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| Message Subject: First Boat - Lots of questions | |||
PCR |
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Posts: 23 Location: Stewartville, MN | I just picked up my first boat on Saturday. It is a 2000 Lund 1700 Angler with a 2001 Yamaha 4 stroke 100hp. Questions: 1) the seller said that I did not need a transom saver because the Yamaha had a little piece that you filp and it does the same thing. Is this true or should I get a transom saver? 2) loading the boat was rough. It has a roller trailer. Wouls adding side bunks or those white guides make it easier? 3) How does one person load and unload a boat without tying up the boat launch? 4) it does not have an anchor what type would you reccomend? 5) It has a three bank Lund battery charger, should I just plug it in EVERY time I take the boat out? I look forward to my first season chasing Muskies and other fish in my new boat. | ||
| sorenson |
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Posts: 1764 Location: Ogden, Ut | Sounds like a nice rig - congrats. I'll try to answer your questions based on my own experience (definately not an expert) 1) Transom savers - kinda like fluoro leaders; people love 'em or hate 'em. I'd go to the nearest Yamaha dealer and ask to talk to their mechanics/service techs - they should be able to give you a real answer. The conditions under which you trailer your boat will probably have a part to play here too. 2) Practice, practice practice. Practice on ramps with different slopes as well. Practice in current, practice in wind. If you can find time midweek (less boat ramp pressure) take advantage of it. If you can find ramps with little use - make use of them. No one does it perfectly every time; don't beat yourself up over it. 3) Did I mention practice? Come up w/ a routine during your practice sessions. I prep the boat prior to launch - plug included! I back the trailer into the water, unhook it (ONLY after it is over the water), give it a push and ride it in. Then I beach (or tie up) the boat and park the truck. It may help to have some knee boots or hip boots depending on the ramp. Reverse it for loading. Pay attention to how far to back up the trailer buy looking at the depth of the water on a known and stationary piece of the trailer (e.g., fender, tail light bracket, etc.). Power loading is allowed here so I drive the boat up to the roller stop near the winch (you may not want to do that until you've had quite a bit of practice). I then lean over the bow and hook up the winch strap and safety chain. Pull it out and stow gear once off the ramp. If you can't powerload, the guide-ons might be of use particularly in the wind/current. If people grumble about it, tough. If they didn't offer to help, they can patiently wait in line. 4) Anchors are a matter of both personal preferance and holding ability for the type of conditions you are going to be anchoring in. I have a boat of similar size as you (slightly smaller) and use a navy-style in 25 lbs w/ about 4' of chain. I have about 75' of rope on that. Adequate rope is of more importance than anchor style I believe. I also have on board an additional 20 lb navy-style w/ about 200' of smaller diameter rope on it. I'm not sure if this is absolutely correct, but I think it's 7x as much rope as the depth you are anchored in is the right amount. Different types of anchors hold drastically differently depending upon bottom type; you may want to do some additional research on this one to get the right one for your purposes. My anchors are basically 'jack of all trades, master of none' compromises. 5) Not having an onboard charger myself, I can't proclaim experiene on this one. I do know that deep-cycle batteries experience longer life if recharged as soon as possible after discharge. So, if you use them, I suggest plugging them in, if you didn't use them, it's your call. If you trust the charger, I don't suppose it can hurt. Best of luck w/ your new boat. Have fun and don't sweat the small stuff. Sorno | ||
| reelman |
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Posts: 1270 | All these answers are just my opinion but here goes: Get a transom saver! The little latch he is palking about holds the motor in a much higher position that prefered. For $30 or $40 it is cheap insurance. On my last boat I had the guides that you speak about and honestly I feel that they got in the way more than they helped. The key to a bunk trailer is to NOT back it into the water to far. Winch it on and let the rollers straighten out the boat. I have no idea how you would launch it yourself without tying it up to go get your truck. I prefer a navy style anchor as it holds very well if you ever fish in a river. Get the one bigger than you think you will need! I just got a new boat with an on-board charger and everybody I talk to says to plug it in when you get home and leave it on. Good luck with your new boat! | ||
| D-Rock |
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Posts: 35 Location: Burnsville, MN | PCR, Those latches that supposedly take the place of the transom saver, in my opinion are not made for that purpose... they are fine for storage, or at the launch, but not for travel. They WILL snap... I have seen it. Get a transom saver, or at the very least, use a 2x4, trimming the motor down and pinching it in between the shaft and the clamp bracket (you can see the place that I am describing, there is a little shelf there perfect for a 24" 2x4). I recommend trailer guides... I have the PVC style on my roller trailer. They are a big help for a beginner, and inexpensive. Use your judgement on the battery charging. If you are only on the water for a couple of hours, you probably won't need to charge. Windy days really work your trolling motor batteries over though. My trolling motor has a battery power gauge, you can add one to your system (if you don't have one) relatively easily. I am usually on the water for at least 6 hours, and my trolling motor is almost always in use, so I plug in every time I get home, or to the dock at the lodge. Congrats on the new boat... she sounds like a beauty. Good luck! Boats are a constant expense, and a lobor of love! Edited by D-Rock 4/17/2006 9:35 PM | ||
| VMS |
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Posts: 3508 Location: Elk River, Minnesota | All good replies so far...but I will add this: When unloading the boat, back in, hop in the boat and get the motor started. put in forward gear with the motor tilted. This will hold the boat on the trailer better and it cannot take off on you when you unhook your strap. Go back and unhook strap, climb aboard, and put motor in reverse...boat should come off trailer nice and easy...drive boat to a place to park or other side of dock so the next person can unload. Move truck and you are on your way. Loading is best done with the trailer not as far in the water. I will usually pull some strap out so that I have enough slack to hook up...about 6 cranks out should be enough. Set the crank so that it is ready to crank up the strap. Back the trailer in. Get the rear 8 rollers just under the water. If you have a shorelander trailer, I have found backing in until the front fender step is just barely under water (depending on how steep the ramp is..) is a fairly good guide as well. set the outboard as best you can at a tilted angle similar to the angle of the trailer. Ease your way on, making sure you have the boat centered as best as you can. Add a tinge of power to get the boat moving up on the trailer. get close to the winch post, but you don't have to be all the way there. As you power on, you may have to tilt the motor down to get better trust...much of that depends on the steepness of the ramp. Leave the motor in gear at a setting high enough to keep the boat stationary, go up to the front, lean over and hook your boat to the strap. Go back and ease off the throttle on the motor and allow the boat to drop back SLOWLY until the winch strap tightens up. Shut down motor and tilt to desired position. Hop out, winch up and you are on your way. Practicing loading your boat is best done at an empty ramp. Make sure you can do this WELL before attempting to load at a crowded ramp. The quicker you are, the better you look and the less nervous you will be. Good luck and enjoy the new boat!! Steve | ||
| The Yeti |
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| if you want to be SUPER FAST at this.... -have your plugs in when you leave the house. -line up with launch (after pre loading, this is the point where u're lined up and ready to back down and launch) -uncrank about 4 or 5 feet of your strap (if you're relatively on good level ground....maybe less than 20ยบ). RE-ENGAGE YOUR WINCH so it's locked, but the excess strap is out. -back up so u'r transom is on the waters edge. -get out, unhook your transom straps (leave your motor up at this time!) -get in....back down at an even pace... here's the tricky part.....when ur trailer fenders are just about submerged, your boat will be ready to float....this is when you slap on the brakes...not SLAM....but get on them good....the force will float the boat off the trailer for you. if u'r buddy is in the boat, all good....unhook and ELECTRIC motor to the dock THEN start your motor over there. i see too many guys tying up ramps with a "cold" motor at seasons beginning...get it out of the way, and get the truck out of there for the next guy, ya know. now, if' u're by yourself.. when you uncrank the winch, only let out about 2 feet of strap, or just enough to get the boat floating freely, but still enough to hold it there while you climb on after slapping the brakes on. b4 you get out of your truck, put the EBRAKE on and take your keys too, put them in your pocket. here again, just unhook the front eye and float off....i don't mess with the motor till im at the dock...i use the electric...tie it up...put the truck away....then mess with the motor. that little "pop" when your trailer fender is under water is key...not too hard, not to soft....just pop the brake and the boat should float right off good luck, it took me a bit of time to get my routine down...but once you do, u'll be good to go. | |||
| mikie |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | A couple things. Here's what I do to unload the boat without tying up the launch. I have a launch rope with two hooks that is about 3 feet longer than my trailer. After backing part-way into the water (important! don't unhook the boat too soon!), I unhook the boat from the trailer winch and attach the rope to the boat and the other end to a big eye hook that I installed on my truck's bumper. Then, when I back in, the boat slides off the trailer. I ease the trailer out of the water, the rope tightens, and when the boat grounds onto the ramp I stop, unhook from the bumper, and pull the boat to the dock while I park. If you don't want to ground the boat on the ramp, you can vary that by unhooking from the bumper while the boat is floating off the trailer, and tie it up then. Yes, always use a transom saver! Yes, plug your charger in after each trip, it should do the rest. Enjoy and good luck. The best teacher is time, keep practicing. Best advice I got on this was to find a ramp that has little use and practice there with no pressure. m | ||
| fishnriggs |
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Posts: 34 Location: Bloomington MN / Price County WISC | Great info from a great bunch of boaters, as a whole, we've seen it all or done did it and lived to tell. Now the real important part, THE ANCHOR ! Don't experiment and cheat yourself ! The best one I have found on the market and have used it all last year without losing it in the bottom snags and rocks: ProANCHOR from GuideMasters Check them out at : GuideMasters 19145 180th Ave. Big Lake, MN 55309 FAX 763-425-1806 PHONE 763-536-3977 www.guidemasters.net p.s. I've got the #18 'er and I think they're made in the USA ! good luck Frank | ||
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