Recovering your boat into your trailer. - I just cant seem to get the hang of it.

[haulnazz15]

To make things worse , My ramp is steep so when the bunks are partially (about 3/4 ) submerged the rear is far under. So what that means the rear of the bunks don't help to center the boat on the trailer. You need to be dead nuts on. That said the side rails take the brunt of any drift and you can easily put the bow over one side (almost did that).

I still feel like you have the trailer too deep in the water. If your bow can float over the fenders, it's probably backed in too deep. You have to realize that if it's shallow and you can't make it more than half way up the trailer, that's fine. Winch it up from there.

 

[midcarolina]

Here is a link to a reasonably good video of loading a boat........notice the speed he is approaching the trailer at.

Also I don't recall if you said so, but if you have the pvc covered guide posts it makes it even easier, plus once you figure out the correct depth you can mark the guide post with tape....it makes a easy visual aid to how far to back in....Also when testing to figure out everything it is much easier if you have someone in the tow vehicle that can back further in or pull up a little to just the right depth.......

 

[Taxus812]

Here is a link to a reasonably good video of loading a boat........notice the speed he is approaching the trailer at.
Also I don't recall if you said so, but if you have the pvc covered guide posts it makes it even easier, plus once you figure out the correct depth you can mark the guide post with tape....it makes a easy visual aid to how far to back in....Also when testing to figure out everything it is much easier if you have someone in the tow vehicle that can back further in or pull up a little to just the right depth.......

The video link didn't come through ?

Even though I wasn't totally successful this time, I'm learning volumes. In the long run I hope it will make me a better skipper. (I often feel you get worse before you get better.) I think Im on the right track anyway.

My wife was in the truck giggling at me (wait till its her turn to learn how to load it - LOL ) and she would reposition the trailer as requested. I am using the side guides as a reference now (I have fabric covered guides) and I think I have how deep the back of the trailer needs to be, worked out.

My approach is still the difficult part. ~~Pilot time sounds like the long term answer. I read a lot on bow wander last night and that it is just characteristic of a v-hull with IO and OB at low speeds. I am most certainly overcorrecting for wander and currents. Reverse causes the bow to move far more with the same input. the combination is fun. The tips I got here are great.

I have a few other things to try next to reduce wander
1) Im going to trim my OB UP
2) use extremely small steering inputs and wait for the bow to respond (get a feel for the delay)

Last resort if the ramps were busy I could always drop the bow mounted trolling motor and pull it onto the trailer that way (my neighbor does that)

 

[midcarolina]

I will try and attach link again in this post......this forum has become almost unusable, I am tired of taking the time to write out a reply only to get one or more errors and the post is gone...but I digress

 

[midcarolina]

Sorry it won't load a link.........tried using link button and manually adding link.........sadly no go! I now spend most of my time at marine engine, where one can successfully post to a thread to try and help others

 

[haulnazz15]

The thing that will likely help, is simply "bumping" the boat in gear. When I say "bumping", I mean put the boat into gear for a second (literally a second) and pull it back to neutral. This helps maintain a slow forward speed, and allows you to make small adjustments to your boat's direction. If you are trying to leave it in gear for several seconds while approaching the trailer, then putting in neutral, the boat will start to wander. Usually if you have to use reverse, things have already gotten too far out of whack to salvage the attempt. It's best just to stop and start over. If you do use reverse, make sure the wheel is centered (outdrive centered) and just bump it in reverse to slow your boat.

 

[drrpm]

My steps for loading the boat onto the trailer:

1. Back the trailer in straight. Wet the bunks and then pull forward until the trailer fenders are just out of the water. (this may vary a bit depending on the boat, trailer and ramp.

2. Stand in the center of the boat so you can line up the bowstop, bow and your line of sight all in a straight line.

3. Drive the boat toward the trailer at idle speed and cut power just as you reach the trailer.

4. Hook winch strap to bow eye and finish pulling the boat onto the trailer.

 

[Captain Ollie West]

Sorry it won't load a link.........tried using link button and manually adding link.........sadly no go! I now spend most of my time at marine engine, where one can successfully post to a thread to try and help others

I have had luck with copying and pasting links directly into the text. You may need to highlight the link and click the hyperlink icon in the toolbar.

 

[Captain Ollie West]

Don't knock it till you try it... My 26' carver flybridge boat was on a full roller trailer... to launch I would start it up and put it in forward gear with the drive trimmed up and at idle... then unhook the winch... I would pull it to neutral and it gently rolled off the trailer... Then to load I would idle onto the trailer and it would stop about 3" from the bow stop.. I'd leave it idling in gear (again trimmed up) for a few seconds while I hooked the winch and snugged it to the bow stop and go back n kill the engine.... I was almost always faster in and out than the other boats.... Constantly got compliments at the ramp... I never told them that it really WAS as easy as it looked..

My 28'er on lubed bunks launches n loads the same way except it takes just a little blip of throttle both off and on and I don't have to leave it in gear to work with the winch.

I will give your method a try. Thank you for the tip.

 

[smokeonthewater]

good deal.... good luck