aren't deep or steep enough. I think if you find a steeper ramp or maybe use the trailer extension to get to deeper water you should be able to get it all the way up w/o huffing and puffing. Ron Mehringer s/v Hydro-Therapy
I've only retrieved twice, but had the same experience as you with my H26. The ramps I use just aren't deep or steep enough. I think if you find a steeper ramp or maybe use the trailer extension to get to deeper water you should be able to get it all the way up w/o huffing and puffing. Ron Mehringer s/v Hydro-Therapy
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larry
it is a problem
your right, the problem is real. I have learned a lot in the number of times I have launched. the first lesson is close the water inlet during launch. this way the boat floats high in the water. Second, Extend the trailer when reteriving the the boat, it helps a lot, for some ramps you cannot retreive the boat with out the trailer extended. You will have to face the distain of others when taking the boat out. you get the boat out on the trailer. whinch it up to the roller, and then you start thew truck and pull it out of the water till the outlit clears. drain the boat. the trick is to look like you are doing something important. you could yell at your wife, but that only last for a few minutes. check stuff. then when the water has drained take the boat out of the water. this takes only three of four minutes. I suspect you just feel gulity. well you are guilty, but you do have the biggest boat. when the boat is out on the flat you will wicnh it again the last few inces. I have learned a lot of lessons about this, but this is the basic. I would type longer, but I an using time here. good luck Larry
your right, the problem is real. I have learned a lot in the number of times I have launched. the first lesson is close the water inlet during launch. this way the boat floats high in the water. Second, Extend the trailer when reteriving the the boat, it helps a lot, for some ramps you cannot retreive the boat with out the trailer extended. You will have to face the distain of others when taking the boat out. you get the boat out on the trailer. whinch it up to the roller, and then you start thew truck and pull it out of the water till the outlit clears. drain the boat. the trick is to look like you are doing something important. you could yell at your wife, but that only last for a few minutes. check stuff. then when the water has drained take the boat out of the water. this takes only three of four minutes. I suspect you just feel gulity. well you are guilty, but you do have the biggest boat. when the boat is out on the flat you will wicnh it again the last few inces. I have learned a lot of lessons about this, but this is the basic. I would type longer, but I an using time here. good luck Larry
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Dale Wile
Common problem...
This is a problem most of us experience. I have often pulled the boat from the water, drained the ballast tank, then refloated the boat in order to winch it the rest of the way. Also, I always coat the bunks with liquid dishwasher soap just prior to retrieving. This reduces some of the "brute strength" necessary to drag the boat forward after it is out of the water. Extending the tongue usually helps, also.
This is a problem most of us experience. I have often pulled the boat from the water, drained the ballast tank, then refloated the boat in order to winch it the rest of the way. Also, I always coat the bunks with liquid dishwasher soap just prior to retrieving. This reduces some of the "brute strength" necessary to drag the boat forward after it is out of the water. Extending the tongue usually helps, also.
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Andy Jones "Not Another Boat!"
Watch winch strap!
If you have a strap, rather than a cable, on the winch, it should be replaced from time to time. The one on my 23.5 winch broke at the stitch line by the hook while winching up that last little bit. UV gets to it over time. The end of the catch mechanism on the winch has also broken off a couple of times. I'm replacing mine with a heavier Fulton winch with a cable.
If you have a strap, rather than a cable, on the winch, it should be replaced from time to time. The one on my 23.5 winch broke at the stitch line by the hook while winching up that last little bit. UV gets to it over time. The end of the catch mechanism on the winch has also broken off a couple of times. I'm replacing mine with a heavier Fulton winch with a cable.
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Gerard
Watch those winches
The teeth of the sprocket stripped on my winch last year, allowing the catch mechanism to release, allowing the handle to spin, breaking my wrist. The standard winch on my H26 trailer was only rated for 2000 pounds. The winch company (name escapes me) sent me a 3500 lb. winch for free. Yipee.
The teeth of the sprocket stripped on my winch last year, allowing the catch mechanism to release, allowing the handle to spin, breaking my wrist. The standard winch on my H26 trailer was only rated for 2000 pounds. The winch company (name escapes me) sent me a 3500 lb. winch for free. Yipee.
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Ray Bowles
Susan, I doubt that I could ever get my 95 H26
all the way forward without draining the tank and then refloating it. There is just too much weight and not enough slide. I think Dale's idea is one of the best I've heard and I will try it next time. We launch and retreave our boat probably 5 to 6 times a year. After pulling it out we drain it and then get in line and refloat it just enough to crank it all the way up. Pulling a boat dead weight by the winch will eventually lead to great injury to the face or upper body. Ray S/V Speedy
all the way forward without draining the tank and then refloating it. There is just too much weight and not enough slide. I think Dale's idea is one of the best I've heard and I will try it next time. We launch and retreave our boat probably 5 to 6 times a year. After pulling it out we drain it and then get in line and refloat it just enough to crank it all the way up. Pulling a boat dead weight by the winch will eventually lead to great injury to the face or upper body. Ray S/V Speedy
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Susan Hopkins
Thanks
Thanks to all; lots of good advice. I too plan to try the dishwashing liquid idea. I figure if I really slather it on immediately after launch, by the time I get back the next day it will have dried enough so that when the trailer goes in the water it will rehydrate rather than just wash away. In fact, our winch strap (actually the stitching) already broke coming up the ramp earlier this year. Fortunately, we always tie the bow eye to the trailer ladder with a dock line before we pull it up the ramp. The dock line held and the boat stayed on the trailer. Winch straps are cheap, so I now intend to replace it every year. Ours sits on the trailer at the marina so I slack off the strap a bit to take the pressure off the stitching once the trailer is parked. I tie an old towel around the whole thing to keep the sun off and crud out. We just nip it up before we launch the next time. Re spinning handles and stripped gears: thanks for the tip. I will definitely keep this in mind. I guess I'll just have to tell folks to chill and refloat if I want to do this safely (if the soap on the bunks doesn't do the trick). Our ramp is quite steep and by the time the trailer is in position, the tops of the guide posts are only about 6 inches above the water surface. The worst error we've made so far was to accidentally allow the top of a guide post to get hooked under the rub rail. Fortunately, the hull/deck joint won the battle and the guide post bent when the boat dropped to the bunks. Also, I can now smell my clutch overheating every time we pull the boat up the ramp (an F150 with 100K miles doesn't cut it with the ballast tank full). We are seriously considering painting the bottom and putting it in a slip next year. Even now that we've had plenty of practice, we find retrieval rather harrowing and not exactly a great end to a fantastic boating weekend. It'll cost more money one way or the other! Thanks
Thanks to all; lots of good advice. I too plan to try the dishwashing liquid idea. I figure if I really slather it on immediately after launch, by the time I get back the next day it will have dried enough so that when the trailer goes in the water it will rehydrate rather than just wash away. In fact, our winch strap (actually the stitching) already broke coming up the ramp earlier this year. Fortunately, we always tie the bow eye to the trailer ladder with a dock line before we pull it up the ramp. The dock line held and the boat stayed on the trailer. Winch straps are cheap, so I now intend to replace it every year. Ours sits on the trailer at the marina so I slack off the strap a bit to take the pressure off the stitching once the trailer is parked. I tie an old towel around the whole thing to keep the sun off and crud out. We just nip it up before we launch the next time. Re spinning handles and stripped gears: thanks for the tip. I will definitely keep this in mind. I guess I'll just have to tell folks to chill and refloat if I want to do this safely (if the soap on the bunks doesn't do the trick). Our ramp is quite steep and by the time the trailer is in position, the tops of the guide posts are only about 6 inches above the water surface. The worst error we've made so far was to accidentally allow the top of a guide post to get hooked under the rub rail. Fortunately, the hull/deck joint won the battle and the guide post bent when the boat dropped to the bunks. Also, I can now smell my clutch overheating every time we pull the boat up the ramp (an F150 with 100K miles doesn't cut it with the ballast tank full). We are seriously considering painting the bottom and putting it in a slip next year. Even now that we've had plenty of practice, we find retrieval rather harrowing and not exactly a great end to a fantastic boating weekend. It'll cost more money one way or the other! Thanks
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